These Marry Me Chicken Meatballs are tender, juicy, and totally smothered in a creamy sun-dried tomato cream sauce. Every bite is packed with flavour, from the golden sear on the meatballs to the creamy orzo that soaks up all that richness. Then, once you add in a handful of spinach, a sprinkle of fresh herbs, and some parmesan? You’ve got a one-pan wonder that feels like a hug … or maybe even a proposal? It’s seriously that good. It’s easy enough for a weeknight, impressive enough for date night, and either way? Completely irresistible.
If you’ve tried my Blackened Chicken Alfredo or Sheet Pan Chicken & Potatoes and found yourself going back for seconds, these Marry Me Chicken Meatballs are going to be a new favourite. It gives all the cozy, comforting vibes with none of the hassle. Accordingly, everything cooks in one pan, which means layers of flavour and barely any cleanup. Whether you’re feeding your family or trying to impress someone special, this marry me chicken orzo delivers every single time.
😍 Why You’ll Love Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
One pan: minimal mess — we love to hear it!
Great leftovers: it reheats great, if you surprisingly somehow have any left.
Ultra flavourful: sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, garlic, and parmesan make sure every single bite is packed especially full.
Versatile: this is perfect for date night or family dinner.
🍗 Ingredients To Make Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
For the meatballs, you’ll need:
Olive oil: used to fry the meatballs and help them brown
Butter: adds flavour and richness while pan-frying.
Ground chicken: lean, mild, and perfect for soaking up all the seasonings.
Seasoned Italian breadcrumbs: binds the meatballs and adds herby flavour.
Parmigiano Reggiano: brings salty, cheesy goodness to the mix.
Milk: keeps the meatballs moist and tender.
Sun-dried tomatoes: chopped and stirred in for little bites of bold flavour.
Fresh basil: adds a fresh, herby brightness.
Salt: enhances all the flavours.
Black pepper: adds a subtle heat and balance.
Garlic powder: for mellow garlicky flavour.
Onion powder: adds savoury depth to the meatballs.
Smoked paprika: gives a hint of smokiness while also a bit of colour.
Dried oregano: classic herb that pairs great with tomatoes and basil.
Dried parsley: adds colour and an extra layer of herb flavour.
Thyme: a small amount adds earthy, savoury undertones.
Everything else needed for this Marry Me Chicken Meatballs recipe:
Butter: starts the base of your sauce and adds richness.
Garlic: fragrant and essential.
Yellow onion: chopped and sautéed for sweetness and depth.
Orzo: cooks right in the pan, soaking up all the creamy sauce.
White wine: a splash of Chardonnay adds acidity and balance.
Chicken stock: the liquid that cooks the orzo and builds flavour.
Heavy cream: creates the creamy, dreamy texture in the sauce.
Parmigiano Reggiano: stirred in for a salty, cheesy finish.
Sun-dried tomatoes: bring their bold, tangy sweetness to the sauce too.
Spinach: adds freshness, colour, and a little boost of green.
Dried oregano: adds another layer of Italian-inspired flavour.
Dried parsley: for more herby flavour.
Smoked paprika: adds a hint of warmth and smokiness.
Nutmeg: just a pinch gives a subtle depth to the creamy base.
Salt: balances and heightens all the flavours.
Black pepper: a little extra seasoning to finish it off.
Fresh basil: optional, but perfect for a final garnish.
✔️ How To Make Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
To begin with, start with the meatballs. Mix everything in a bowl, using your hands to gently combine. Don’t overwork the mixture.
Next, form into 1-inch meatballs and fry in olive oil and butter until golden on all sides. Set aside (they’ll finish cooking in the sauce).
Now, onto the sauce. In the same pan, sauté the garlic and onions in butter until fragrant. After that, add the sun-dried tomatoes and remaining seasonings, and cook for another minute.
After that, add the orzo and lightly toast for 1 minute. Next, pour in the wine and let it simmer. Once slightly reduced, add chicken broth, cover, and simmer until the orzo is nearly cooked and most of the broth has absorbed.
Then, stir in the cream, spinach, and cheese. Return the meatballs to the pan and let everything simmer together until the meatballs are cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
Finally, serve hot, garnished with fresh basil.
🤝 Sammy’s Tips for Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
- If your meatballs are too soft to form, add another tablespoon of breadcrumbs.
- Don’t worry about cully cooking the meatballs in the pan; they’ll finish in the sauce.
- Lastly, stir the orzo while simmering so it doesn’t stick to the bottom.
🗒️ Variations
Make it spicy: add a pinch of chili flakes or use Calabrian chili paste in the sauce.
Add veggies: mushrooms or zucchini would be great in this recipe.
Use a different protein: ground turkey, pork, or sausage can work especially well.
🗒️ Substitutions
Wine: sub with extra broth.
Parmigiano Reggiano: pecorino or even grated gruyère in a pinch.
Orzo: swap for small pasta like ditalini or rice.
🤔 FAQ’S
Can I make this Marry Me Chicken Meatballs recipe ahead of time?
Yes! Make the meatballs and sauce up to a day in advance and reheat gently
What’s the best wine to use?
A dry white like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc works best, but nothing too sweet.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Use gluten-free breadcrumbs and swap the orzo for gluten-free pasta or rice, but just know cooking times can vary.
Can I freeze it?
Sure! Freeze the meatballs and sauce in a sealed container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat gently with a splash of broth or cream.
Can I use something instead of orzo?
Yes, small shape pastas like ditalini will work, but cooking times may vary.
🍴 Leftovers? Lucky you.
Let everything cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When reheating, add a splash of cream, broth, or even water to loosen up the sauce as it thickens in the fridge. Then, warm gently on the stovetop.
👩🏻🍳 Hungry For More?
If you loved this Marry Me Chicken Meatballs recipe, check out a few of my other comforting favourites you may also love:
- Blackened Chicken Alfredo
- Sheet Pan Chicken & Potatoes
- Spicy Penne Rosé with Sausage
- Yogurt Marinated Chicken
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta
💌 Let’s Stay Connected
Keep in touch with me on Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest! If you do make this recipe (or any recipe of mine) don’t forget to leave a review.
Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
Equipment
- 1 Large frying pan
Ingredients
Chicken Meatballs
- 1 tbsp olive oil, for frying the meatballs
- 1 tbsp butter, for frying the meatballs
- 1 lb ground chicken
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp seasoned Italian breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup parmigiano reggiano, finely grated
- 2 tbsp sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1½ tbsp fresh basil, finely chopped
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Everything Else You'll Need
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 1 cup orzo, uncooked
- 1/3 cup white wine, chardonnay
- 2¼ cup chicken stock, salted
- 3/4 cup heavy cream, 33%
- 1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano, finely grated
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- fresh basil, optional to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the meatballs: in a medium sized bowl combine all of the meatball ingredients. Using your hands, gently mix to combine. Don't over mix.
- Fry the meatballs: using your hands, role the meatballs into one inch round balls. Sammys tip – if the meatballs appear too moist and you are having trouble forming them into balls, add another tablespoon of breadcrumbs.In a large frying pan set to medium/high heat, add the olive oil and butter. Once the butter melts add your meatballs and fry on all sides until golden brown. Remove the meatballs from the pan, and set aside until ready to use.Sammy's tip: don't worry about fully cooking the meatballs during this step as they will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Prepare the sauce: in the same saucepan set to medium heat, add 2 tbsp of butter.Next, add the garlic and onions and cook for 2 minutes or until fragrant. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and the remaining seasonings and let cook for one minute.
- Cook the orzo: add the uncooked orzo to the pan, and gently toast for 1 minute. Next, add the white wine, and bring to a light simmer to allow the wine to slightly reduce.Add your chicken broth, cover and let simmer until the orzo is nearly cooked and the majority of the broth has been absorbed.Sammys tip: stir the orzo every few minutes to avoid it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Finish the meatballs: add the heavy cream, spinach and parmigiano reggiano and mix to combine. Bring the sauce to a simmer.Return the meatballs to the sauce and let simmer for 3-4 minutes uncovered, or until the meatballs are fully cooked and the sauce has thickened.
- Serve: garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Saw this on instagram and knew I wanted to try it right away! Just finished the meal with my husband. Delicious! Already shared.
Sounds great. Can you give me an idea of what a serving is please? I know it feeds 6 people but approximately how many meatballs does the recipe make and how much orzo. Thanks!
Hi Rita – it makes 17-20 meatballs and around 2-2.5 cups of orzo. Hope this helps! -Sammy
Very tasty! Comes together really quick and everyone loved it. Thanks Sammy!
Is there a good substitute for the white wine? Can’t wait to make this!
Extra chicken broth! Or just leave the wine out – it will still work either way! -Sammy
Loved how quickly this came together. Perfect for a busy weeknight!
My family loved this!
My family loved this!
Could I use frozen meatballs? Obviously it wouldn’t be the same flavors but I have a lot of frozen ones to use!
Of course you can! Great time saver! -Sammy
Saw this on instagram and knew I needed to make ASAP. It is to DIE FOR! I’m an avid cook and my husband and I both agreed this was one of our favorite dishes ever. Absolutely going in the regular rotation!
Wow! So, so yummy! Saw the video on Instagram and couldn’t wait to make it. Easy to follow recipe although I was a little confused that it didn’t call for an egg for the meatballs but yet the video clearly shows an egg going in. Even though I didn’t add the egg, my meatballs stayed together and were delicious! Everyone, loved the dinner! Yay!
This is absolutely delicious receipe. Loved making it. I did it with minced turkey, just as good. Will definitely be making this on a regular basis. Thank you!
This was really good- my whole family enjoyed! To save time I used amylu’s chicken meatballs but the sauce was A+.
Wow! I’ve always stayed away from ground chicken but my husband can’t have red meat anymore so I thought I’d give this a try. Outstanding!!! It’s going on my list of things to make often!
I think this is the best dinner I ever made and my husband agrees! Tastes like something straight from a fancy restaurant! Ohhhhh my my…
This was a big hit in my house! I have been skeptical of chicken meatballs in the past because I feared they would be bland, but the meatballs were very flavorful along with the tasty sauce! I love your recipes, but would just request more realistic cooking/preparation times as this was easily over an hour with all the steps included.
Hi Sammy,
Is there any alternative to using wine?
You can use extra chicken broth, or simply leave it out! Hope this helps. -Sammy
So delicious! Another hit.
Absolutely loved this and will make it
again. So much flavour!
Delicious and very flavorful. Will definitely be in the rotation. Thank you, Sammy!
This id delicious! My one picky eater ate it up and claimed the leftovers for his lunch the next day. That is very high praise. The recipe comes together quickly. Thank you for sharing.
Do you recommend using sun-dried tomatoes in oil or just the plain dried ones?
sun-dried tomatoes in oil 🙂
This recipe is incredible! Probably a top 10 favorite in this house. Will most definitely be adding this to our weekly menu rotation! Only change I made was I baked the meatballs at 375° for 20 mins instead of pan frying. Awesome recipe!
This was so delicious! I made it once last week and I will be making it again tonight. It will definitely be going into the rotation.
Yummy!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Except it took much longer
Omg….SO GOOD!!! In Sammy I trust. Periodt.
This was AMAZING! Prep took almost an hour so I would definitely keep this to more of a “date night” meal vs a weekday meal (unless you have the time). But wow, worth every minute of effort! The flavours …. 🤤
I followed the recipe to the T and wouldn’t change a thing.was a perfect rainy day treat for my husband and I <3
This was amazing! Definitely would do this for more of a “date night” meal vs a weekday meal as the prep work alone took an hour. Worth every minute of prep though! The flavours were 👌🏼
It was a nice treat for my husband and I ❤️ Wouldn’t change a thing and will make again. Just isn’t a quick and dirty dinner lol
I followed the recipe to the T and wouldn’t change a thing. Chefs kiss! (Pair with a glass of that Chardonnay and omg … sooooo good!)
I have never made a “Marry Me” recipe but knew this was going to be a hit. My husband announced (without knowing the name of this recipe), “if I wasn’t already married to you, this might convince me”! It really was delicious!
So so good!! Such a delicious meal, perfectly seasoned! Highly recommend! Next time I think I will bake the meatballs following the pan fry so then I don’t have to worry about them getting fully cooked at the end when the spinach and cream go in. Can’t wait to make this meal again!
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make.
Should I use sub dried tomatoes from a jar or just the packaged ones?
I use the sun dried tomatoes from a jar with the oil in them! Hope this helps. -Sammy
Can this be made a day ahead? Reheating?
This turned out delicious! It does take a lot of time to prep. There’s a lot of ingredients, but that being said it turned out very good. I prepped ahead of time and when it came time for dinner, it was pretty easy to finish cooking it. My picky husband liked it and my girlfriend who is a trained chef said it was very good. And I used ground chicken breast and it was still moist and I only used a fraction of the cream.
Can u do this in the crockpot?
This is incredible ! I highly recommend to anyone thinking of trying it out!!
Can I use rice instead of orzo to make this gluten free?
If I’m unable to use the wine, is there anything else you’d recommend in its place?
One word….DELISH!
Hi! I LOVE all of your recipes!! Just making this and smells so good!! How do I know that the chicken meatballs are done once I put them back in? I’m using thermometer, but I feel like I’m cooking the whole dish too long?
Loved this recipe! So glad I doubled it :p. Just a couple tips and substitutes/tips: 1) I subbed red pepper flakes for the paprika (as paprika upsets my tummy) and what a great option! 2) I pureed the sun-dried tomatoes as I’ve always thought their texture is a little weird, but by making essentially sun-dried tomato paste, it kept it to a creamy delicious meal. 3) I ended up using a significant amount of wine (oh no, I know!) as the orzo wasn’t quite cooking to al dente with the original amount of water, but it turned out SO delicious.
Absolutely perfect. Husband bought ground turkey and it worked just as good. Can’t wait to make it again.
Love the sounds and looks of these, but I just can’t eat sun dried tomatoes. Will eliminating them ruin things? Would I replace them with something?
Thanks,
Nancy
Hello Nancy, you can omit the sun-dried tomatoes. The tomatoes really give it an amazing depth of flavour, however, if you dont like the taste, they definitely can be omitted.
– Sammy
Loved how quickly this came together. Perfect for a busy weeknight!
Amazing!! 10 stars! I made the meatballs with 1/2 ground beef/1/2 sausage as Sammy suggested for an alternative (my kids aren’t big on ground chicken) – they were fantastic, my kids have voted them best meatballs in the universe. This recipe is on our regular rotation. So glad I found Sammy and her amazing recipes ♥️