Marry Me Chicken is creamy, juicy, and full of flavor! It’s said that this chicken dinner is so good that if you make it for your partner, a marriage proposal will be his next question.
This creamy chicken is also family-friendly, and definitely a crowd-pleaser! All you need to make this wonderful dish is just a few ingredients and half an hour from your time.
One of my most popular recipes on the blog is my Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken, a recipe with so many 5-star ratings. Everyone loves chicken cooked in a cream sauce, and when it’s combined with garlic, parmesan cheese, and sundried tomatoes, honestly there’s no better combination.
Marry Me chicken is as good as the Tuscan chicken, if not better. You’d think that it’s very similar, but it tastes quite different and the textures are probably more interesting.
Another family favorite where chicken is combined with a creamy incredible sauce, and the whole thing is cooked in just 25 minutes is this creamy lemon chicken. It’s a family favorite, and if you still haven’t seen it, make sure that you check it out and give it a try!
What is Marry Me Chicken?
Now let’s talk about the name. It’s a funny name and I’m sure you agree with me. When I first heard of it, I thought, what? Who marries who and why? But it’s said that because of how amazing this recipe is, if you make it for your partner they’ll instantly fall in love with your cooking and will propose immediately because the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right? Sounds good? So let’s get cooking!
How to Make Marry Me Chicken
It’s a very easy recipe and requires less than 30 minutes of your time. So you can still make it even if a dinner date isn’t properly planned in advance as long as you have all of the ingredients.
What You’ll Need:
- Chicken breast – sliced into cutlets. You literally just slice them in half to make them thinner. If you use whole chicken breasts, you’ll need to finish this off in the oven to make sure that they’re cooked through. But I like cutlets better in this recipe.
- Flour, salt, and pepper – you will dredge the chicken in flour for that lovely golden and crispy crust.
- Olive oil and butter – to brown the chicken I use olive oil and butter for flavor. You can even use the sundried tomato oil for extra flavor. That’s free flavor there!
- Garlic – because it makes everything taste better!
- Chicken or vegetable stock – I recommend using chicken stock, but if all you have available is vegetable stock then that works perfectly fine.
- Heavy cream and parmesan cheese – for a super creamy and flavorful sauce. Do not use single or light cream as it won’t thicken the sauce very well.
- Chili flakes, dried oregano, and thyme – for extra flavor.
- Sundried tomatoes – what makes this dish so special!
- Fresh basil leaves – for garnish.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
The Directions
- Dredge the chicken in seasoned flour, and shake off any excess flour. Transfer to a plate but do not stack the chicken as they will stick to each other.
- In a heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat, heat the oil and melt the butter.
- Brown the chicken on both sides until it’s golden brown, transfer onto a warm plate, cover, and set aside.
- Saute the garlic for a minute or until it’s fragrant. Add the chicken stock, and deglaze the pan scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add the heavy cream and the parmesan cheese to the skillet. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes, then season with chili flakes and oregano.
- Season with salt and pepper to your taste, add the sundried tomatoes then put the chicken back in the sauce and let the sauce simmer and thicken for a few more minutes.
- Marry Me Chicken is now ready! Just garnish with chopped fresh basil leaves and serve warm over pasta or rice.
What To Serve Marry Me Chicken With
- My favorite way to serve Marry Me Chicken is over pasta. This garlic butter pasta is So good, but if you make a lot of sauce then plain pasta works great.
- You can also serve it over mashed potatoes, rice, or with crusty bread. Try making homemade breadsticks, they’re so good!
- For a low-carb meal, serve it with butternut squash or zucchini noodles, or cauliflower rice.
Top Tips
- Chicken cutlets/steaks are available in most supermarkets, but you can slice a chicken breast in half and get the same result.
- When sauteing the garlic, add a little bit of sundried tomatoes oil for more flavor.
- Do not use single/light cream as that won’t thicken the sauce enough.
- I recommend buying a block of parmesan cheese and grating it yourself. I found that store-bought parmesan cheese doesn’t have much flavor, and doesn’t dissolve well in sauces.
Storing Tips
Store the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven, you will need to add a splash of water to thin out the sauce as it thickens in the fridge.
I don’t recommend freezing creamy sauces as they change textures to grainy when frozen.
Enjoy your delicious chicken dinner! Make sure to give this recipe a star rating below and don’t forget to pin it so more people can enjoy it too.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Marry Me Chicken
Recipe Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless, sliced lengthwise into thin cutlets
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons (50 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream (double cream in the UK)
- ½ cup (43 grams) parmesan cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and shake off any excess.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil and melt the butter on medium heat. Swirl pan to coat with oil and butter evenly.
- Brown the chicken (do not overcrowd and work in batches if needed) for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer onto a plate, cover, and set aside.
- Saute the garlic for a minute or until it's fragrant. Add the chicken stock, and deglaze the pan scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Adjust the heat to medium-low, and add the heavy cream and the parmesan cheese to the skillet. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes, then season with chili flakes, thyme, and oregano.
- Season with salt and pepper to your taste, add the sundried tomatoes then put the chicken back in the sauce and let the sauce simmer and thicken for a few more minutes.
- Garnish with chopped fresh basil leaves and serve warm over pasta or rice.
Notes:
- Chicken cutlets/steaks are available in most supermarkets, but you can slice a chicken breast in half and get the same result.
- To slice chicken breasts into thin cutlets: Place a chicken breast down flat on a cutting board. Hold one hand flat on top of the breast, and use a sharp knife to cut the breast in half, parallel to the cutting board.
Typically, that is all you need to do! The cutlets should be about ¼ inch in thickness. If they are thicker than that, use a meat mallet to pound them down thinner. - Boneless and skinless chicken thighs can be used in place of chicken breasts, but keep in mind that they take longer to cook.
- When sauteing the garlic, add a little bit of sundried tomato oil for more flavor.
- Do not use half and half/single cream as that won’t thicken the sauce enough.
- I recommend buying a block of parmesan cheese and grating it yourself. I found that store-bought parmesan cheese doesn’t have much flavor, and doesn’t melt well in sauces.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Megan says
This mouthwatering recipe is to die for!!! I have had so many compliments! Thank you!!
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thanks Megan, I’m so glad you found my recipe and are enjoying it so much!
lynn says
Easy to make and very flavorfull. I cooked the chicken 3 1/2 hours and it was juicy, not dry. Plenty of sauce to put on top of chicken and veggies.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Hi Lynn, what method did you use to cook the chicken that long? Did you use your slow cooker?
Miranda says
Thanks for showing me how to make this! It came out sooooo goood!!
Diana says
So glad you loved it, Miranda! Thanks for giving it a try!
Joanne says
For anyone to say it’s spicy, they didn’t follow directions. 100% GOOD SH#T! YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS ADHERE TO THEM THEN NEXT TIME ADJUST TO YOUR LIKING. FOR THE SPICY PPL. OTHER THAN THAT AMAZING AND THANK YOU
Diana says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe. And yes, spice levels can always be adjusted to personal taste. Thanks for your feedback!
Becca Birkin says
Yum!
I’m not a huge fan of sun dried tomatoes so I completely changed the seasonings, using just a touch of oregano, smoked paprkia, and a a wood fired garlic seasoning.
Nice to know it can be so versatile. Quick but seems fancy
Diana says
Love how you made it your own, Becca! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!