If you love creamy chicken dishes, then you will love this meatball twist on "Marry Me Chicken." Juicy oven-baked chicken meatballs are folded into a creamy, sun-dried tomato, spinach, and Parmesan orzo sauce that's packed with flavour. Marry Me Chicken Meatballs are a real family favourite and it freezes well too.
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You just can't go wrong with meatballs. They are a family favourite and I love making chicken meatballs in the oven to keep them lighter. It also means less mess from the oil and it's hands off cooking whilst you are getting this incredible sauce ready.
Marry me chicken is a Tuscan-style creamy sun-dried tomato heavy sauce (which is said to be so good that it will get you a marriage proposal), and this is my meatball version of it.
The oven-baked chicken meatballs are incredibly juicy (definitely not dry). The creamy sun-dried tomato sauce gives that rich "marry me" flavour. The orzo cooks right in the sauce, making it feel like a cross between risotto and pasta, and also means you don't have to cook a separate side dish. And everything comes together in one pan after the meatballs bake.
Looking for more ways to use lean chicken mince? Why not try my delicious Chicken Bolognese, family favourite Chicken Pesto Burgers or our juicy Chicken and Ricotta Meatballs?
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Ingredients and Substitutions
A full ingredients list, along with US Customary and Metric measurements, can be found in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken - Use a lean chicken mince. I buy it from the supermarket, but you could make your own by blending up chicken breast. Not only is it leaner, but it's cheaper than beef mince too.
- Breadcrumbs - Use panko breadcrumbs for best results as they get nice and crispy.
- Egg - A medium size egg helps to bind the meatballs.
- Garlic - Make sure it it finely crushed so there is even distribution in the meatballs and the sauce.
- Parmesan cheese - Grate this yourself rather than buying it ready grated if you can, as it will melt better.
- Italian seasoning - I buy this to add, but you could make your own by adding garlic granules, salt, pepper, dried oregano and dried basil.
- Onion - Finely dice this so it mixes well into the sauce. You could use frozen onion if you prefer.
- Sun-dried tomatoes - These are the kind you buy in jars of oil, not the dried ones. It's where all the flavour in the marry me meatballs comes from.
- Stock - A good quality Chicken Stock.
- Tomato puree (tomato paste) - This helps to thicken the sauce and add an extra burst of tomato flavour.
- Crème fraîche - This could be swapped for double cream (heavy cream) or cream cheese.
- Orzo
- Spinach
Variations
Lighter swap - You could swap the crème fraîche for light cream cheese or Greek yogurt (stir it in off the heat to prevent curdling). You could also leave it out and just have it tomato based.
Dairy free - Use a dairy-free cream alternative and nutritional yeast instead of Parmesan.
Extra vegetables - Mushrooms, roasted red peppers, or grated courgette (zucchini) work well. It would need to be a quick cooking vegetable in this marry me chicken meatballs.
Low carb - Replace orzo with cauliflower rice and reduce the stock slightly.
Crispy cheese finish - Transfer to an oven-safe dish, top with mozzarella, and put under the grill until bubbly.
How To Make Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
Prep: Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C(fan)/425°F/Gas 7. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Step 1: In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, egg, breadcrumbs, parmesan, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix gently until just combined - avoid over-mixing as this can make the meatballs dense.
- Roll into evenly sized meatballs (about 1½ tablespoons each) and place on the prepared tray. This will make 15 meatballs.
- Step 3: Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly golden. Their internal temperature should reach 75°C (165°F).
While they bake, prepare the sauce.
- Step 4: Heat olive oil in a large deep pan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and garlic and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Step 5: Add the sun-dried tomatoes, chicken stock, tomato puree, orzo and Italian seasoning. Stir well.
- Step 6: Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick, until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Step 7: Remove from the heat and add the crème fraîche, Parmesan and spinach. Stir until the spinach has wilted.
- Step 8: Add the cooked meatballs and stir so they get coated with all the sauce. Add fresh basil and Parmesan before serving.
Marry Me Chicken Meatballs Meal Prep and Storage
Fridge - Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer - Freeze baked meatballs separately for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. You can freeze the whole thing, but the orzo does go a little mushy once defrosted.
Reheating - Reheat the marry me chicken meatballs gently on the stovetop with a splash of chicken stock or water to loosen the sauce. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between.
Dannii's Top Tips
- Do not over-mix the chicken meatballs mixture - this keeps them tender.
- If the mixture feels too wet, add a tablespoon more of breadcrumbs.
- Lightly oil your hands when rolling to prevent sticking.
- For even cooking, make the meatballs similar in size.
- Let the meatballs rest for a few minutes before adding to the sauce to retain juices.
- Depending on how high a heat you are cooking the sauce, you may need to add a splash more stock/water to loosen it up. It depends on how juicy you want it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Ground turkey works perfectly and gives similar flavour and texture.
Absolutely. You can bake the meatballs up to 2 days ahead and store in the fridge before adding to the sauce.
Small pasta shapes, rice, or even pearl couscous can work. Adjust liquid and cooking time accordingly.
More Meatball Recipes
If you've tried this marry me chicken meatball recipe, let us know how you got on in the comments below.
Tag us in your creations on Instagram @hungryhealthyhappy - Use the hashtag #hungryhealthyhappy too.
Recipe
Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
- 500 g (1.1 lb) Chicken mince
- 70 g (1 cups) Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Egg
- 2 Garlic cloves - crushed
- 50 g (0.5 cup) Parmesan - grated
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- 1 pinch Ground black pepper
For the orzo sauce:
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Onion - medium; finely diced
- 2 Garlic cloves - crushed
- 120 g (1 cups) Sun-dried tomatoes - drained weight
- 2 tablespoon Tomato puree
- 200 g (1.33 cups) Orzo
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 550 ml (2.33 cups) Chicken stock
- 80 ml Crème fraîche
- 80 g (2.5 cups) Spinach
- 40 g (0.33 cup) Parmesan - grated
To serve:
- Fresh basil - (optional)
- Parmesan - (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 220°C/200°C(fan)/425°F/Gas 7. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine 500 g Chicken mince, 1 Egg, 70 g Panko breadcrumbs, 50 g Parmesan, 2 Garlic cloves, 1 pinch Sea salt and 1 pinch Ground black pepper. Mix gently until just combined - avoid over-mixing as this can make the meatballs dense.
- Roll into evenly sized meatballs (about 1½ tablespoons each) and place on the prepared tray. This will make 15 meatballs.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly golden. Their internal temperature should reach 75°C (165°F).
- Heat 1 tablespoon Olive oil in a large deep pan over medium heat. Add 1 Onion and 2 Garlic cloves and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Add 120 g Sun-dried tomatoes, 2 tablespoon Tomato puree, 200 g Orzo, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning and 550 ml Chicken stock. Stir well.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently so it doesn't stick, until the orzo is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove from the heat and add 80 ml Crème fraîche, 40 g Parmesan and 80 g Spinach. Stir until the spinach has wilted.
- Add the cooked meatballs to the pan and stir so they get coated with all the sauce. Add Fresh basil and Parmesan before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Do not over-mix the chicken meatballs mixture - this keeps them tender.
- If the mixture feels too wet, add a tablespoon more of breadcrumbs.
- Lightly oil your hands when rolling to prevent sticking.
- For even cooking, make the meatballs similar in size.
- Let the meatballs rest for a few minutes before adding to the sauce to retain juices.
- Depending on how high a heat you are cooking the sauce, you may need to add a splash more stock/water to loosen it up. It depends on how juicy you want it.
Nutritional Information
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The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
As all appliances vary, cooking times are a guide. Please note that by changing the serving size, the cooking time may also need to be altered.
Sue says
Made this for the first time tonight - absolutely delicious! Will definitely be making it again on a regular basis
Kerryn Fregona says
This was very easy and my picky eater ate it! Thanks Danni
KK says
We enjoyed this lovely dish today. I just wonder if the meatballs could have been even better if they had simmered in the sauce somehow. Perhaps if the orzo got cooked separately? I would like to try that in the slow cooker as well. Thanks for this new take on the "marry me" dish.
KK says
I didn't have quite enough food left over for the next day, but still about half the meatballs, so I made just the sauce/orzo part of this recipe again. Even before I added in my leftover meatballs, I thought this made a great meatless meal. Or a great, flavorful pasta side if the meat part of your meal is already covered. Just loved it!