Elevate your pasta game with this delicious and easy Marry Me Chicken Meatballs Orzo recipe. A drool-worthy twist on the popular Marry Me Chicken recipe, that combines juicy chicken meatballs, orzo pasta, and a rich creamy sauce.
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Marry me chicken recipes are having A MOMENT. You can easily see why, as soon as you have a taste. The combination of tender chicken, creamy sauce, sun-dried tomatoes and spinach is out of this world delicious. Why is it called Marry Me Chicken? Because this recipe is so darned tasty it is worthy of a marriage proposal 🙂
My Crockpot Marry Me Chicken recipe is already popular with you guys so I just KNOW you will love this one-pan Marry Me Chicken Meatballs recipe, especially since we are adding orzo pasta to make it an all-in-one meal.
Marry Me Chicken Meatball Ingredients
You will need a large casserole dish (such as my beloved Le Creuset) or chef’s pan to make this recipe. Something big enough to fit all those tasty meatballs, pasta and zesty, creamy sauce!
FOR THE MEATBALLS
- ground chicken (chicken mince) – lean and healthy and perfect for meatballs
- sun-dried tomatoes or sun-dried tomato pesto
- onion, finely chopped or grated
- olive oil or oil from the sun-dried tomatoes
- panko or fresh breadcrumbs
- grated Parmesan cheese
garlic powder - Italian seasoning
salt and pepper
FOR THE ORZO & SAUCE
- butter and olive oil
- onion and garlic cloves
- sundried tomatoes or pesto
- white wine (or cooking sherry)
- chicken broth / chicken stock
- heavy cream or evaporated milk
- grated Parmesan cheese
- baby spinach
How to Make this Marry Me Chicken Meatball Orzo
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
MAKE THE MEATBALLS
Blitz the sundried tomatoes and onion in a mini chopper or finely chop by hand.
Combine the ground chicken, sundried tomatoes, onion, Panko breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix really well with a wooden spoon or your hands.
Use a small cookie scoop to make the meatballs, about 24 golf-ball sized ones. Roll with oiled hands to make them perfectly round.
COOK THE MEATBALLS
Heat olive oil in a large casserole dish and pan fry the meatballs for about 5 minutes, gently turning them over so that they are nicely browned on all sides. Scoop them out of the pan and set aside.
NOTE: At this point the meatballs will not be cooked all the way through but we will be adding them into the sauce to finish cooking.
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
Add a splash of white wine or sherry to the hot pan to deglaze, using a wooden spoon to scrape any stuck browned bits in the pan loose. Cook the wine down until it is almost gone (you can tell as the wine aroma will disappear).
Stir in the butter until it starts to sizzle then add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, over medium low heat until softened.
Add the orzo and sundried tomatoes or pesto and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
Place the meatballs back into the pan and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking.
Add the cream and grated Parmesan and finally stir in the chopped spinach, allowing to just wilt down. Check the seasoning and garnish with some extra freshly-grated Parmesan. Et Voila! Your marry-me chicken meatball orzo is ready to be served!
RECIPE NOTES
• The marry me chicken meatballs are just as delicious served over rice or mashed potatoes. If you wish to make this recipe without including the orzo, use only 1 cup (250ml) of broth and follow the method as written.
• The recipe is not suitable for freezing but you can definitely freeze the meatballs on their own. They can be frozen before cooking – spread them on a tray, freeze until solid then transfer to a ziplock bag and use within six weeks. You can add them to a sauce straight from frozen – just make sure they are cooked all they way through before serving.
RELATED RECIPES
HAVE YOU MADE MY MARRY ME CHICKEN MEATBALLS RECIPE? Please leave a rating, and don’t forget to snap a quick photo to share on Instagram with @supergolden88 and the tag #supergoldenbakes 🙂
Marry Me Chicken Meatballs Orzo
Equipment & Tools
Ingredients
FOR THE MEATBALLS
- ½ cup (66g) sun-dried tomatoes , drained (reserve the oil) *see note 1
- 1 onion , roughly chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- handful fresh basil leaves
- 1 lb. (500g) ground chicken (chicken mince) *see note 2
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp ground pepper
- 3 tbsp grated Parmesan
- ½ cup (75g) Panko breadcrumbs, more if needed
TO COOK
- 2 tbsp of the sun-dried tomato oil or olive oil
- 2 tbsp dry white wine or cooking sherry
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 onion finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ½ cup (66g) sun-dried tomatoes, chopped *see note 1
- 1 ½ cups (300g) orzo pasta
- 3 cups (720ml) chicken broth or stock made using 2 chicken stock cubes
- ⅓ cup (80ml) cream, heavy / double
- 3 tbsp grated Parmesan plus extra to serve
- 7 oz (200g) baby spinach leaves , roughly chopped
Instructions
MAKE THE MEATBALLS
- Blitz the sundried tomatoes, onion, garlic and basil leaves in a mini chopper or finely chop by hand. Empty into a large mixing bowl/½ cup (66g) sun-dried tomatoes, 1 onion, 3 garlic cloves, handful fresh basil leaves
- Add the ground chicken, Panko breadcrumbs, egg, Parmesan, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper into the bowl. Mix really well with a wooden spoon or your hands.1 lb. (500g) ground chicken, 1 large egg, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1 tsp garlic powder, ½ tsp ground pepper, 3 tbsp grated Parmesan, ½ cup (75g) Panko breadcrumbs,
- Use a small cookie scoop to make the meatballs, about 24 golf-ball sized ones. Roll with oiled hands to make them perfectly round.
COOK THE MEATBALLS
- Heat olive oil in a large casserole dish and pan fry the meatballs for about 5 minutes, gently turning them over so that they are nicely browned on all sides. Scoop them out of the pan and set aside. At this point the meatballs will not be cooked all the way through but we will be adding them into the sauce to finish cooking.2 tbsp of the sun-dried tomato oil
PUT IT ALL TOGETHER
- Add a splash of white wine or sherry to the hot pan to deglaze, using a wooden spoon to scrape any stuck browned bits in the pan loose. Cook the wine down until it is almost gone.2 tbsp dry white wine
- Stir in the butter until it starts to sizzle then add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, over medium low heat until softened.1 tbsp butter, 1 onion, 3 garlic cloves
- Add the orzo and sundried tomatoes or pesto and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.½ cup (66g) sun-dried tomatoes,, 1 ½ cups (300g) orzo pasta, 3 cups (720ml) chicken broth
- Place the meatballs back into the pan and cook for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking.
- Add the cream and grated Parmesan and finally stir in the chopped spinach, allowing to just wilt down. Your marry-me chicken meatball orzo is ready to be served!⅓ cup (80ml) cream,, 3 tbsp grated Parmesan, 7 oz (200g) baby spinach leaves
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