This easy and lighter recipe for Marry Me Chicken Orzo recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes, but it’s full of flavor! Gluten-free and options for dairy-free, too!
“Marry Me” recipes are so popular right now, and for good reason. They are delicious, flexible, and contain a lot of ingredients you likely have in your fridge and pantry right now. We use gluten-free orzo in this recipe, so it is perfect to serve to your gluten-sensitive guests.
Also, in an effort to make this one lighter, I don’t use any cream…but something magical happens with the broth and tomato paste, making a creamy pasta that my whole family enjoyed!
If you like the flavor profile of this Marry Me Chicken with Orzo, you’ll really love our Creamy Marry Me Chicken Soup Recipe. It contains no cream and is always a hit on chilly nights.
This recipe is perfect to serve with my Gluten Free Apple Tart for dessert and my Gluten-Free Zucchini Fritters on the side. Want to serve a nice salad with dinner? Try my Spinach and Strawberry Caprese Salad!
More Reasons To Love This …
- Full of Flavor: Garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian chicken sausage and the main elements of this dish, and they blend perfectly with the tender orzo.
- Creamy without the Cream: you can add extra cream or cheese to this dish, but cooking
- Quick & Easy: This recipe is done in about 30 minutes! Weeknight friendly, even on busy evenings.
- Meal Prep Friendly: Want a satisfying meal to bring to lunch? This recipe reheats beautifully.
Can’t find Italian Chicken Sausage? You can make your own! My post on How to Make Homemade Italian Sausage with Ground Chicken or Turkey explains it all. It is easier than you think!
Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients for this recipe. For full ingredients and amounts, beck out the printable recipe card below.
- Olive oil or butter – either option works great for this recipe. If you use salted butter, make sure to taste before adding salt.
- Onion – yellow or white onion is best here. Chop it finely for the best results.
- Italian Chicken Sausage – you can use links or ground chicken sausage for this dish. If you use links, make sure not to get pre-cooked links, and remove from the casing before cooking.
- Garlic – fresh garlic only for the best results! I recommend a garlic press to make it easier!
- Sun-dried tomatoes – if you use the sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drain off the oil before adding it to the sauce.
- Tomato paste – I like to buy the tomato paste in the tube so I can use a bit at a time and not have to worry about storing it in a separate container.
- Gluten-free orzo – this rice-shaped pasta is perfect for skillet meals.
- Chicken broth – have extra chicken stock you need to use? Make our Chicken Marsala recipe!
- Fresh spinach – Fresh spinach is a great way to add more vitamins and nutrients to this dish.
- Pecorino romano – freshly shredded from the block is the best option here.
- Optional for extra creaminess – 2 wedges Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges or 2 tablespoons low fat cream cheese and/or 2 tablespoons of milk.
Substitutions and Variations
- Regular orzo also works for this dish if it is all you have and you don’t have any friends or family eating that cannot have gluten.
- I prefer baby spinach for these types of dishes, but regular spinach or kale works well too. Just chop it up before adding. I do not recommend the frozen spinach. It adds too much liquid, and the texture is much different.
- To make this dairy free, add canned coconut milk in place of the cheese! Just stir it in at the end of the cook time!
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Preheat your olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes.
Step 2: Add the chicken sausage and cook.
Step 3: Break apart the sausage as it browns.
Step 4: Add the minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir and cook for about a minute. Add the orzo and a pinch of salt to the pan.
Step 5: Add the chicken broth to the pan and stir. Let simmer on very low heat for 10-12 minutes. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is getting tender.
Step 6: Add the spinach to the pan and stir to combine. Let it cook, stirring, until the spinach is wilted. Remove from the heat.
Step 7: Add the chicken broth to the pan and stir. Let simmer for 10-12 minutes. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is getting tender.
Step 8: Stir in the shredded Romano cheese. Serve hot with your favorite sides.
Meal Prep and Storage
Prep Ahead: This recipe can be made in advance, and reheats well. It is best served immediately after cooking, but can also work well as a casserole to make and bring to a friend.
To Store: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
To Reheat: This recipe can be reheated in the microwave or stovetop. Heat until steaming, and add a bit more chicken broth, if necessary, to loosen up the pasta.
Recipe FAQs
Traditional orzo is a wheat-based pasta, but there are plenty of gluten-free options available. Brands like DeLallo offer gluten-free orzo, which I used in this recipe. If gluten-free orzo is unavailable, you can substitute it with another gluten-free pasta, or even use rice to achieve a similar texture. The amount of liquid may need to be adjusted if you are using rice.
Use gluten-free orzo or a suitable substitute to ensure the dish is entirely gluten-free. Additionally, verify that all other ingredients, such as chicken broth and sun-dried tomatoes, are certified gluten-free, as some products may contain hidden gluten. Always check labels carefully to avoid cross-contamination. You can also check with your gluten-free guests to confirm your ingredients are safe for them.
Yes, Marry Me Chicken Orzo can be adapted for a slow cooker. Combine the chicken, seasonings, sun-dried tomatoes, and liquids in the slow cooker and cook for 3-4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low. About 30-45 minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the gluten-free orzo, stir, and continue cooking until the orzo is tender.
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One- Skillet Marry Me Chicken Orzo Recipe (Gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 2 tsp olive oil or butter
- ½ onion diced
- 1 pound of Italian Chicken Sausage raw and removed from the casing
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup orzo gluten-free
- Pinch of salt
- 3 cups of chicken broth
- 2 cups of chopped fresh spinach
- ⅓ cup freshly shredded pecorino romano cheese
Optional
- 2 wedges Laughing Cow Cheese Wedges or 2 tablespoons low fat cream cheese + a splash of milk
Instructions
- Heat butter or olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add diced onion and sauté until soft and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken sausage, breaking it up as it cooks, until browned.
- Add minced garlic, sundried tomatoes, and tomato paste. Stir and cook for another minute until everything is coated and smells amazing.
- Pour in the orzo and a pinch of salt, stirring to toast the pasta slightly.
- Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then cover and cook for 10-12 minutes on very low heat, stirring occasionally, until the orzo is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid (but not all!) Stir in the fresh spinach until wilted.
- Add in the the pecorino romano and stir until melty and creamy. Add in the soft cheese and splash of milk, if using. Remove from heat and enjoy!
Devon Kitch says
SOOOOOOO Good! I loved the taste and creamy texture of this dish. It was easy to make and I also used your Italian Sausage Seaoning recipe to turn organic ground turkey into “sausage”. Absolutely delicious. We doubled the optional red pepper and it still wasn’t too spicy for us. I probably tripled the minced garlic, and I added the optional cream cheese (full fat, though). This will definitely be a regular recipe. Sidenote: we also have your lemon blueberry bread and barbeque chicken zucchini boats in the fridge right now!
Nancylynn says
Woohoo! This is some great feedback! Thank you Devon!
Julieanne says
I wanted to make this and have a whole green container. would I double the spinach and sundried tomatoes to do that? thank you
Nancylynn says
Yes! Great idea!
Julianne says
Oh my goodness!! This was so flavourful and so quick to throw together! And for the first time I finally found chicken sausage at the grocery store. Though I had to substitute a bit of cream cheese for the Vache Qui Rit because my daughter didn’t know I was saving the last two triangles for this recipe, lol. My husband loved it too!
Nancylynn says
Lol! Good old kids! So glad you loved the recipe!