Marry Me Chicken Orzo (Dump-and-Bake)
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Jan 19, 2026 (last updated Sep 9, 2026) 
This marry me chicken orzo is creamy, cozy, and truly dump-and-bake. It’s made with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, and orzo; all cooked right in the pan, with no pre-cooking, and no extra steps, all in under 40 minutes!
5 star review
“The best thing I’ve ever eaten! My husband and kids requested I make it every week!!”
– K.B.
Chicken Orzo Casserole Is the Easiest Dump-and-Bake Dinner
Okaaaaaay, I’m pretty sure this shortcut version of classic marry me chicken is going to be your new dinner go-to. It’s got the same sun-dried tomato, garlic, thyme, creamy-parmesan situation, but created in a single baking dish instead of on the stovetop.
Now, I developed this recipe to be just about as simple as possible (as I do 😉). The chicken goes in raw, the orzo cooks right in the broth, and the whole thing bakes under foil so nothing dries out. It’s truly weeknight simple with the same “marry me chicken” flavor profile we all love (drawing serious inspo from my viral orzo chicken bake and my marry me chicken soup).
What makes this one work is the order in which everything cooks. The chicken gets coated directly in the tomato paste, sun-dried tomato oil, and spices so the flavor’s already there before anything cooks. Then the orzo sits on top and absorbs the broth as it bakes, which is why you don’t need to pre-cook anything or babysit a pan. When you stir in the cream and Parmesan at the end, it turns into that creamy, cohesive sauce without separating.
This is the dinner I make when I want something cozy and impressive but don’t have the patience for multiple steps. It’s weeknight-easy, but it’s also the kind of thing I’d bring to a friend or serve to company without thinking twice. Just be sure to let it rest for a few minutes before scooping and then be prepared for everyone to ask for seconds!
Welcome to My Kitchen – Let’s Make Marry Me Chicken Orzo!
Robyns Testing Tips for Marry Me Chicken Orzo Bake
- I’ve tested this one with both chicken thighs and breasts, and thighs are more forgiving if you’re even a few minutes late pulling it from the oven. Breasts work great too, but I don’t push them past just-done.
- Don’t skip the sun-dried tomato oil! That tablespoon does real work here, as it carries the flavor into the chicken before anything bakes and replaces the need for sautéing.
- I recommend letting this one rest 5–10 minutes before serving. The sauce tightens up as it sits, and the whole casserole goes from “scoopable” to “perfectly spoonable.”
Marry Me Chicken Orzo (Dump-and-Bake)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts), cut into 1-inch, bite-size pieces
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped (plus 1 tablespoon of the oil)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 teaspoons dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ cups orzo (dry, uncooked)
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 cups baby spinach (optional, stir in at end)
Instructions
- Preheat And Prep: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish with a bit of oil or cooking spray.
- Assemble: To the baking dish, add the chicken, 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil, and tomato paste. Sprinkle over the granulated garlic, thyme, paprika, ½ teaspoon of the salt, and pepper.
- Toss to coat the chicken evenly in the oil, spices and tomato paste. Spread the chicken in an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
- Layer the chopped sun-dried tomatoes over the top of the chicken, followed by the orzo in an even layer. Sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, then pour the stock evenly over the orzo. Do not stir.
- Bake: Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the orzo is just barely cooked, but still a bit under-done.
- Carefully remove the foil. Add the cream, parmesan, and spinach (if using), stirring well to combine.
- Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, uncovered.
- Finish And Serve: Let rest for 5-10 minutes to thicken slightly before serving. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve warm with additional Parmesan, if that’s your thing.
Notes
- Tomato Paste: Since we’re only using a tablespoon here, look for the kind in the tube for easy measuring and storage. If using canned, freeze what you have left in individual tablespoon amounts for the next time you make this one!
- Chicken: I’ve tested this one with both chicken thighs and breasts, and both work well, but thighs are more forgiving if you’re even a few minutes late pulling it from the oven.
Fantastic recipe! My family loved it and I’ll definitely make it again. Instead of spinach, I added 1 can of drained artichoke hearts. Considering adding some capers or maybe broccoli next time.
Bill, great suggestion to use canned, drained artichoke hearts. I’m sure other people will find that tip helpful. I think capers would be really good too. Thanks for sharing your notes and for leaving a review!
This was delicious! My whole family enjoyed it. I used gluten free orzo and and cream cheese instead of heavy cream.
Tricia, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this chicken orzo. I’m so happy to hear it worked with the gluten-free orzo. Great ideas to swap the cream cheese for cream. I’m sure others will find that useful. Thanks for sharing your tips and for leaving a review!
Hello, is the stock hot or cold when you put it in? I made the recipe yesterday, and while it’s very tasty, the orzo was very overdone after 30 mins. I used hot stock. Thank you 😊
Hello! Per the recipe, you do not need to heat the stock first. I imagine that’s why the orzo was overdone. If you make it again, you can just use the stock without heating it. I hope that helps!
Thank you for your reply! I am in the UK and primarily use stock (bouillon) cubes when a recipe calls for stock/broth, so I dissolved those in boiling water and used that. Next time I’ll be sure to use cold stock. Thank you!
Ahhhh, okay, that makes sense. Yes, I would recommend using cold stock if possible for this one! You can also try reducing the cook time… I haven’t tested it, but I’m guessing using boiling or very hot stock might reduce the cook time down by about 10 minutes.
Just made this for dinner tonight. So good! I also added some cut up cherry tomatoes.
Amanda, yay, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one. Great idea to add cherry tomatoes. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and for leaving a review!
Are there any substitutions for sun dried tomatoes? – Thanks, Pam
Hi Pam, the sun-dried tomatoes are traditional in a “marry me” dish, but they aren’t strictly necessary since you’ll still get a nice tomato flavor from the tomato paste. If you’d like to just skip the sun-dried tomatoes, that would be fine. You will lose some of the seasoning from the sun-dried tomato oil, which you can replace by using olive oil, a little bit of thyme, or some dried Italian seasoning. I hope that helps. Let me know if you have any other questions!