Chicken
$2.29per plate
Prep
10 min
Chicken · Chicken Skillet
Marry Me Chicken Orzo
Marry Me Chicken Orzo turns the famous creamy sun-dried tomato chicken into a one-pan dinner where the orzo cooks right in the sauce, soaking up all that garlic-Parmesan flavor. Bite-size chicken browns first, then the little rice-shaped pasta simmers in broth and cream until it is tender and creamy, with no separate pot to drain. It is the whole meal in one skillet for about a dollar seventy a plate. Prefer the classic skillet version with whole chicken, or a penne dinner instead? Try our Marry Me Chicken or Marry Me Chicken Pasta.
$1.71per plate
Estimated recipe total
$8.55 · serves 5
Cook
25 min
Total
35 min
Serves
5
Recipe from Budget Plates · https://www.budgetplates.com/marry-me-chicken-orzo
Equipment
- Large skillet
Variations
- Use boneless skinless chicken thighs cut bite-size instead of breast; cook them the same way.
- Use half-and-half, or whole milk with a little cornstarch, for a lighter, cheaper sauce.
- Swap in ditalini, small shells, or broken spaghetti for the orzo; adjust the broth so it has enough to absorb.
- Stir in a couple handfuls of fresh spinach at the end for color and to stretch the pan.
1 How to make it
1
Brown the chicken
Pat the bite-size chicken dry, season with salt and pepper, and brown it in the oil in a large skillet over medium-high for about 5 minutes, until golden but not fully cooked. Remove it to a plate; it will finish later so it does not overcook and dry out.
2
Toast the orzo and garlic
Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic and orzo and stir for a minute or two until the orzo smells nutty and turns lightly golden. Toasting keeps the grains separate and adds flavor, and stirring now helps stop them from sticking later.
3
Simmer the orzo in broth
Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer, then cook 9 to 11 minutes, stirring often, until the orzo is tender and most of the broth is absorbed. Orzo needs roughly twice its volume in liquid and likes to stick, so keep it moving and add a splash more broth if the pan goes dry before it is done.
4
Add the cream and Parmesan
Turn the heat to low and stir in the cream and Parmesan. Keep it at a gentle simmer, never a hard boil; boiling is what makes a cream-and-Parmesan sauce break or turn grainy. Stir until it is smooth and creamy.
5
Return the chicken
Add the chicken and any juices back to the pan and stir it through. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, just to finish cooking the chicken to 165 F and warm it in the sauce. Returning it at the end keeps it juicy.
6
Check and serve
The orzo is done when it is tender with a little bite, creamy but not gummy or soupy; if it is too thick, loosen it with a splash of broth. Add the red pepper flakes, taste for salt, and serve right away, since orzo keeps drinking up the sauce as it sits.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Chicken thighs for breast. Boneless skinless thighs cut bite-size are cheaper and stay juicier. Cook them the same way.
- Half-and-half or milk for the heavy cream. Half-and-half, or whole milk with a teaspoon of cornstarch, makes a lighter, cheaper sauce. Add it at the end and do not let it boil.
- Small pasta for orzo. No orzo? Ditalini, small shells, or broken spaghetti cook the same way in the pan. Adjust the broth so there is enough for the shape to absorb.
- Stir in greens. A couple of handfuls of fresh spinach wilted in at the end add color and stretch the pan, if you have it on hand.
3 Budget tips
- Cooking the orzo right in the pan means one skillet to wash and no wasted starchy water, and the orzo soaks up every bit of flavor.
- A single pound of bite-size chicken stretches across five plates when the orzo bulks out the pan.
- Sun-dried tomatoes are the priciest item, so buy one jar and use it across a few meals; a little brings a lot of flavor.
- A cup of cream and a handful of Parmesan make a richer sauce than any jar, and cost less.
- See more recipes priced per serving in the Budget Plates Index.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The orzo keeps absorbing the sauce, so it firms up; loosen it with a splash of broth or milk when reheating.
Freezer
Creamy orzo can be frozen for up to 2 months, though the texture softens and the sauce may separate slightly. Freeze in portions and stir well as it reheats.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave at half power, stirring in a splash of broth or milk to bring the sauce back and loosen the orzo. High heat will make it gummy or greasy.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
500
Protein
30g
Fat
20g
Carbs
48g
Estimates per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
What is orzo?
Orzo is a small, rice-shaped pasta. In this dish it cooks right in the skillet, absorbing the broth and cream, so you get a creamy one-pan dinner with no separate pot to drain. It is pasta, not rice, though it looks similar.
How do I keep the orzo from getting gummy or sticking?
Toast it first, stir often as it simmers, and pull it off the heat when it is tender with a little bite. Too much time or too little stirring makes it gummy, and serving it right away helps, since it keeps drinking up the sauce.
How do I stop the cream sauce from breaking?
Add the cream and Parmesan over low heat and keep the pan at a gentle simmer, never a hard boil. Boiling is what makes a cream sauce split. If it thickens too much, loosen it with a splash of broth.
How is $1.71 a plate figured?
About $8.55 for the whole skillet, five servings, so roughly $1.71 each. The chicken, cream, Parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes are the main costs, and it is a full one-pan meal. Any side is figured separately.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, Budget Plates may earn from qualifying purchases.
- 12-inch nonstick skillet. A wide nonstick skillet browns ground meat, fries rice, and builds a one-pan sauce with less oil and easier cleanup. Best for everyday stovetop dinners like skillet meals, fried rice, pasta sauces, and patties.
- Cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat for a deep sear and moves from stovetop to oven, and it lasts for decades with basic care. Best for searing chops and chicken, and recipes that start on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
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