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This Marry Me Chicken Orzo is a treat of a one pot pasta recipe – super simple and takes just 30 minutes to make. All the flavours of our favourite Tuscan-inspired chicken dish, made into a complete dinner.
If you’ve already tried my Marry Me Chicken recipe, you’ll know how totally delicious it is (chicken, cream, sun dried tomatoes and parmesan… yum).
I wanted to do a version of this that meant we didn’t have to faff about with side dishes or extra cooking and cleaning up, but still kept those amazing flavours.
What better than a one pot pasta?!
And so I have combined the best bits from two of my popular recent recipes – Marry Me Chicken and Orzo Bolognese!
I hope you love this MARRIAGE of two recipes, which I think come together beautifully to give us a mouthwatering family favourite.
I wanted to add a portion of veg into this full meal, so we’ve gone for spinach. It works really well as it cooks so easily down into the sauce and the flavour is great with the rich sauce, adding a little balance.
Why you’ll love this Chicken Orzo recipe
⭐️ So easy and simple ingredients
⭐️ Super quick for so much flavour – only 30 minutes
⭐️ One big pot makes a full meal for everyone
We absolutely love this recipe, generally serve it with crusty bread. I do swap out the double cream for crème fraiche or sour cream. A real family pleaser and a regular in our house.
Sarah’s Notes
The quirkily-named Marry Me Chicken recipe I published a while ago has gone down a STORM.
If you’re wondering what on earth ‘Marry Me’ is all about in a recipe title, I explain it all in the original recipe here.
And then there’s my Orzo Bolognese, which is equally as popular and is a new take on the old classic, Spag Bol. So many people have told me how much their families are loving this one, and the cooks of the family are equally impressed because it’s so bloomin’ easy!
You really can’t beat a trusty half-an-hour one pot.
Have you tried orzo yet?
If you haven’t tried cooking with orzo yet, I urge you to give it a go!
Kids and adults alike love it, and I am really enjoying exploring new orzo recipes because it’s so versatile. You could also try out my:
⭐️ Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo ⭐️
⭐️ Butternut Squash & Halloumi Orzo ⭐️
⭐️ Slow Cooker Lamb Orzo Stew ⭐️
⭐️ Broccoli Orzo Bake ⭐️
⭐️ Meatball Orzo Bake ⭐️
⭐️ Orzo Pasta Salad ⭐️
⭐️ Chorizo Orzo ⭐️
⭐️ Sausage Orzo Bake ⭐️
⭐️ Bacon and Leek Orzo ⭐️
Marry Me Chicken Orzo Ingredients
- Chicken breast – Skinless and boneless.
- Olive oil – OR you could use some of the oil from the jar of tomatoes.
- Garlic – Fresh or jarred/frozen is fine.
- Sun dried tomatoes – The type in a jar in oil .
- Dried oregano
- Paprika
- Orzo pasta
- Chicken stock – Made with a stock cube (bouillon cube) is fine.
- Double cream – Outside the UK? Use heavy cream (if you’re in USA or Canada) or thickened cream (if you’re in Australia.)
- Parmesan cheese
- Spinach – Use baby spinach here as it’s more tender and melts into the sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper
How to make Marry Me Chicken Orzo
1. Fry the chicken pieces as per the recipe below.
2. Add garlic, sun dried tomatoes, oregano and paprika. Stir well.
3. Add the orzo, stock and pepper, stir and put the lid on. Cook according to the timings below.
4. Turn the heat down and add spinach and cream. Stir until the spinach is wilted. Turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan.
Substitutions
- Vegetarian – You could use a meat alternative for the chicken and swap the stock for vegetable.
Leftovers & reheating orzo pasta
In the fridge Orzo can become a little gloopy after you’ve initially cooked it, so add a splash of water or an ice cube before you reheat it to stop it drying out. Store covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat fully before serving.
In the freezer Orzo is always at its best when cooked and eaten immediately, but it could be frozen if you have leftovers at a push. Just be aware the texture can just become very stodgy and the cream can sometimes split. See the tip above for reheating.
Recipe Tip
Use the sun-dried tomatoes that come in jars in oil. These are more tender and quick to release their flavour than the dry type, not in oil.
More Marry Me Chicken recipes…
Chicken
Marry Me Chicken
Under 30 minutes
Marry Me Chicken Pasta {One Pot Recipe}
Slow Cooker Chicken
Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken
Chicken
Marry Me Meatballs
Dump & Bake
Marry Me Chicken and Rice {Dump & Bake}
FAQs
It is a type of pasta that is shaped a bit like rice. It is known as ‘little pasta’ in Italy, where it was traditionally used in soups, but it has become a widely-used versatile type of pasta that can be used in many kinds of hot or cold dishes.
It tastes amazing and is nice as a change from what we’re used to in the UK when it comes to ‘regular’ pasta types, because it holds its shape well, has a different consistency and cooks well in sauces like this one.
It’s important not to let orzo dry out or overcook.
The quantities in this recipe should be good but if you feel as though your orzo is drying out before it’s cooked, add a little extra water or stock and stir.
Don’t overdo it – just a little at a time.
I recently tasked myself with trying out a variety of one-pan pans in a quest to find out which ones were up to the important job of making an all-in-one meal.
Read my pan review here. I hope it helps!
This recipe has been tested multiple times specifically to work with orzo, which is sturdy, cooks so quickly and has a rice-like texture. Feel free to try with a different pasta but you will need to adjust the stock levels and cooking time.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Marry Me Chicken Orzo
Ingredients
- 650 g (1.4 lb) Chicken breast, Skinless and boneless. Chopped
- 1 tbsp Olive oil, Or oil from sun dried tomatoes jar
- 3 Garlic cloves, Peeled and crushed
- 170 g (6 oz) Sun-dried tomatoes (in oil), Drained
- 1 tsp Oregano
- 2 tsp Paprika
- 250 g (9 oz) Orzo
- 650 ml (2.75 cups) Hot chicken stock, Made with a stock cube (bouillon cube)
- 150 ml (0.75 cups) Double cream (heavy cream (US/CAN) or (AUS) thickened cream)
- 50 g (2 oz) Parmesan , Grated
- 120 g (4 oz) Spinach
- Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Fry the chicken: In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. When it's hot, carefully add the chicken pieces. Cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally until all sides are starting to colour.
- Garlic, tomatoes and herbs go in: Reduce the heat and add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and paprika. Stir for 3-5 minutes until the garlic is softened.
- Pasta and stock in, then simmer: Add the orzo, stock, and some pepper and give everything a good stir and put the lid on. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is almost cooked.
- Reduce heat, time for spinach and cream: Turn the heat to the lowest setting add the spinach and cream and stir very well for 1-3 minutes until the spinach is wilted and the cream is heated through. Check the chicken is cooked through.
- To serve: Turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan.
Did you make this recipe? Click here to let us know how it went and give it a ⭐️ rating! Your feedback helps us to make more recipes you really want.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation. Nutritional values are per portion unless otherwise stated.
This post was originally published on September 14, 2023 and updated later to make improvements.
Actually amazing
Hi Haley, your review has made our day, thank you! We are so pleased you enjoyed the Marry Me Chicken Orzo and we hope it earns a regular spot on your dinner table.
Going to cook this tomorrow, can this be cooked in the oven as I don’t have a wide pan?
Hi Tracey, good news, you don’t actually need a wide pan! Any large, deep saucepan or casserole with a lid will work beautifully on the hob, just stir occasionally so the orzo doesn’t stick. We’ve not tested this one in the oven, so we’d stick with the hob for the best results. Enjoy!
This is one of my absolute favourite recipes! My 11yo also loves it 👌🙂
Can I use leftover chicken from a roast to make this do you think?
Hi Kate, thank you, we love that it’s a favourite for you and your 11-year-old! Yes, leftover roast chicken works well here. We’d stir it in towards the end with the cream and spinach, so it doesn’t overcook.
Perfect! I don’t ever measure anything but using the ingrédients my whole family loves this! I also use frozen spinach and I add all kinds of other veggies like Bell pepper and Zucchini .
Hi Anette, we love that this works so well even without measuring! Frozen spinach and extra veggies sound like brilliant additions. So pleased the whole family loved it, thank you for the lovely review!
exceptionally delicious!with all flavours blending perfectly
Hi Claribell, thank you so much for this lovely review! We’re thrilled the flavours came together so well for you. We hope it becomes a regular on your menu!
Oh, this was so good! Definitely a crowd-pleaser too!
Hi Peun, thank you so much! We’re delighted it went down well and proved a crowd-pleaser too, it’s such a favourite here as well. Happy cooking!
Really tasty meal, easy to make & hardly any washing up . Perfect !
I’ve just found gluten free orzo & it worked really well in this recipe
Hi Jen, thank you so much! We’re so pleased it was tasty, easy and light on washing up. And what a brilliant tip that gluten free orzo works well, thank you for sharing that for other readers!
Great recipe! My husband loved this, he rarely goes for seconds and did tonight. Also loved that it only used one pot. Thank you!
Hi Serena, a second helping from someone who rarely goes back well that is the ultimate compliment! So glad it was such a hit, and yes, one pot is always a win. Thank you for the lovely review!
I made this tonight! VERY tasty! This is going in the rotation!!
Hi April, woohoo, we love hearing it’s made the rotation! Thank you so much for giving it a go and letting us know it was a hit. That’s made our day.
Simple and delicious. Great on;y one pan is needed. We all love it.
Hi Sue, thank you so much for the lovely review! Simple, delicious and only one pan to wash up is exactly the kind of dinner we love, so we’re delighted it’s a hit with all of you.