Marry Me Chicken
Tender chicken simmered in sundried tomato cream sauce – Marry Me Chicken is a one-pan dinner so delicious you’ll fall in love at first bite!
Rich, savory Marry Me Chicken with a lightly seared crust is bathed in a creamy broth of sundried tomatoes, parmesan, onion, herbs, and spices. It’s simple, full of flavor, and is sure to become one of your favorite “go-to” family dinners!
Why Did Marry Me Chicken Go Viral on TikTok?
Marry Me Chicken has all the makings of a social media superstar! It is one of those almost-perfect dishes: It’s easy. It’s great for elaborate dinner parties or simple Saturday suppers. The chicken and the sauce cook together for one pan clean-up. The ingredients are basic pantry staples. But mostly, it’s luscious and comforting and OH SO good!
Other Recipes to Serve with Marry Me Chicken
- Parmesan Roasted Broccoli has the right balance of warm, healthy, and crispy. It’s a nice side for almost any chicken dish.
- If you need a light, summertime side, you can’t beat this luscious Pear and Gorgonzola Spinach Salad that can be made ahead of time.
Ingredients
Chicken: Grab 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts. You don’t want to get thin-cut breasts as they will overcook by the end of the recipe.
Pantry Items: Flour, salt, and pepper make up the coating that gives this chicken a nice golden crust. You’ll need olive oil for searing the chicken and cooking the veggies. The sauce uses low-sodium chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, dried oregano, dried thyme, and red pepper flakes.
Dairy: For the rich, thick sauce, nothing works as well as heavy cream and parmesan.
Produce: Like all delicious things, the sauce starts with some yellow onion and garlic. Grab some fresh basil to garnish your chicken once it’s done.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken
STEP ONE: Mix the flour, salt, and black pepper in a gallon-size food storage bag. Add the chicken breasts and shake well, completely coating them.
STEP TWO: Add the olive oil to a large skillet and heat to medium. Add the chicken and brown it for 4-5 minutes per side. Then transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. (It’ll finish cooking later.)
STEP THREE: Reduce the heat to medium-low and add another tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Once hot, add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently so the garlic doesn’t burn. Next, add the chicken broth, sundried tomatoes, chili flakes, oregano, and thyme. Scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan into the sauce.
STEP FOUR: Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan and bring the sauce to a low simmer. It will still be thin.
STEP FIVE: Add the chicken breasts back to the pan and allow them to cook for another 8 to 10 minutes. The coating on the chicken will help thicken up the sauce.
STEP SIX: Serve over spaghetti (or your favorite pasta) and garnish with basil, parmesan, and chili flakes. Bon appetit!
Tips for Success
- For a too-thick sauce, add one spoonful of water at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
- You can exchange the flour for a gluten-free 1:1 flour for an almost identical gluten-free version of Marry Me Chicken!
- Heavy cream is the star of this show. It gives the sauce its thick consistency and rich flavor. You can substitute half-n-half or milk for a lighter, healthier version, but it won’t have the same WOW factor.
How Do I Ensure Moist, Juicy Chicken Breasts?
There are three basic rules for making tender, juicy chicken. Follow these guidelines, and you’ll be happy every time!
1. Make sure your chicken breasts are evenly thick. This means you will need to pound the breasts with a meat mallet until they are the same thickness all around.
2. Always cook chicken breasts over medium heat. High heat will dry out the chicken and make it tough and chewy.
3. Don’t overcook! Use a meat thermometer and stop cooking when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Then, let the meat rest for 5 minutes before cutting or serving.
What Can I Do with Marry Me Chicken Leftovers?
Leftovers? Lucky you! If you have enough remaining chicken to serve another meal, simply store the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. Reheat over a low heat and enjoy.
You can also shred the leftover chicken, chop up any leftover spaghetti, add additional chicken broth, and make a spectacular soup!
Other Creamy Comforting Chicken Recipes
- Creamy Chicken Florentine
- Creamy Chicken Risotto
- Creamy Chicken Bacon Ziti
- Creamy Ranch Chicken Spaghetti Casserole
- Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Breasts
Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 5 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 medium yellow onion peeled and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese grated
Garnish
- Fresh basil chiffonade
- Parmesan cheese grated
- Crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Add the flour, salt, and pepper to a gallon-size food storage bag. Mix together in the bag.
- Add the chicken breasts to the bag, seal, and shake to coat the chicken in the flour mixture.
- To a large skillet, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and place over medium heat. Brown the chicken breasts, cooking for 4-5 minutes per side (add more oil as needed). Transfer to a plate and set aside once browned. (The chicken will finish cooking later.)
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently to prevent the garlic from burning.
- Add the chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, oregano, and thyme to the skillet. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan into the sauce.
- Stir in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese and bring the sauce to simmer.
- Then add chicken breasts back to the sauce and cook for another 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees F internal temperature). You want the sauce at a low simmer to allow it to thicken. The coating from the chicken will help thicken the sauce too.
- Serve the chicken with some of the sauce over cooked spaghetti (or your favorite pasta) and garnish with basil, parmesan, and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Serve warm.
Notes
- Nutritional information is for 1 chicken breast and 1/4 of the sauce. It does not include any side dishes.
- You can use more sun-dried tomatoes to taste as desired.
- Half-n-half or whole milk can be substituted for heavy cream, but the sauce will have a slightly different taste/texture.
I cannot ever feed my family of 5 the same dish (without hearing complaints.) My kids love this so much they want me to teach them how to make it so they can make their future spouses fall in love with them and want to marry them. 🙂 we have made it twice since I discovered it last week. (We made the gf version)