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 many users shared the recipe and claimed it will win over 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 or rice and a roasted vegetable. 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.
What You’ll Need To Make Marry Me Chicken
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.)
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 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 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.
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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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Delicious and easy to make!
I used 1/2 cup of coconut milk instead of Cream, and it was delicious, couldn’t tell the difference.
Hi Jen, I’ve been following your blog and making your recipes for several years now and they are never-fail and delicious. You’ve become my go-to for all recipes, (sorry Ina lol.) I’m looking forward to trying this recipe but wanted to know what your thoughts are on making it a day ahead and reheating?
Hi Pamela, So glad you enjoy the recipes! If you really need to make this ahead, it’s doable, but it’s best if served right after cooking.
I’d have to agree with your comment. All of Jen’s recipes are fool proof! (Sorry, Ina!)
Not one to usually post a comment but this one certainly deserved one. Real impressive and easy. Plan to make it many times over. Definitely would serve this to company.
I made this chicken and my kids put this recipe to the top ten list. My eight year old son after coming back from school next day told me that only thing he could think of during his lunch time if we still had leftover chicken. Outstanding.
Always looking for a good chicken recipe and came across this one. I am so glad because it is amazing. Followed recipe except I used chicken tenderloins. Loved by all.
This is really delicious and company worthy. My family loved it. Served with new potatoes and homemade focacia bread and green salad. Highly recommend!!
My husband and I absolutely LOVED this recipe. It has become one our favorites. It truly knocked my hubby’s socks off! 🙂
would you ever double it ?? making it tonight for the first time for 6 people
Hi Jude, I’m weighing too late to help but for future reference it’s be fine to double the recipe.
I made this for dinner yesterday and it was delicious. Instead of having a vegetable to accompany it I made Angel hair pasta and placed the chicken and wonderful sauce on top. I didn’t want to miss any of the great gravy. it was a great meal.
Husband loved it. May add sliced mushrooms next time, perhaps a little wine to deglaze the pan a bit before making sauce. Served simply with a buttered long grain Mideastern rice and peas. Would be nice on pasta, too. Doubled sauce per husband’s request.
Really delicious dish! I used lightly pounded chicken tenders; cooked them in late afternoon; sautéed the chopped onion and then put all the sauce ingredients (except cheese and basil) together in large measuring cup. When ready for dinner, just reheated the onion, added the garlic, then the sauce. Served with orzo and roasted broccoli. A winner.
Hi Jen! Made this for a family dinner the other night and everyone loved it!! Definitely a dish I’d make again, even though I’m vegetarian and didn’t get to enjoy it! Smelled heavenly though. Always love your recipes – thanks again for sharing them!
Very good. I think my husband would have liked more sauce but next time I can just double it.
I am glad that I prepped in the morning though.
Hi Tish!
My sauce also started to get thicker (reduce) more than I wanted. I just added more broth and it was quickly back to the desired consistency and amount of sauce and the flavor was still excellent. The wider the pan the quicker the sauce will reduce. Just my experience and thought I would share.
Hi Jenn,
Thank you for sharing your talent in the kitchen , I only cook food from your website and have been following for many years . I have both of your books and l am looking forward to more books to come.
I made this last night served with noodles and your garlicky roasted broccoli 🥦 it was really good – my husband requested me to make at least once week.
Best New Year for you and your family.
Thanks again
Rose
This recipe was a hit tonight! We can’t wait to have the leftovers for breakfast tomorrow! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Delicious! I had some very small chicken breasts (a Christmas gift someone sent from a well-known company selling frozen meat, which won’t be named) but I was very excited to try this recipe. The breasts were so small I couldn’t even slice them in half, but I figured they could still be used if I pounded them. It worked! I had to cook the chicken a bit longer—more like five minutes per side—but they were juicy and so tasty! Thank goodness there was enough sauce to go around 😊
Just enjoyed this dish. What a winner. This is perhaps one of the best chicken dishes I’ve ever had. My husband loves prosciutto so I cut up a couple of pieces and added it to the finished chicken. So delicious! I will be sharing this recipe with friends and family, and keep it in my rotation for sure.
Made this tonight and it was outstanding. Didn’t change a thing, but maybe added a bit of garlic powder and paprika to the chicken flour. Really loved it, thanks Jenn
Made this recipe last night. Delicious. A little more trouble than I usually go to but oh so worth it. Looking forward to leftovers tonight!
I made and shared this dish with my daughter and her family. “dada, I love this chicken” said my 4 year old grandson:)
This chicken recipe couldn’t be better!
I searched for synonyms for delicious: delectable, scrumptious, savoury, exquisite. I made this recipe tonight and my husband and I agree, they all fit.
Thanks for another fabulous recipe!
Truly a dish to fall in love with. We both think this is out of this world. Served it over a bit of linguine and a side of roasted cauliflower A most memorable meal. Thank you for another fabulous recipe.
Followed recepie and came out perfect! We all agreed it goes into the make again pile!
Loved it. Lots of flavor. Easy prep. Served over orzo with an arugula salad. On the repeat list !
Jenn thank you for another delicious recipe my husband and 3 sons loved this dish!! Sauce is wonderful!
Lots of yum, yum noises at the dinner table tonight! My kids say it’s the best chicken they’ve ever had, which is high praise coming from those guys! They just gave the sun dried tomatoes to dad & I. This will be on the monthly rotation. Thank you!
Soooo good!!! And easy. Added to our regular rotation.
I don’t care for the texture of sun dried tomatoes, would using an immersion blender with or without the sauce work?
Hi Julie, The tomato paste gives the sauce a nice subtle tomato flavor, so I would just leave out the sun-dried tomatoes if you’re not a fan. My kids eat around them and still love the dish. 🙂
Lovely dinner, added some nduja because I had it open and served with pasta, so good, thanks Jennifer your recipes always get thumbs up.
I made this last night, along with the roasted broccoli Jenn recommends. Both were great, but my husband liked the sauce so much he actually drank the rest of it after we ate all of the chicken. It is easy to make and very flavorful.
Fantastic! Thank you!
This was absolutely delicious! So rich and flavorful. Make it!!
This was delicious and it will be going into our rotation as per my hubby’s request. So easy to make!!! I was feeding 5 so I added two more pieces of chicken and a tad more cream/broth and it worked out great. I served it over pearled barley and asparagus. Thanks again for another great and tasty weeknight dinner!! I’m trying your chicken nachos this weekend for the football games. 🤗🏈
I made this tonight exactly as the recipe stated…it was heavenly. I am a horrible cook and my hubby AND kids were impressed! It tasted like something you would get at a nice restaurant. Thank you for sharing!
This looks yummy. That being said, I have seen a hundred varied recipes of “Marry Me Chicken” and none of them are accurate. MMC is actually “Engagement Chicken” by Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) and is a reworked recipe for simple roast chicken with lemon and seasonings and a white wine pan sauce. Just thought I’d throw that out there in case anyone is seeing the same things I am seeing. ?
Hi EmmyLou, Engagement Chicken and Marry Me Chicken are actually quite different (and there are many versions of both). The Daily Meal breaks it down here. 🙂
Amazing! My husband could not stop raving about it! Very flavorful and just the right amount of spiciness to it. As always, your recipes are always easy to follow and they turn out amazing!
This recipe was dynamite.
Both my picky daughters ate this and that says a lot. I made it with white rice and stewed zucchini. Will definitely be making it again.
Thank you for sharing
Mic drop!
Then there’s Mantrapper Chicken…😋. (Teriyake based)
The sauce in this dish might just be the best tasting I’ve ever had. Creamy, mildly spicy, with SO much flavor. We enjoyed this dish so much that the next day I made just the cream sauce itself (doubled the recipe), so I will have it on hand for other dishes. It would complement any pasta dish, chicken, vegetable…so much variety to it, without overwhelming what it is paired with. The Marry Me Chicken was a great dish, in and of itself, but the sauce….WOW!
Jenn, this was AMAZING!!!
I used my home grown basil from my hydroponic garden, lol
Keep the recipes coming.
Thanks, Rose
Another delicious recipe I am adding to my list! Than you Jen!
Made this for the first time last night – absolutely delicious!! Creamy but not too heavy and the sundried tomatoes really pair well with the chicken! Very quick and easy recipe but tastes and looks very elegant.
Hello, this looks delicious. Can you recommend a gf substitute for the all purpose flour?
Thank you
Are you looking for a gluten-free alternative? If so, gluten-free flour is fine.
Bobs Red Mill has a GF all purpose that’s good. Trader Joe’s has one too. Best ones so far that I’ve found.
I used almond flour and it tasted great!
Jenn… This is AWESOME! My husband’s eyes closed as he let out a sigh of pleasure.
Thank you so much. We LOVE it and I’m going to make it and take it to our next lunch gathering.
Yummm! Loved this recipe Jenn! I used light cream instead of heavy and it still thickened up very nicely. I added some fresh spinach when I added the chicken back to the pan. I can’t wait for my leftovers 🙂
Another terrific dish! Family loved it. I will make it with pasta next time because the sauce is so good.
Yummy!
Amazing recipe. My family loved it. I had some leftovers that I brought to my CO workers And they loved it too.
I’m already married but my husband said he could “drink the sauce” so I think I’ve got another 10 years with him. Delicious dish and easy to make. I subbed half and half for the heavy cream. Will make again for sure! I forwarded the recipe to at least 4 people. YUMMY!
Another absolutely delicious meal. The recipe was easy and consistent to follow – no substitutions. Served it with toasted gnocchi and sautéed zucchini. Huge family hit!! Thanks again Jen for another scrumptious and easy family meal!!
This was a fantastic,easy, restaurant /chef quality dish. We loved it! And will be making it for company soon.
I love Tuscany chicken and this dish seems to be closely related with a slightly more tomato based slant. Would that be an accurate description?
Yep 🙂
Great! Can’t wait to try it. Thanks, Jen!
Looks amazing. Do you think I can substitute evaporated milk for the cream?
Hi Cindy, I wouldn’t recommend evaporated milk but I think you can get away with using half and half. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you!!
Hi Jenn
Can this be frozen? It’s so good I’d love to make extra for quick meals out of the freezer. Thanks for all the FANTASTIC recipes.
So glad you like it! Unfortunately, I don’t think it will freeze very well – sorry!
I made this for dinner It is now 2:30. Can it stay out without spoiling until 6:30 dinner? It came out absolutely delish. I used half and half and I thickened the sauce by sprinkling just a touch of wonders flour
Hi Carolyn, I refrigerate it and then reheat in the skillet before dinner. You made need to add a touch more broth when reheating if the sauce is too thick. Enjoy!
is there a non-dairy option for my lactose intolerance husband? I was wondering about some combo of olive oil and almond milk for the same mouthfeel and richness.
Hi Patricia, I don’t think the sauce will thicken up that way. 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.) Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Silk makes a plant-based heavy cream that cooks up just like regular cream. I don’t buy “real” dairy cream anymore.