Marry Me Chicken
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Fall in love with Marry Me Chicken, a dish of tender sautéed chicken in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce.
Marry Me Chicken is a dish of tender sautéed chicken in a rich and creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. The recipe gained popularity after going viral on TikTok, where it was touted as so delicious, it will win the heart of anyone you cook it for. Using ready-to-cook thinly sliced chicken breasts, my version of Marry Me Chicken is quick and easy to make in just 30 minutes, making it perfect for a weeknight dinner or special occasion. While I can’t guarantee it’ll make someone profess their undying love to you, the balance of flavors in the dish does make it hard to resist!
Serve the saucy chicken with pasta, rice, garlic bread, or roasted potatoes and roasted broccoli. If you’d like to add some extra greens, simply toss a few handfuls of baby spinach into the sauce before adding the chicken back to the pan.
Table of Contents
“Everything about this is perfect. It’s quick, easy, and beyond delicious!”
What You’ll Need To Make Marry Me Chicken
- All-Purpose Flour: Used for coating the chicken, giving it a light crust that helps thicken the sauce.
- Thin-Sliced Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: Chosen for their quick cooking time and tender texture.
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatics form the flavor base for the sauce.
- Heavy Cream: Creates a rich, creamy sauce that envelops the chicken.
- Chicken Broth: Adds savory depth, complementing the creaminess of the sauce.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Provide a tangy, concentrated tomato flavor that brightens the dish.
- Tomato Paste: Intensifies the tomato flavor, giving the sauce a robust and rich dimension.
- Oregano and Red Pepper Flakes: Add a touch of earthy flavor and a slight kick.
- Grated Parmigiano Reggiano: Adds a salty, nutty element. For the best flavor, stick with authentic Parmigiano Reggiano—it’s richer and more complex than domestic Parmesan cheese.
- Basil: Offers a burst of freshness and color.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Place the flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, and the black pepper in a ziplock bag and shake to combine.
Add the chicken to the bag; seal the bag tightly and shake to coat the chicken evenly. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the flour-dusted chicken in the pan, shaking off any excess first.
Cook, flipping once, until the chicken is lightly golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds more; do not brown.
Add the cream, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, red pepper flakes, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt; use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the pan into the liquid.
Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and gently boil, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano (or Pecorino Romano) and basil.
Add the chicken back to the pan, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate; reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce thickens a bit more, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with more fresh basil, if desired, and serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, but you’ll need to first cut them in half horizontally to form flat fillets, then pound them until they are between ⅛ and ¼-inch thick. (It’s important to cut them in half first; otherwise they’ll be enormous after pounding.)
Marry Me Chicken is best enjoyed fresh, but you can prepare it in advance if needed. Cook the chicken and sauce as directed, then cool and refrigerate. When ready to serve, gently reheat the chicken in the sauce over low heat, adding a little chicken broth if the sauce has thickened too much during storage.
While heavy cream yields the richest and most flavorful sauce in Marry Me Chicken, there are alternatives for those seeking lighter or dairy-free options. Half-and-half can be used to achieve a lighter version of the sauce. For a dairy-free alternative, full-fat coconut milk offers a creamy texture, though it will alter the flavor profile.
Video Tutorial
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Marry Me Chicken
Fall in love with Marry Me Chicken, a dish of tender sautéed chicken in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 thin-sliced chicken breasts (about 1¼ lbs; see note)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons tomato paste
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Place the flour, ¾ teaspoon salt, and the black pepper in a ziplock bag and shake to combine. Add the chicken to the bag; seal the bag tightly and shake to coat the chicken evenly. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the flour-dusted chicken in the pan and cook, flipping once, until the chicken is lightly golden and just cooked through, about 3 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds more; do not brown. Add the cream, broth, sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, red pepper flakes, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt; use a wooden spoon to scrape any brown bits from the pan into the liquid. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and gently boil, uncovered, until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the Parmigiano Reggiano (or Pecorino Romano) and basil. Add the chicken back to the pan, along with any juices that accumulated on the plate; reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is warmed through and the sauce thickens a bit more, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with more fresh basil, if desired, and serve.
- Note: I use pre-cut, ready-to-cook, thin-sliced chicken breasts for this recipe. If you'd like to use regular chicken breasts, you'll need to first cut them in half horizontally to form flat fillets, then pound them until they are between ⅛ and ¼-inch thick. (It's important to cut them in half first; otherwise they'll be enormous after pounding.)
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 527
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated fat: 17 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Sodium: 719 mg
- Cholesterol: 191 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This was a huge hit with my family and friends. I’m definitely making it again!
One of the best chicken recipes I have ever made. Our family truly enjoys every recipe I have prepared through this website and from the two cookbooks. Just wondering if more healthy options would be considered …many are rich but wonderfully delicious.
I made this and thought it was just ok… My husband returned from work, ate it and said “Jenn, how much did you pay for this dish? We both know you you ordered it from a restaurant.” Couldn’t believe he loved it that much. I had to tell him it’s called Marry Me Chicken! Mind you I cook at least 3 recipes from this site each week so the man is used to fantastic home cooked meals. As always thank you Jenn. Now if we could pretty please get some instapot recipes, so mine can serve as more than a rice pot.
Hi Jenn! My grocery store was out of heavy cream. It seems to be the norm where I live lately. I happen to have half-and-half on hand. Do you think I could substitute that for the heavy cream, or would that just not work? Or would whole milk work?
Hi Lilee, I’d go with the half and half — it will work — the sauce just won’t thicken up quite as much. Hope you enjoy!
Loved by whole family
I made this over the weekend for my boyfriend and I. We both loved it — it was great that there was plenty of sauce as I also made Jenn’s focaccia and it was perfect for soaking up the extra. The chicken was really tender and the whole dish was very easy to make. My boyfriend is making dinner for two people tonight and has decided to make the dish again, just 3 days later — I think that says it all!
Hi! I’m not a fan of sun-dried tomatoes. Any chance I can use fresh? If so, how many, what kind and how should I incorporate it in this dish? Sounds amazing!
Hi Carol, Technically, fresh tomatoes would work, but I don’t think they’ll really add any flavor to the dish. If you don’t like sun-dried tomatoes, I’d just omit them. The sauce will still be good!
I am lactose intolerant, can I omit the cream and use gluten free flour to thicken
Hi K, Instead of thickening with gluten-free flour, I’d suggest using a dairy-free heavy cream substitute. Some readers have commented that they’ve used Rich’s non-dairy coffee creamer (frozen) and Trader Joe’s unflavored non-dairy creamer. (Please keep in mind that I haven’t tried either of these.) Hope that helps!
No. I am not a fan either; actually despise them. However they are necessary in a few dishes I make. This is one. The first time i made it (1987), i used fresh tomatoes, eh ok. Next time canned san marzano not much better, but actually noticeable. Third time was sundried, and it was just right.
This was the best chicken dish I’ve had in a long time. It was restaurant quality. I served it over orzo that I mixed with butter, parmesan and pepper, a Caesar salad and a glass of red wine. My husband took one bite and said Oh My God….mmmmmmmmmmmm! It is company worthy. Delicious and beautiful. Thanks Jenn for another wonderful recipe!
This was really wonderful. I’ve never cooked with thin chicken breasts before and now I’m going to do so more often. They came out so tender, whereas I usually always wrestle with thicker pieces that dry out or come out underdone. I bet this sauce would work well with pork chops or shrimp. Definitely a keeper, and very easy to execute.
OMG I made this dish for dinner tonight and we all voted it best meal for 2023. OK it is only 24th Jan BUT we all adored it. It is going right to the best recipe book. I served it with steamed asparagus and sweet potato. The sweet potato was made for this dish. I have tried so many of your dishes and they are all superb! Winner!!