Marry Me Chicken Orzo

Creamy, full of fresh tomato and spicy flavors, this easy Marry Me Chicken Orzo recipe is the ultimate hearty and comforting meal! Tender chicken pieces, cherry tomatoes, orzo, spinach and fresh basil come together in a creamy garlic sauce! Ready in 35 minutes and absolutely delicious! 

this recipe

Looking for more weeknight orzo recipes with chicken? Try this Creamy Cajun Chicken Orzo, Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo or this Tomato Ricotta Pesto Orzo next.

About This Recipe

Inspired by the “Marry Me Chicken” dish that has taken Instagram and the internet by storm, this Marry Me Chicken Orzo is a dish that features seared chicken pieces in a creamy sauce with flavors like garlic, tomatoes, herbs, fresh basil, spinach, savory and nutty Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and rice-shaped orzo pasta.

The name “Marry Me Chicken” comes from the idea that the dish is so delicious that it has the potential to make someone ask the cook to marry them after tasting it!

While I’m still single for now, I have faith in the scrumptious flavors that this Marry Me Chicken Orzo boasts! 😉

My version is slightly healthier as I’ve opted to make my signature lighter homemade cream sauce with milk instead of using heavy cream.

This is the same tried and true lightened-up, but rich and creamy sauce I’ve used in my popular Cream Sauce Seafood Pasta and Creamy Rosé Pasta with Shrimp. It works beautifully in this creamy Marry Me Orzo with Chicken dish too.

I’ve also used juicy cherry tomatoes instead of tangy and sweet sundried tomatoes as I love the freshness and sweetness they add to this dish. You’re welcome to use sundried tomatoes instead or use both to enjoy the best of both worlds!

This dish is an easy weeknight dinner that’s ready in just 35 minutes and satisfying. It’s also great for a romantic date night dinner, meal prep, and SO tasty that I guarantee even picky eaters will devour it!  

Without further ado, grab your skillet or pot and let’s make this Marry Me Chicken Orzo for dinner tonight!

Ingredient Notes and Substitutes

• Seasoned Chicken: I used diced boneless, skinless chicken breast and seasoned it with Cajun seasoning (store-bought or homemade works), kosher salt, and black pepper. Chicken thighs can be used if preferred.
• Aromatics & Veggies: We’ll use garlic, fresh Bird’s Eye red chilies for a kick of heat, yellow onion (shallots or red onion works too), fresh cherry tomatoes and baby spinach. Typically, Marry Me Chicken calls for tangy and sweet sun-dried tomatoes. However, I prefer juicy and sweet cherry tomatoes in this dish instead. Feel free to use whichever type of tomato you prefer. Or use both to enjoy the best of both worlds! Baby spinach can be substituted with baby kale or chopped kale, arugula, collard greens, etc.  
• Orzo (risoni): Orzo is a short-cut pasta that resembles the shape of a rice grain and is commonly used in soups. Use gluten-free orzo if needed or whole grain (whole wheat) orzo if preferred.
• Olive Oil: For cooking.
• Cream Sauce ingredients: Instead of heavy cream, we’ll use unsalted butter, all-purpose flour and whole milk to make our lighter homemade creamy sauce.
• Double Concentrated Tomato Paste: Adds robust and BOLD tomato flavors to the sauce.
• Spices & Dry Seasonings: To season our cream sauce, we’ll use kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper, Italian seasoning, ground cayenne, crushed red pepper chili flakes, hot smoked paprika (or use a sweet paprika). If you don’t have Italian seasoning on hand, use dried thyme, rosemary and oregano instead.
• Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (or use grated Parmesan Cheese): Adds savory, nutty flavors to the creamy pasta sauce and helps thicken it. I always recommend using freshly grated cheese from a block/wedge as it melts more easily into the sauce. Store-bought grated or shredded cheese in the plastic bags have anti-caking agents which make it difficult to melt evenly in cream sauces.
• Fresh Basil: A Marry Me Chicken dish is incomplete without fresh basil! We’ll stir some into the sauce and use the rest for garnish.

Full ingredient list and amounts are in the recipe card below.

How to Make Marry Me Chicken Orzo

Below is a visual step-by-step overview on how to make this recipe. The full recipe with detailed instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.

Variations

Flavor and Preference Variations

• Use a different pasta. Any type of short-cut pasta such as penne, farfalle, cavatappi (also known as spirali or cellentani), fusilli (bow-tie pasta), etc. will work.
• Use tortellini. I’ve made this dish with ricotta & spinach tortellini and I can vouch that Marry Me Chicken Tortellini tastes phenomenal too! You could also use ravioli instead.
• Change the protein. Shrimp (prawns), seared salmon fillets, sautéed sliced Italian sausage, cooked shredded rotisserie chicken, store-bought or homemade baked spicy chicken meatballs, chorizo or a combination of proteins would all taste delicious!
• Add more/different veggies. Baby kale, chopped lacinato kale, arugula, zucchini, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, fresh chopped tomatoes, mushrooms, bell peppers, etc.
• Make a fresh tomato cream sauce. If you’d like to have a fresh tomato cream sauce instead of pops of juicy cherry tomatoes in the pasta dish, quarter the cherry tomatoes and sauté them after sautéing the onion and garlic until they break down and release their juices. Then proceed with the recipe as indicated.
• Use sun-dried tomatoes. Either drained and chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil or rehydrated dried sun-dried tomatoes would taste great. Alternatively, add a 1-2 tablespoons of sundried tomato pesto or basil pesto to the creamy sauce.
• Use heavy cream. The original Marry Me Chicken dish calls for heavy cream and you can add about ¾ to 1 cup of cream and 2-½ cups of chicken broth instead of using flour and whole milk to build the sauce.
• Use leftover cooked chicken. Toss in some leftover cooked diced or shredded chicken in the cream sauce and let it heat through before adding the spinach and orzo. You can also use leftover shredded rotisserie chicken from the store!
• Use a different cheese. Pecorino Romano cheese would taste great! If you prefer, use cream cheese and reserved pasta water to make a creamy sauce instead of using all-purpose flour and milk.

Dietary Modifications

• Make it vegetarian. Any plant-based meat substitute can be used. Alternatively, use drained and rinsed canned chickpeas. Add the seasonings you would have used for the chicken to the cream sauce.
• Make it dairy-free. Same as for making it vegetarian but also use a vegan unsalted butter, a plant-based milk, and vegan parmesan cheese. Oat milk, cashew milk, creamy almond milk, or canned full fat coconut milk for a slightly sweeter flavor are some good dairy-free milk options.
• For gluten-free. Use a gluten-free orzo or other pasta shape of your choice and gluten-free all-purpose flour such as a 1-to-1 gluten-free all-purpose flour.

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