Marry Me Chicken Orzo
This Marry Me chicken orzo combines tender chicken with a rich, creamy sun dried tomato sauce and al dente orzo for a delicious meal.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¾ tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sun-dried tomato powder
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil from the jar
Pasta
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon dried shallots
- 1 tablespoon minced onion
- 2 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon basil
- 2 ¾ cups chicken broth
- 1 cup Orzo
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup spinach diced
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese shredded
- Chopped fresh basil for garnish
Instructions
Chicken
- Wash the chicken and pat it dry with paper towels.
- Add the chicken, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and sun-dried tomato powder to a medium bowl and mix to evenly coat.
- Heat up the tomato oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
Pasta
- Melt the butter in the same pan. Then, add the shallots, minced onion, minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, sweet smoked paprika, salt, and basil. Cook for about 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth, chicken, and orzo, cover with a lid, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Add the cream and spinach and cook until the spinach is wilted.
- Reduce the heat, add the parmesan, and stir until creamy. Top with fresh parmesan and basil if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
Storage
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- Freezing is not recommended, as cream sauces break when defrosted.
- To reheat the dish, place it in a large skillet and cook over medium-low heat until heated through.
- Stir frequently while cooking this sauce to prevent sticking.
- Orzo cooks quickly, so check it for doneness a couple of minutes before you think it will be done.
- When washing your chicken, hold it as deeply in the sink as possible and use a gentle flow of water to limit splashing and transferring bacteria.
- Always wash the sink and counters before doing anything else after washing your chicken.
- While it's generally easy to gauge chicken doneness based on time when cooking cubed or small pieces, it is still safer to check for doneness with a meat thermometer.
Nutrition
Calories: 379kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 22gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 103mgSodium: 1202mgPotassium: 727mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1773IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 236mgIron: 3mg
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