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Marry Me hen orzo bake is a creamy one-pot pasta dinner made with hen thighs, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and orzo baked in a luscious sauce.
Leap to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Components | 📷 How To Make | 📹 Watch The Video | 👩🍳 Recipe Ideas | 🥗 Serving Ideas | 📝 Full Recipe Card | 🍽 Extra Pasta Recipes
This Marry Me hen orzo bake has all of the traditional marry me hen vibes — garlicky, creamy, herby, and just a bit fancy due to sun-dried tomatoes.
The twist? As a substitute of serving it over plain pasta, it will get baked proper right into a saucy orzo casserole the place the pasta soaks up all that taste. I take advantage of skinless, boneless hen thighs to maintain issues juicy and a contact lighter, plus a splash of sunshine cream to make it luscious with out feeling heavy.
The hen will get seared, then all the things simmers and bakes in a single pan. It’s cozy, high-protein, and loopy satisfying. And sure, I examined this a number of occasions — and each time it turned out like a hug in a bowl.
👩🍳 You may also like these: lemon hen orzo pasta, boursin orzo bake, lemon hen orzo soup, and much more orzo recipes right here.
What You’ll Want
Here’s what you’ll want for this creamy hen orzo bake recipe. Discover the complete measurements within the recipe card under.
For the Hen:
- Boneless, skinless hen thighs — juicy and flavorful, a bit lighter with out the pores and skin; hen breast works too, however I discover thighs extra forgiving.
- Olive oil, salt, pepper, smoked paprika — traditional taste trio to season the hen and add heat.
For the Sauce & Pasta:
- Onion + garlic — your taste base, don’t skip them!
- Solar-dried tomatoes (oil-packed) — salty, tangy, and barely candy. These are the taste bombs.
- Dried Italian herbs + oregano — herby spine. You too can use dried thyme if you happen to don’t have combined Italian herbs.
- Hen inventory — flavorful liquid that orzo soaks up like a sponge.
- Mild cream — provides it that creamy, velvety sauce with out the heaviness.
- Orzo (or risoni) — the tiny pasta that cooks like rice. Soaks up all the things.
- Parmesan — salty, nutty, and so good melted into the sauce.
- Chili flakes (optionally available) — for a bit of heat if you happen to like a tiny kick.
To End:
- Contemporary herbs (basil, chives, parsley) — freshness to steadiness all that creamy richness.
- Further Parmesan — all the time.
How To Make Marry Me Hen Orzo Bake
Discover the complete recipe and dietary data under. Listed below are some helpful step-by-step photographs for make this one-pot baked hen and orzo recipe.
- Cube the onions and garlic so these are able to go. Pressure sun-dried tomatoes (if they’re packed in oil) and chop them into smaller items. Put aside whereas we transfer onto the hen.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C fan).
- Season hen thighs and pan-sear 2–3 minutes per aspect in a big oven-safe pan. I take advantage of forged iron low casserole pan.
- Take away hen; sauté onions first after which add garlic in the identical pan. Add somewhat further oil if wanted.
- Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, and a pinch of chili flakes.
- Pour in hen inventory (reserving a bit), cream, and Parmesan. Simmer briefly.
- Style the sauce and modify seasoning; it needs to be salty as orzo absorbs plenty of the flavour.
- Stir in orzo and nestle hen again in.
- Cowl and bake for 15–20 minutes till orzo is tender and hen is absolutely cooked. I feel I did mine for 18 minutes.
- Relaxation a couple of minutes, then sprinkle with herbs and extra Parmesan. Dig in!
Watch The Video
Recipe Ideas
- Use an oven-safe deep pan or French (or Dutch) oven pot if you happen to’ve bought one — one much less dish!
- Don’t fear if the sauce seems a bit runny at first — orzo thickens lots because it sits. If nevertheless it seems prefer it’s soaked up plenty of the inventory, add a number of splashes on the finish to skinny it out.
- Need it spicier? Add extra chili flakes or a pinch of cayenne.
- Hen breast? Certain, simply don’t overcook it. Bone-in thighs additionally work however will want extra time.
- Need extra veg? Stir in chopped spinach or child kale earlier than baking.
- Make-ahead suggestions: You may pre-sear the hen and make the sauce a day forward. Retailer individually or all collectively (with out the orzo) within the fridge, then combine in orzo and bake when prepared.
- Storage suggestions: Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Reheat with a splash or two of broth or cream to loosen the orzo. Freezing is okay, however orzo can get delicate. I don’t advocate.
Serving Ideas
I really like serving this with a brilliant, crunchy salad (lemon French dressing all the best way – try my asparagus salad) or easy steamed inexperienced beans, sauteed asparagus, or broccolini with garlic and lemon. It’s wealthy, so somewhat citrus on the aspect balances it superbly.
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Marry Me Hen Orzo Bake is a creamy one-pot pasta dinner made with hen thighs, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and orzo baked in a luscious sauce. Discover step-by-step photographs and extra recipe suggestions above.
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Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C fan).
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Season hen with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika.
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Warmth a tablespoon of olive oil in a big oven-safe sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high warmth.
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Sear hen on each side till golden (2–3 minutes per aspect). Take away and put aside.
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Decrease warmth to medium, add further oil if wanted, and sauté onions till delicate (3–4 minutes). Add garlic and cook dinner for 30 seconds.
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Stir in chopped sun-dried tomatoes, Italian herbs, oregano, and chili flakes (if utilizing).
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Add inventory (3 cups), cream, Parmesan, and convey to a delicate simmer. Season to style — it needs to be barely salty.
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Add orzo and stir to mix. Nestle seared hen on high.
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Cowl and bake for 15–20 minutes till orzo is tender and hen is cooked via. I did mine for 18 minutes.
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Elective step: splash further inventory across the edges if it seems dry close to the tip. Orzo tends to take in extra liquid across the edges of the pan because it’s hotter.
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Let relaxation for five minutes. Garnish with herbs, extra Parmesan, and a drizzle of cream if you happen to’re feeling further.
- Can I take advantage of hen breast as a substitute of thighs? Sure! Simply don’t overcook it — thighs are extra forgiving and juicier. Bone-in thighs additionally work however will want extra time.
- What if I don’t have mild cream? Use half-and-half or combine milk with a little bit of heavy cream. Even evaporated milk works.
- Why is it nonetheless saucy out of the oven? That’s good! Orzo retains absorbing liquid after baking. The additional sauce retains issues creamy.
- Can I make this dairy-free? You may attempt utilizing coconut cream and skip the Parmesan, however the taste will change fairly a bit.
- Can I double the recipe? Sure, simply use a bigger baking dish or break up between two. Add a number of further minutes to the bake time.
- Use an oven-safe deep pan or Dutch oven if you happen to’ve bought one — one much less dish!
- Don’t fear if the sauce seems a bit runny at first — orzo thickens lots because it sits. If nevertheless it seems prefer it’s soaked up plenty of the inventory, add a number of splashes on the finish to skinny it out.
- Need it spicier? Add extra chili flakes or a pinch of cayenne.
- Need extra veg? Stir in chopped spinach or child kale earlier than baking.
- Make-ahead suggestions: You may pre-sear the hen and make the sauce a day forward. Retailer individually or all collectively (with out the orzo) within the fridge, then combine in orzo and bake when prepared.
- Storage suggestions: Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. Reheat with a splash or two of broth or cream to loosen the orzo. Freezing is okay, however orzo can get delicate. I don’t advocate.
Energy: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 36g | Fats: 21g | Saturated Fats: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 2g | Monounsaturated Fats: 8g | Trans Fats: 0.02g | Ldl cholesterol: 152mg | Sodium: 868mg | Potassium: 1234mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 743IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 157mg | Iron: 4mg