Description

This Parmesan Marry Me Chicken Rice is a comforting one-dish meal featuring tender baked chicken breasts nestled in a flavorful, creamy tomato-infused rice. The combination of sun-dried tomatoes, paprika, garlic, and fresh basil creates a rich and aromatic dish finished with cream and freshly grated Parmesan for luscious texture and depth of flavor. Perfect for an easy yet impressive dinner that the whole family will love.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Bake:

4 chicken breasts
6 oz sun dried tomatoes (finely chopped, about 1/4-inch pieces)
1.5 tbsp tomato paste (preferably Hunt’s)
1.5 tsp oregano
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp paprika
1.5 cups rice (rinsed in cold water until clear)
22 oz chicken stock (Swanson recommended)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

For the Finish:

3.5 oz cream (room temperature to prevent curdling)
2 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 bunch fresh basil (roughly chopped)

Instructions

Prepare Mise en Place and Preheat: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Rinse the rice in cold water until the water runs clear to remove excess starch for fluffier grains. Finely chop the sun-dried tomatoes into 1/4-inch pieces, grate the Parmesan cheese freshly, and roughly chop the basil. Measure all the spices and have all ingredients ready before starting.
Build the Flavor Base and Combine Dry Elements: In a large 9×13 inch baking dish, stir together the tomato paste, oregano, garlic powder, and paprika to form a concentrated spice base. Add the rinsed rice, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, salt, and pepper, mixing thoroughly so the rice is evenly coated and tomatoes are distributed.
Arrange Chicken and Add Liquid: Nestle the chicken breasts evenly into the rice mixture. Pour the chicken stock over everything, ensuring the rice is mostly submerged. The stock will infuse flavor and cook the rice and chicken together.
Bake Covered Until Rice Is Tender: Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake at 350°F for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, gently stir the rice, check that the chicken has reached 165°F internal temperature and the rice is tender. If needed, re-cover and bake another 10-20 minutes until creamy and liquid absorbed. Let rest for a minute once out of the oven.
Finish with Cream and Cheese: Remove the chicken and set aside. Pour the room-temperature cream into the hot rice, stirring gently and thoroughly to create a creamy sauce. Sprinkle the freshly grated Parmesan and stir until fully melted into the cream, avoiding curdling by using room-temp cream and fresh cheese.
Plate and Garnish: Return the cooked chicken breasts to the dish, nestling them into the creamy rice. Scatter the fresh basil over the top just before serving to keep its color and freshness. Serve family-style or plated individually with a generous portion of creamy tomato rice and one chicken breast per person.

Notes

Rinsing the rice removes excess starch for fluffier, separated grains.
Use room temperature cream to prevent curdling when mixing with hot rice.
Freshly grated Parmesan melts better than pre-shredded cheese, resulting in a smoother sauce.
Checking the chicken’s internal temperature (165°F) ensures safe and perfectly cooked meat.
Letting the rice rest briefly after baking helps prevent splattering when adding cream.
Fresh basil added at the end preserves its bright flavor and color.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: Parmesan chicken bake, sun dried tomato chicken, creamy baked rice, one dish chicken dinner, easy chicken recipe