One Pan Marry Me Chicken Orzo
This Marry Me Chicken Orzo is a creamy one-pan dinner with tender chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, garlic, and Parmesan. It’s ready in about 35 minutes and gets its rich, creamy texture without any heavy cream.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken cut into bite size pieces
- 1 tablespoon oil from sun-dried tomatoes or olive oil
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 4 garlic cloves finely minced or microplaned
- 2 cups 2% milk or whole milk
- 1 cup dry orzo
- 1/3 cup sundried tomatoes chopped small
- 2 cups spinach roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese freshly grated or shredded
- 1/4 teaspoon salt more to taste
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1-2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice more to taste
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and season evenly with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes undisturbed. Cook for an additional 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until cooked through.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant and tomato paste begins to darken.
- Next, add the chicken broth, milk, sun-dried tomatoes and orzo, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any cooked bits.
- Bring to a simmer and reduce heat to low. Cook uncovered for 12-14 minutes, stirring frequently, until the orzo is tender and most of the thicken has thickened. Note: Make sure to stir frequently especially during the second half of the cooking time to prevent burning. You can add an extra splash of chicken broth if needed.
- Stir in spinach, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook until the spinach is wilted.
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese and lemon juice before serving.
- Serve with extra Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes.
Notes
- Use regular dry orzo. Whole-wheat orzo and other pasta shapes may need a different amount of liquid or cooking time.
- Use 2% or whole milk for the creamiest sauce. Lower-fat milk will still work, but the finished sauce may be a little thinner and less rich.
- Add extra broth if needed. If the skillet starts looking dry before the orzo is tender, stir in a little more chicken broth.
- Leftovers will thicken. Add a splash of milk or chicken broth before reheating to bring the creamy consistency back.
Nutrition
Calories: 446kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 754mg | Potassium: 1143mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1838IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 338mg | Iron: 3mg
