Can I cook the orzo in the sauce?

You can make this a one pot meal and cook the orzo in the sauce. After whisking in the flour and tomato paste, stir in the uncooked orzo until lightly toasted and browned to infuse it with nutty flavors. Add 2 to 2-½ cups of low sodium chicken broth. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is al-dente. You may need to add an extra splash of broth or water if the pasta is not yet fully cooked and looks too dry. Once the orzo is tender, stir in the milk and seasonings.

Can I use heavy cream or half-and-half instead of milk?

Omit the flour. Instead, add the uncooked orzo and stir to combine and toast until light golden brown. Pour in 2 to 2-½ cups of low sodium chicken broth chicken into the skillet. Bring to a low boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until al-dente. Stir in ¾ to 1 cup of heavy cream or half-and-half and the seasonings for the sauce. Proceed with the remaining steps as indicated.

Can I freeze creamy orzo with chicken?

This Marry Me Chicken Orzo freezes beautifully and is a great make ahead meal. After cooking, cool quickly and transfer to freezer-friendly airtight sealed containers. Hold off on adding the fresh basil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring once in between, until hot throughout. Garnish with chopped or torn basil and more grated parmesan then enjoy!

Marry Me Chicken Orzo (Easy Weeknight Dinner)

Name: Marry Me Chicken Orzo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound / 454 grams boneless, skinless Chicken Breast (or chicken thighs) – cut into bite-sized pieces; ½ TBSP Cajun Seasoning (store-bought or homemade – note 1); 1 TSP Kosher Salt (use a little less than half the amount specified if using iodized table salt); ½ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper; ½ TBSP Olive Oil, for cooking; ½ medium / 100 grams Yellow Onion (or use shallots or red onion) – finely chopped; 6 cloves / 30 grams Garlic – minced; 8-9 pieces / 30 grams Fresh Red Chilies (optional*, to taste – note 2) – finely chopped; 10.6 ounces / 300 grams Orzo Pasta (use gluten-free orzo if needed or whole wheat orzo if preferred); 12-14 pieces / 150 grams Cherry Tomatoes – halved; ≈ ½ cup / 10 grams fresh Italian Basil Leaves – finely sliced into thin strips; 1 TSP Olive Oil; 1 TBSP Unsalted Butter; 2 TBSP / 30 grams Double Concentrated Tomato Paste; 2 TBSP / 18 grams All-Purpose Flour; 2 cups / 480ml Whole Milk; 1.5 TSP Kosher Salt, to taste (use a little less than half the amount if using iodized table salt – note 3); 1 TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste; ¼ – ½ TSP ground Cayenne, to taste; 1 – 1.5 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste; 1 TSP Smoked Paprika (I used a hot one, use sweet smoked paprika if preferred); 2 TSP Italian Seasoning; ¾ cup / 50 grams freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (or Parmesan Cheese); 2 cups / 66 grams Baby Spinach; ½ cup / 10 grams Fresh Basil – sliced; To Serve: Chopped fresh Basil or Parsley, more grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (optional)

Marry Me Chicken Orzo

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Creamy, full of fresh tomato and spicy flavors, this easy Marry Me Chicken Orzo recipe is the ultimate hearty and comforting meal! It features tender chicken, cherry tomatoes, orzo, spinach and fresh basil in a creamy garlic sauce!

Author: Lavina
Prep Time: 10
Cook Time: 25
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 1x
Category: Dinner
Method: Sauté
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken:

1 pound / 454 grams boneless, skinless Chicken Breast (or chicken thighs) – cut into bite-sized pieces
½ TBSP Cajun Seasoning (store-bought or homemade – note 1)
1 TSP Kosher Salt (use a little less than half the amount specified if using iodized table salt)
½ TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper
½ TBSP Olive Oil, for cooking

Marry Me Chicken Orzo:

½ medium / 100 grams Yellow Onion (or use shallots or red onion) – finely chopped
6 cloves / 30 grams Garlic – minced
8-9 pieces / 30 grams Fresh Red Chilies (optional*, to taste – note 2) – finely chopped
10.6 ounces / 300 grams Orzo Pasta (use gluten-free orzo if needed or whole wheat orzo if preferred)
12-14 pieces / 150 grams Cherry Tomatoes – halved
≈ ½ cup / 10 grams fresh Italian Basil Leaves – finely sliced into thin strips
1 TSP Olive Oil
1 TBSP Unsalted Butter
2 TBSP / 30 grams Double Concentrated Tomato Paste
2 TBSP / 18 grams All-Purpose Flour
2 cups / 480ml Whole Milk
1.5 TSP Kosher Salt, to taste (use a little less than half the amount if using iodized table salt – note 3)
1 TSP freshly cracked Black Pepper, to taste
¼ – ½ TSP ground Cayenne, to taste
1 – 1.5 TSP Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, to taste
1 TSP Smoked Paprika (I used a hot one, use sweet smoked paprika if preferred)
2 TSP Italian Seasoning
¾ cup / 50 grams freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (or Parmesan Cheese)
2 cups / 66 grams Baby Spinach
½ cup / 10 grams Fresh Basil – sliced
To Serve: Chopped fresh Basil or Parsley, more grated Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (optional)

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Instructions

Prep:

Season the chicken: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to a medium bowl. Season with Cajun seasoning, black pepper and kosher salt. Mix to coat, set aside.
Prepare the rest of the ingredients: Chop/slice the red onion, garlic, chilies, cherry tomatoes and basil as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section. Measure out the milk in a measuring cup and grate the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese using a box grater.

Marry Me Chicken Orzo:

Cook the orzo: Cook the orzo pasta 2 minutes shy of the time stated on the package for al-dente pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta cooking water, then drain into a fine mesh strainer and set aside. (Tip: Run cold water over the pasta to prevent it from sticking and cooking further.)
Cook the chicken. Heat ½ tablespoon of olive oil in a large deep edged skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken pieces and spread them out in the pan. Allow to sear for 1 minute, then flip the pieces and sear the other side for another minute or so. Sauté until just cooked. Transfer to a clean bowl and set aside.
Sauté the aromatics: Heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in the same pan over medium-high heat. Add the yellow onion, garlic and chilies and sauté for a minute until slightly softened and fragrant.
Add tomato paste and flour: Add the double concentrated tomato paste and all-purpose flour and mix to combine. Cook for a minute to get rid of the floury taste.
Pour in the milk: Reduce the heat to low and gradually pour in the milk while continuing to whisk.
Stir in the seasonings: Stir in the kosher salt, black pepper, ground cayenne, crushed red pepper flakes, smoked paprika and Italian seasoning.
Add the cheese: Stir in the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese until fully melted. The sauce will start to thicken.
Mix in the baby spinach and cherry tomatoes: Add the baby spinach and cherry tomatoes and mix for 1 minute or until the baby spinach has just wilted.
Add the pasta and chicken: Add the cooked orzo and chicken back into the pan. Mix until combined well and everything is evenly coated in the sauce. If the sauce thickens too much, add 2-4 tablespoons of reserved pasta water and mix until the sauce is of your desired consistency.
Stir through the basil: Stir through most of the fresh basil and switch off the heat.
Serve: Divide evenly onto plates and garnish with the remaining fresh basil and more grated cheese if desired. Serve immediately.

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Notes

Cajun Seasoning. Some store-bought Cajun seasoning blends come with salt added already and can be quite salty. You may need to use less or more salt depending on how salty your Cajun seasoning is. If unsure, skip seasoning the cream sauce with salt and pepper until after you taste the dish at the end. You can always add more salt if needed.
Fresh Chilies. I used Thai Bird’s Eye red chilies but any variety will work. If you’re not a spicy food lover, omit or use less fresh chilies, ground cayenne and chili flakes. Also, use a sweet smoked paprika instead of a hot one.
Storing and reheating leftovers. Store any leftovers in an airtight sealed container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until hot throughout. Garnish with basil and additional grated parmesan after reheating.
To Freeze. This Marry Me Chicken Orzo freezes beautifully and is a great make ahead meal. After cooking, cool quickly and transfer to freezer-friendly airtight sealed containers. Hold off on adding the fresh basil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave on high for 2-3 minutes, stirring once in between, until hot throughout. Garnish with chopped or torn basil and more grated parmesan then enjoy!
See the ‘Variations’ and ‘FAQ’ section in the post above if you would like to customize this Marry Me Chicken Orzo pasta dish or modify it for specific dietary needs.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
Calories: 661
Sugar: 12.7g
Sodium: 1227.4mg
Fat: 19.1g
Saturated Fat: 8.6g
Unsaturated Fat: 10.2g
Trans Fat: 0.3g
Carbohydrates: 72.9g
Fiber: 5.7g
Protein: 48g
Cholesterol: 107.5mg