One Pot Marry Me Chicken Orzo

A rich, creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes takes this Marry Me Chicken Orzo over the top. Cook your entire meal in one pot for convenience and super easy clean-up duty! There is a reason this recipe has the words “marry me?” in the title. It’s that good.

The top half of this image shows all of the ingredients for the dish in a freezer bag. The bottom half of the image shows the cooked dish in a single serving bowl. In between, text states "One Pot Marry Me Chicken Orzo."

We don’t have a lot of orzo recipes in our archives, but we do have so many easy, convenient meals you can freeze and have stacked in the freezer ready to go when you need to get dinner to the table fast. It’s the perfect solution for busy weeknight or tournament weekend meals. A few hours at a time, you can stock your freezer with a huge variety of dishes to choose from! For instant access to all of our amazing recipes plus exclusive content, join the Freezer Meals 101 club.

If you aren’t convinced yet, be sure to try our Korean Ground Beef Rice Bowl or this Spanish Chorizo Rice.

One Pot Marry Me Chicken Orzo Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 tsp. paprika
  • 1 tsp. oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. pepper
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream

Ingredients for the Day of Cooking

  • 1 cup orzo

How to Make One Pot Marry Me Chicken Orzo

Assembly Instructions

  1. Put the Parmesan cheese in a medium (quart sized) bag.
  2. Place the chicken, garlic, sundried tomatoes, seasonings, broth, and heavy cream in a large resealable freezer bag.
  3. Remove the excess air, seal, staple the bags together, and freeze. (The bag of parmesan is not shown in our images.)
All of the ingredients for one pot marry me chicken orzo in a single freezer bag.

Cooking Instructions

  1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
  2. Bring large bag contents to a boil in a large pot on the stovetop.
  3. Stir in orzo.
  4. Reduce heat to simmer.
  5. Cook for 12-14 minutes, stirring often until the orzo is soft and most of the liquid is absorbed.
  6. Stir in the Parmesan and allow it to melt. Serve.
Collage image shows four square images including: all of the ingredients in a freezer bag, all of the ingredients in a sauce pan, Chicken Orzo with sun-dried tomatoes in a single serving decorated bowl on a wooden table, and a close up of the dish.

Where do I find sun-dried tomatoes?

These come in a jar, sealed in oil. You will most likely find them with the olives and pimentoes or jarred peppers, near the pickles in your grocery store. Another option would be to look in your store’s international aisle or with the Italian ingredients/pasta. You can also purchase them on Amazon. You can also buy them pre-sliced in sealed bags and lately, that’s the type we have been using.

Should I drain the jarred tomatoes?

Yes. Drain and slice the sun-dried tomatoes for best results.

What is orzo?

Shockingly, orzo is not rice at all, but a tiny form of pasta purposely shaped like rice but made from wheat flour. As such, it should not be served to those who are gluten-free and can be substituted with a hearty rice when needed. You will find orzo in the pasta aisle, where it might also be called risoni.

One Pot Marry Me Chicken Orzo Recipe Ideas

Chicken Orzo wit sundried tomatoes in a single serving decorated bowl on a wooden table.

Black beans, drained and rinsed, can be added to the pot on the day of cooking to increase the protein content. Add in the last five minutes of cook time so that the beans cook through.

You can use long-grain rice, jasmine, or basmati, in place of the orzo in the case of a gluten allergy or preference.

This dish can be made with a larger pasta such as bowties if you wanted. Just make sure to increase the liquid.

I think this dish might be crying out for mushrooms. I would want to add mushrooms if all my kiddos liked them. Any fresh sliced mushrooms will work and can be added to the bag and frozen with the other ingredients.

If convenience is imperative, you can buy pre-cooked, diced chicken already frozen at your grocery store to assemble with this recipe. It’s not the cheapest option, but sometimes life dictates an emergency use of convenience products. That’s okay!

Make it extra special with the addition of seasoned and sauteed shrimp on the day of cooking. You can serve these on the side or atop each serving.

How do I store One Pot Marry Me Chicken Orzo?

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one or two days and reheat easily in a microwave or skillet. Since the chicken was pre-cooked, it should not be frozen again.

What to Serve with One Pot Marry Me Chicken Orzo?

Serve this dish on its own or add veggies, salad, or fresh fruit on the side. Add a nice crusty bread if desired.

One Pot Marry Me Chicken Orzo
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
50 mins
 
Servings: 6
Calories: 310 kcal
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Freeezer Meal Bag
  • 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 3 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes, sliced
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 3 cups chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream
Ingredients for the Day of Cooking
  • 1 cup orzo
Instructions
Assembly Instructions
  1. Put the Parmesan cheese in a medium (quart sized) bag.

  2. Place the chicken, garlic, sundried tomatoes, seasonings, broth, and heavy cream in a large resealable freezer bag.

  3. Remove the excess air, seal, staple the bags together, and freeze.

Cooking Instructions
  1. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

  2. Bring large bag contents to a boil in a large pot on the stovetop.

  3. Stir in orzo.

  4. Reduce heat to simmer.

  5. Cook for 12-14 minutes, stirring often until the orzo is soft and most of the liquid is absorbed.

  6. Stir in the Parmesan and allow it to melt before serving.