Marry Me Chicken
Marry Me Chicken is pan-seared chicken breasts in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce with garlic, Italian herbs, and Parmesan. The rich, restaurant-quality sauce comes together in one skillet in just 30 minutes. Perfect for date nights or fancy weeknight dinners when you want something special without complicated techniques or hard-to-find ingredients.
This dish went viral on TikTok for good reason. That creamy sauce with garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes? It’s slightly spicy and creamy and rich at the same time. Sun-dried tomatoes add a sweet and tangy flavor and the parmesan brings everything together.
The best part? It’s a one pan meal. Just brown the chicken, whisk together the sauce, and simmer everything together!
Fancy enough to impress. Easy enough not to stress. That’s the sweet spot!
Serve over pasta, rice, or with crusty bread to soak up that sauce. It’s pairs perfectly with green beans, glazed carrots, and this Italian chopped salad to make dinner complete.
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See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken: Substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs for chicken breasts.
- Heavy cream: Substitute heavy whipping cream or coconut milk for a dairy-free option.
- Cheese: You can use pecorino Romano or Asiago cheese instead of Parmesan cheese.
- Sun-dried tomatoes:Substitute them with cherry tomatoes or roasted red peppers.
- Spices: Homemade Italian seasoning is best or use a combination of dried basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary.
- Broth: Use vegetable stock or white wine as a substitute for chicken stock.
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How To Make Marry Me Chicken
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Season the chicken breasts, on both sides, with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil, in an oven safe, large skillet, over medium-high heat.
- Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove them to a plate. Reduce the temperature to medium heat to make the sauce.
- Add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan and gently scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the small brown bits.
- Stir in the cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese. Whisk to make the sauce. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken breasts and any juices on the plate back into the skillet. Spoon the sauce over the chicken.
- Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165F.
- Take out of the oven and allow it to cool for few minutes. Serve over angel hair pasta and garnish with sliced fresh basil or chopped parsley.
For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Serving Suggestions
- Your favorite pasta
- White rice or cauliflower rice
- Mashed potatoes
- With crusty bread to soak up sauce
Variations
- With chicken thighs – Use boneless skinless thighs for extra juicy results.
- Slow cooker version – Brown chicken first, then everything in slow cooker on low 4-6 hours.
- Marry Me Chicken Soup – Add chicken broth for soup version.
- With tortellini – Add cheese tortellini for heartier meal.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in airtight container in fridge up to 3 days. Reheat gently on stovetop or in microwave, stirring frequently. I prefer the stove top because chicken can get tough in the microwave and the sauce can separate.
How To Freeze
This freezes up to 3 months. I recommend freezing the chicken and sauce separately then thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
To reheat the sauce without it separating, I use a saucepan over medium-low heat. Be sure to stir frequently so it doesn’t scorch. If it is a little thick, add in a splash of broth or cream. I prefer the cream because it makes the sauce taste like I just made it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Boneless skinless chicken thighs work great. They stay extra juicy but my need a little bit longer to cook. Check the temperature to make sure it reaches 165F so you know they’re done.
You can use cherry tomatoes instead, though flavor will be a little different. Sun-dried tomatoes give that sweet-tangy punch that makes this dish special! You can also try roasted red peppers or kalamata olives.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use large enough skillet so the chicken browns properly. I prefer a cast iron to get a nice sear.
- Salt and pepper chicken breasts before cooking for best flavor.
- Prevent heavy cream from curdling by using low heat when making creamy sauce.
- Stir in sun-dried tomatoes toward end of cooking so they don’t get mushy.
- Use wooden spoon to scrape flavorful bits from bottom of pan into sauce.
- Let chicken rest few minutes after cooking to keep juices from running out.
This marry me chicken recipe is perfect for date night, a regular weeknight meal when you want chicken a different way, or a dinner party!
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please leave us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ five-star review in the comment section below. Thanks!
Marry Me Chicken Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Cast Iron Skillet 10.25 inches
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ⅔ cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped or sliced thin
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- In a large, oven safe skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken breasts and cook for roughly 5 minutes on one side to brown it. Flip and brown the other side for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the chicken breasts to a plate.
- Reduce the temperature to medium.
- Add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Deglaze the pan with the chicken broth, gently scraping the bottom of the skillet to remove the delicious brown bits.
- Stir in the heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan cheese.
- Bring to a simmer. Place the chicken back in the skillet and any juices accumulated on the plate.
- Spoon the sauce over the chicken.Place the skillet in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165F.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for a minute or two.
- Serve over angel hair pasta and garnish with sliced fresh basil or chopped parsley.
Notes
- Use large enough skillet so the chicken browns properly. I prefer a cast iron to get a nice sear.
- Salt and pepper chicken breasts before cooking for best flavor.
- Prevent heavy cream from curdling by using low heat when making creamy sauce.
- Stir in sun-dried tomatoes toward end of cooking so they don’t get mushy.
- Use wooden spoon to scrape flavorful bits from bottom of pan into sauce.
- Let chicken rest few minutes after cooking to keep juices from running out
Nutrition
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