Juicy chicken breasts smothered in a creamy sauce and ready in under an hour, this Marry Me Chicken recipe is a great dish to serve on busy weeknights.
Ingredients
You may have most of these ingredients on hand already. For the complete list, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Chicken breasts – We are going to be cutting these in half making cutlets, so I like them to be bigger in size.
- Coarse kosher salt – Different salts measure differently, so make sure to use coarse kosher or change the measurements accordingly.
- Ground black pepper – I like to use freshly ground pepper when cooking, but you can also use the pepper out of your shaker.
- Butter – To control the amount of salt in this marry me chicken, I like to use unsalted butter. If all you have is salted, just omit the extra salt in the recipe.
- Garlic cloves – I always like using fresh garlic as opposed to garlic powder. The flavor is more pungent and it makes for a much more delicious chicken dinner.
- Flour – This acts as a thickening agent for the cream sauce. It helps to coat the chicken in that deliciously creamy sauce.
- Chicken broth – If you don’t have any on hand, it will turn out just as delicious with vegetable stock or chicken stock instead. I do prefer using low-sodium so I am in control of the salt.
- Heavy cream – In order to make this light cream sauce, we whisk in a little bit of heavy cream.
- Parmesan cheese – I always choose to grate my own cheese. The pre-shredded cheese has an added element that doesn’t allow the cheese to melt smoothly.
- Sun-dried tomatoes – Find them in a jar in oil at your local grocery store.
- Bacon – This is optional, but I highly recommend it for an added crunch and flavor to the marry me chicken sauce.
- Crushed red pepper flakes – Also optional, but if you’d like to add a bit of spice to this easy recipe, this is the way to do it.
- Fresh basil – This is used as a garnish, but the bright color and fragrant flavor add another element to this already delicious dish.
Variations
There are plenty of ways you can make this marry me chicken your own. Here are a few ideas.
- Chicken – Feel free to swap the chicken breasts with boneless chicken thighs. They tend to have more flavor, but make sure to adjust the cook time accordingly. I don’t recommend bone-in chicken thighs for this marry me chicken just for sake of time. I’ve also seen Marry Me Pork Chops.
- Spice – Add a little kick to this Tuscan chicken recipe by adding some chili flakes or up the amount of red pepper flakes in the sun-dried tomato cream sauce.
- Fresh tomatoes – Can’t find sundried tomatoes at your grocery store? Swap in cherry tomatoes or roasted tomatoes into the decadent sauce instead and it will taste just as good.
- Fresh herbs – Rather than use Italian seasoning, or in addition to, chop up some fresh herbs like fresh basil leaves, dried oregano, and thyme, and add it to the sauce.
- Pasta – Turn this into a marry me chicken pasta by serving this chicken and sauce over your favorite pasta noodles.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken
You are going to love how easy it is to make this delish and tender chicken with a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce.
- Prepare chicken. Cut chicken breasts in half horizontally to make them thinner, leaving you with 4-6 chicken cutlets. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Cook chicken. Heat olive oil in a large skillet or pan to medium heat. Add chicken, turning to brown the exterior, approximately 4 minutes on each side. Chicken might not be fully cooked. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Melt butter. In the same skillet, with juices browned bits, and oil, add the butter, allowing it to melt, then the garlic. Sauté until fragrant.
- Whisk flour. Whisk in the flour, making a roux paste. Then slowly pour in the chicken broth, still whisking, until it forms a sauce.
- Add cream. Stir in the cream until fully blended and then the parmesan cheese, still whisking. When the cheese has melted, add Italian seasoning and return the chicken back to the sauce, turning to coat.
- Simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, bacon, and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Top with fresh basil.
What to Serve with Marry Me Chicken
Of course, the options are really endless, but I do have a few suggestions of things that pair really well with this chicken dish. White rice is a personal favorite but you can serve other starches like polenta, egg noodles, or homemade mashed potatoes.
For veggies, try green beans, cauliflower rice, or a side salad.
Storage and Freezing
You can reheat leftovers in the microwave or in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
How to Store
Store any leftover marry me chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Can I Freeze Marry Me Chicken?
I do not recommend freezing a cream sauce. They tend to turn a little grainy when reheated.
Common Questions about Marry Me Chicken
Why is it called “marry me chicken”?
This chicken got its name because it’s supposedly so delicious that if you made it for someone they’d want to propose.
Why is my Marry Me Chicken sauce not thickening?
If your sauce is too thin, you may have added excess liquid. Allow the sauce to simmer until it reaches your desired thickness.
Should you thicken a sauce with the lid on or off?
Sauces will thicken more quickly if you remove the lid rather than leaving it on.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
No more boring chicken dinners! Here are some of our favorites that are anything but boring.
Marry Me Chicken Recipe
Juicy chicken breasts in a creamy sauce and ready in under an hour, this Marry Me Chicken recipe is the perfect weeknight meal!
Servings:
Ingredients
- 2-3 large chicken breasts*
- 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3-5 cloves fresh garlic , minced or grated
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan cheese , finely grated
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil , julienned or chopped (7 ounce jar)
- ¼ cup bacon , cooked and crumbled, optional
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes , optional
- 8-10 leaves fresh basil , chiffonade cut
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half horizontally to make them thinner, leaving you with 4-6 chicken cutlets.
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, turning to brown the exterior, approximately 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. If you are using a smaller skillet and 6 pieces of chicken, you might need to work in batches for this step.
- In the same skillet, with the juices and browned bits, add the butter, allowing it to melt, then the garlic. Sauté for 1 minutes until fragrant.
- Whisk in the flour, making a roux paste. Then slowly pour in the chicken broth, still whisking, until it forms a sauce. Whisk in the cream until fully blended and then the parmesan cheese, still whisking.
- When the cheese has melted, add the Italian seasoning and return the chicken back to the sauce, turning to coat. Simmer for 10 minutes on the lowest heat.
- Add the sun dried tomatoes, bacon and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired. Top with the fresh basil.
- Serve over rice, creamy polenta, pasta or mashed potatoes.
- If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 569 kcal, Carbohydrates: 12 g, Protein: 34 g, Fat: 43 g, Saturated Fat: 20 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 16 g, Trans Fat: 0.3 g, Cholesterol: 156 mg, Sodium: 1083 mg, Potassium: 805 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 2 g, Vitamin A: 1286 IU, Vitamin C: 17 mg, Calcium: 215 mg, Iron: 2 mg
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This was an awesome recipe, add a few small things along the way but sooo good
This is my favourite recipe of yours of all time! Honestly, the sauce with the bacon and those sundried tomatoes – simply the best!
Yay!!!!
That looks creamy, delicious and like a perfect dinner. This is perfect for the long nights of winter.
Perfect comfort food and full of so many delicious flavours too. My family will love this.
The flavours on this sound amazing. So creamy and delicious.
Yum! Chicken with cream and Parmesan sounds like an amazing dinner.