Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me Chicken mains This tender juicy chicken smothered in a creamy sun-dried tomato Parmesan cheese sauce is so incredibly delicious and full of flavor and goes with just about anything creamy chicken Marry Me Chicken chicken

This tender juicy chicken smothered in a creamy sun-dried tomato Parmesan cheese sauce is so incredibly delicious and full of flavor and goes with just about anything: pasta, rice, mashed potatoes or crusty bread to mop up the irresistible sauce. I not too sure if it will get you engaged or married but it sure will please just about anyone you are serve it too!

Marry Me Chicken

Why Is It Called Marry Me Chicken

It’s just that good and the quickest way to someone’s heart is through their stomach right?! This chicken dish apparently got its name in 2016 - It’s credited to Delish’s team of editors who created the Italian-inspired recipe. A person from the team tried a bite of the recipe and exclaimed they would marry the person for this chicken. But you’ll find delicious variations all over the internet and right here on my blog of this famous recipe which has made a recent comeback thanks to it going viral on Instagram and TikTok.


Why You Will Love This Recipe

  • Flavorful, creamy, and protein-packed.
  • Can be cooked and ready to serve in only 30 minutes.
  • Perfect for date night or family dinner.
  • Serve it with just about anything

Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me Chicken Recipe Ingredients

  • CHICKEN: I used skinless boneless Chicken Breasts but you most definitely can use skinless chicken thighs as well. I usually use two very large breasts sliced in half to make 4 fillets or chicken cutlets or 4 smaller thinner breasts.
  • FLOUR: This is for dredging the chicken or sprinkling it over them to give them a nice coating before they are seared. This is optional but this thin, even coating of flour prevents the food from sticking to the pan and also promotes browning. It also serves as a buffer between the heat and meat so that it doesn’t dry out
  • OLIVE OIL & BUTTER: A little of both for cooking the chicken and the sauce.
  • SPICES: I use a blend of Italian seasoning but you can use individual spices from the blend like Oregano thyme and rosemary. Use any blend you like and as much as you like - adjust seasoning to taste.
  • CHICKEN BROTH: Low-sodium chicken broth or chicken stock is what I use for deglazing the pan and making the sauce.
  • SUN-DRIED TOMATOES: I used sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil - I drain them then chop them. You will need approx ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes. You can use dried ones not packed in oil but you will need to re-hydrate the first.
  • HEAVY CREAM: The cream is what gives the sauce its creamy richness. I don’t recommend using anything else in its place as the heavy cream thickens up beautifully - using milk or half and half will create a much thinner sauce.
  • PARMESAN CHEESE: I recommend grating your own parmesan cheese and grate it very fine. Freshly grated cheese melts better than pre-grated packaged cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses usually have anti-coagulants that will prevent the cheese from melting nice and smooth - instead they may make your sauce grainy.

Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me Chicken

How To Make Marry Me Chicken

Here are the steps to make this Marry Me Chicken:.

  1. SEASON CHICKEN: Season and dredge chicken with flour and spices
  2. COOK CHICKEN: Cook chicken in hot skillet both sides until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
  3. MAKE SAUCE: Saute shallots and garlic, along with the tomato paste. Deglaze with broth then whisk in the cream and then the Parmigiano-Reggiano into the sauce. Finish by stirring in the sun-dried tomatoes and remaining spices.
  4. RETURN CHICKEN TO PAN: Return chicken to pan and spoon over sauce until chicken is warmed through
  5. SERVE: Serve chicken with that irresistible sauce over rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes and roasted veggies like roasted asparagus or potatoes . Garnish with fresh sliced or torn basil

Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me Chicken Variations

  • Season chicken thighs with dried oregano and/or dried basil before cooking.
  • Deglaze the pan with a bit of dry white wine in place of the broth for more flavor
  • Sprinkle toasted pine nuts into the sauce at the same time you add the sun-dried tomatoes for added flavor and texture.
  • Spoon in 1 Tablespoon of jarred capers for some tanginess and added saltiness.
  • Add a handful or two of fresh spinach when adding in the sun-dried tomatoes.
  • Include some roughly chopped fresh mushrooms. Add them in when you are sautéing the shallots.

Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me Chicken Storage & Reheating

How should the prepared chicken be stored?

  • STORAGE: Store the dish in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. How should the dish be reheated?
  • REHEATING: Reheat in a skillet on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed throughout. Or, microwave for 30-90 seconds, depending on your microwave.

Marry Me Chicken

More Chicken Dinner Recipes You Will Love:

Recipe

Servings: 4
Prep Time: 5-10 mins
Cook Time: 20-25 mins
Total Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

For the Chicken

  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts or two large ones sliced in half (approx 1 ½-2 lbs)
  • ¼ cup All-purpose flour, for dredging
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne or chili powder

For the Sauce

  • 1 small onion or shallot
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½ cup chicken broth/stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese (finely grated)
  • 1 (7-ounce 210ml) jar sun-dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Directions

  1. Whisk together the flour and the spices in a shallow bowl to combine, then dredge chicken in flour mixture and shake off any excess.
  2. Add the butter and olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Let the pan heat up for a few minutes.
  3. Add the chicken to the pan, cook the chicken for about 4-6 minutes/side or until it’s golden and cooked through (165F). Transfer the chicken to a plate and loosely tent it with foil to keep it warm (turn the heat off while doing this step).
  4. Turn the heat back on to medium, add the shallots and garlic and any remaining flour spice mixture to the same skillet and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Then stir in the tomato paste and cook stirring another minute.
  5. Stir in chicken broth to deglaze scraping bottom of pan to loosen up any brown bits and simmer 1-2 minutes until reduced a little.
  6. Adjust the heat to medium-low, and stir in the heavy cream and the parmesan cheese to the skillet. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes.
  7. Season with remaining Italian seasoning and chili flakes and taste and season with more salt and pepper.
  8. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes then return the chicken back in the sauce and let the sauce simmer and thicken for 1-2 more minutes ensuring the chicken is warmed through, spooning sauce over chicken.
  9. Top chicken with basil, extra Parmesan cheese, more red pepper flakes and serve over pasta, rice or mashed potatoes, if desired
  10. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheat stovetop or in the microwave.

Recipe Note

  • Don’t forget to drain the oil from the jarred sun-dried tomatoes. If you don’t drain it, you risk your sauce breaking due to the combination of oil and cream in the sauce.

Marry Me Chicken