Marry Me Chicken
Indulge in our irresistible Marry Me Chicken, where succulent chicken meets a luscious sun-dried tomato cream sauce, all effortlessly prepared in your trusty crockpot! With a blend of fresh herbs and savory garlic, this dish promises to become a favorite that’s sure to win hearts at the dinner table. Get ready to impress with minimal effort and maximum flavor!
Prep
15
min
Cook
180
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 2–3 cups fresh baby spinach (480 ml)
- 2 tablespoons garlic cloves, minced (30 ml)
- Fresh parsley for finishing, optionaloptional
- 2 tablespoons shallots, diced (30 ml)
- 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced (180 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth (360 ml)
- 2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1.13 kg)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 4 tablespoons butter (56 g)
- ¼ cup heavy cream (60 ml)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan (60 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 1 cup dry orzo (240 ml)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (30 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season the chicken thighs with garlic and herbs.
- 2
Hard sear the chicken thighs in butter.
- 3
Add sliced onions and chicken thighs to the crockpot. Mix together the ingredients and pour over.
- 4
Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours or HIGH for 2–2½ hours, until the chicken is tender and reaches at least 165°F.
- 5
Remove the cooked chicken and set it aside. Stir 1 cup of dry orzo into the sauce.
- 6
Cover and cook the orzo on HIGH for 20–30 minutes, stirring every 8–10 minutes so it doesn’t stick.
- 7
Once the orzo is tender, stir in the spinach, heavy cream, and Parmesan. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 3–5 minutes, just until the spinach wilts and the sauce becomes creamy.
- 8
Dice the chicken then turn off the crockpot.
- 9
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- 10
Spoon the Marry Me Chicken and Orzo onto your plate and finish with parsley. Serve it immediately.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the chicken thighs in a screaming-hot pan (400-450°F surface temp) for 2-3 minutes per side until deeply browned before it ever touches the crockpot, since the Maillard reaction that creates the sauce's savory backbone only happens above 300°F and slow cookers never reach searing temperatures.technique400-450°F
- ✓Stir the orzo every 8-10 minutes without skipping this step, because unlike pasta boiled in excess water, orzo cooking in a thick, starchy braise has minimal liquid movement to prevent the pasta's surface starch from gelling and fusing to the crockpot's ceramic insert.techniqueevery 8-10 minutes
- ✓Add the heavy cream only after the orzo is fully tender and pull it within 3-5 minutes of adding, since prolonged high heat on dairy with a 36% fat content risks the casein proteins breaking and the sauce splitting into a greasy, curdled texture.timing3-5 minutes
- ✓Use a digital instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh to confirm 165°F rather than relying on cook time alone, since crockpot hot spots can vary by 15-20°F and thigh meat's collagen needs sustained heat above 160°F to convert to gelatin for that fall-apart tenderness.equipment165°F
- ✓Grate fresh Parmesan directly into the sauce rather than using pre-shredded, since anti-caking agents like cellulose on packaged cheese prevent smooth melting and can leave the sauce grainy instead of silky.ingredientfresh-grated only
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
180
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Marry Me Chicken
Indulge in our irresistible Marry Me Chicken, where succulent chicken meets a luscious sun-dried tomato cream sauce, all effortlessly prepared in your trusty crockpot! With a blend of fresh herbs and savory garlic, this dish promises to become a favorite that’s sure to win hearts at the dinner table. Get ready to impress with minimal effort and maximum flavor!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 2–3 cups fresh baby spinach (480 ml)
- 2 tablespoons garlic cloves, minced (30 ml)
- Fresh parsley for finishing, optionaloptional
- 2 tablespoons shallots, diced (30 ml)
- 3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, sliced (180 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 1½ cups low-sodium chicken broth (360 ml)
- 2½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1.13 kg)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(3)
- 4 tablespoons butter (56 g)
- ¼ cup heavy cream (60 ml)
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan (60 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(2)
- 1 cup dry orzo (240 ml)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste (30 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(1)
- Salt and black pepper to taste
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Season the chicken thighs with garlic and herbs.
- 2
Hard sear the chicken thighs in butter.
- 3
Add sliced onions and chicken thighs to the crockpot. Mix together the ingredients and pour over.
- 4
Cover and cook on LOW for 3–4 hours or HIGH for 2–2½ hours, until the chicken is tender and reaches at least 165°F.
- 5
Remove the cooked chicken and set it aside. Stir 1 cup of dry orzo into the sauce.
- 6
Cover and cook the orzo on HIGH for 20–30 minutes, stirring every 8–10 minutes so it doesn’t stick.
- 7
Once the orzo is tender, stir in the spinach, heavy cream, and Parmesan. Cover and cook on HIGH for another 3–5 minutes, just until the spinach wilts and the sauce becomes creamy.
- 8
Dice the chicken then turn off the crockpot.
- 9
Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.
- 10
Spoon the Marry Me Chicken and Orzo onto your plate and finish with parsley. Serve it immediately.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Sear the chicken thighs in a screaming-hot pan (400-450°F surface temp) for 2-3 minutes per side until deeply browned before it ever touches the crockpot, since the Maillard reaction that creates the sauce's savory backbone only happens above 300°F and slow cookers never reach searing temperatures.technique400-450°F
- ✓Stir the orzo every 8-10 minutes without skipping this step, because unlike pasta boiled in excess water, orzo cooking in a thick, starchy braise has minimal liquid movement to prevent the pasta's surface starch from gelling and fusing to the crockpot's ceramic insert.techniqueevery 8-10 minutes
- ✓Add the heavy cream only after the orzo is fully tender and pull it within 3-5 minutes of adding, since prolonged high heat on dairy with a 36% fat content risks the casein proteins breaking and the sauce splitting into a greasy, curdled texture.timing3-5 minutes
- ✓Use a digital instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh to confirm 165°F rather than relying on cook time alone, since crockpot hot spots can vary by 15-20°F and thigh meat's collagen needs sustained heat above 160°F to convert to gelatin for that fall-apart tenderness.equipment165°F
- ✓Grate fresh Parmesan directly into the sauce rather than using pre-shredded, since anti-caking agents like cellulose on packaged cheese prevent smooth melting and can leave the sauce grainy instead of silky.ingredientfresh-grated only