‘Marry Me Chicken’ meatballs recipe

Name: ‘Marry Me Chicken’ meatballs recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 27 min
Total time: 52 min
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 400 g chicken mince; 50 g fresh breadcrumbs; 50 g sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped; 1 garlic clove, crushed; 1 medium egg; 50 g Parmesan, finely grated; 1 1/2 tbsp. olive oil; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 tbsp. tomato purée; 2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes; 300 g orzo; 150 mL double cream; Small handful basil, coriander or parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Our little twist on the viral recipe

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 24 September 2025

Recipe by Grace Evans

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David Loftus

The original ‘Marry Me Chicken’ recipe is made with chicken breast and gets its name because it was reportedly so good, it sparked a proposal. We can’t guarantee that, but we do guarantee a top-notch plate of food.

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Yields:

4 serving(s)

Prep Time:

25 mins

Cook Time:

27 mins

Total Time:

52 mins

Cal/Serv:

832

Ingredients

400 g chicken mince
50 g fresh breadcrumbs
50 g sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 medium egg
50 g Parmesan, finely grated
1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. tomato purée
2 x 400g tins plum tomatoes
300 g orzo
150 ml double cream
Small handful basil, coriander or parsley leaves, roughly chopped

Directions

1. Step 1 In a large bowl, mix the chicken, breadcrumbs, sundried tomatoes, garlic, egg, 25g Parmesan and plenty of seasoning. Divide and roll into 20 meatballs.
2. Step 2Heat 1tbsp oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Add meatballs and fry, turning regularly, until golden, about 8min. Remove to a plate.
3. Step 3Add remaining 1/2tbsp oil and the onions to the meatball pan and fry until softened, about 10min. Stir in the tomato purée, cook for 1min. Add tinned tomatoes with some seasoning and bubble for 3min, stirring to break up tomatoes.
4. Step 4Meanwhile, cook orzo in a pan of boiling salted water according to the pack instructions.
5. Step 5Stir the cream and remaining 25g Parmesan into the tomato sauce; check seasoning. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer for 5min, until cooked through.
6. Step 6Drain orzo; serve with meatballs and sauce, with herbs sprinkled over.

GH TIPS
For more orzo recipe inspiration, check out our favourite orzo recipes.

If you like this recipe, you'll love our sweet and sour chicken meatballs.

Per serving:

Calories: 832
Protein: 40g
Fat: 37g
Saturates: 17g
Carbs: 81g
Sugars: 17g
Fibre: 7g

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The GH Kitchen Team

The GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Our GH Kitchen Manager Linzi Pucino is our very own Italian food expert (originally hailing from the North East of Scotland!) and can be found working her way through midweek recipes that cover all bases, from haggis to ragu! Our Kitchen Editor ⁠Nadine Brown loves digging into the stories behind her favourite foods and enjoys applying her eclectic tastes to more modern, flavour-forward recipes - just don't give her too much chilli! Our Junior Food Content Produce ⁠Frankie Prichard combines a love of beautiful presentation and flavour-led, seasonal cooking in her recipe development, along with a passion for bringing people together through food. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time

Recipe byGrace Evans

Former Senior Cookery Writer

Grace is Good Housekeeping’s Former Senior Cookery Writer, serving up delicious food and drink content. Grace was trained at Leiths Cookery School and worked as a chef in some of London’s most exciting restaurants before starting at Good Housekeeping. When she isn’t eating and drinking her way through London's restaurants, you’ll find her attending music gigs and binge-watching the newest TV shows.

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