Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me Chicken is one of my favorite chicken recipes because it is so easy to make. It is a delicious chicken dinner for a dinner party or just serving something that the whole family will love.

With a creamy sauce and tender chicken, it’s flavored with garlic, tomatoes, and Italian herbs. This chicken dish is a crowd-pleaser every time. You can serve it with a salad over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes or just on its own with crusty bread

If you are looking for another easy dinner that will feed the whole family, try this fool-proof Garlic Brown Sugar Pork Loin. It’s easy to make and full of flavor!!

Ingredients needed:

Please read this section before changing any of the Marry Me chicken ingredients. Scroll down to find the recipe card at the bottom of the page for all of the details.

• Chicken breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts work best for this recipe.
• Chicken stock: You can also substitute with vegetable stock or chicken broth if you like.
• Heavy cream: Also known as double cream. This is important for creamy sauce.
• All-purpose flour: Any kind of flour will work in this recipe.
• Parmesan cheese: Freshly grated parmesan cheese. Not the dried stuff in a can.
• Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil is what I used.
• Garlic cloves: Peeled and crushed garlic cloves for the freshest flavor.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: Make sure they are drained if you using canned.
• Dried Italian herbs: Or use dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, and rosemary.
• Dried basil: Just a little bit to add to the Italian seasoning.
• Smoked paprika: Gives the chicken and cream sauce an extra flavor of smokiness.
• Salt and black pepper: To taste.
• Fresh basil leaves Roughly chopped fresh basil for garnish.
• Half a lemon: For serving.

How to make Marry Me chicken from scratch:

1. Coat the chicken: First, add the flour to a shallow bowl and toss the chicken breasts to coat.
2. Heat the oil: After, add oil to a large skillet and swirl the pan to coat. Cook oil over medium heat until hot.
3. Brown chicken: Then, cook chicken for five minutes on each side, until they are lightly golden brown. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and cover them with foil.
4. Cook veggies: Now, turn the stove down to low heat and add the paprika, basil, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic. Cook for three to five minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the garlic is soft and fragrant.
5. Make cream sauce: Next, stir in the heavy cream, chicken stock, and parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Cook the chicken: Transfer the chicken back to the pan with the sauce. Cover and cook for five minutes. Flip and cook, covered, for another five minutes until it is cooked through.
7. Garnish and serve: Last, remove the pan, squeeze fresh lemon juice and chopped basil on top, and serve with your favorite pasta and a glass of white wine.

Recipe variations:

• Another oil: You can use whatever you like for this great recipe. You can even use some of the tomato oil from the sun-dried tomatoes.
• Spicy chicken breast: For a bit of extra spiciness, sprinkle on some crushed red pepper flakes before serving.
• Cream sauce: If you like creamy sauces, make yours creamier using cream cheese instead of heavy cream.
• Different cuts: You could also use chicken cutlets, chicken tenders, or boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts.
• Add more tomato: Add a can of tomato paste for an extra flavorful sauce.
• In the oven: This is one of those easy chicken recipes that you can also cook in the preheated oven at 350 degrees F for 20 to 30 minutes instead of on the stove.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why is this recipe called Marry Me Chicken?

An editor at Delish, named Lindsay Funston, made a video recipe for a Tuscan chicken dish that got millions of views in 2016. So, when her video producer tasted it, he said he would marry her for that chicken. Lindsay said she made hers with chicken thighs instead of breasts and soaked it in a cream sauce of heavy cream, chicken broth, and garlic.

Why did my chicken turn out rubbery?

Rubbery or chewy chicken is typically caused by cooking it too long or at too high of a temperature. You can try cooking it on medium-low instead of medium heat and remove it from the heat when it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit. After the chicken sits for 10 minutes, covered in foil, it should be at a temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

Can I make this recipe dairy-free?

Yes! Absolutely. You can make this easy recipe without dairy. It is very simple because you just have to change one thing. Just find a dairy-free cream at your local grocery store and replace the heavy cream with that. You can also use coconut or cashew cream if you like.

How to store leftovers:

• Store: You can store any leftovers of the Marry Me chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for several days.
• Freeze: If you cannot eat it all in a few days, freeze the Marry Me chicken for up to three months in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag.
• Thaw: For the best results, thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
• Reheat: To reheat, put the chicken in a microwave-safe dish with extra sauce and heat in the microwave for 45 to 90 seconds. Cooking time will vary slightly depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts.

Recipe tips:

• The internal temperature should be 165 degrees F with a meat thermometer when serving.
• Place small bowls of sauce, cheese, and tomatoes out to let your dinner guests add extra sauce or whatever they like.
• If your chicken breasts are too thick, use a sharp knife to cut them in half horizontally.
• Place chicken breasts on paper towels after browning to soak up any excess oil.
• Lower saturated fat by using Greek yogurt instead of heavy cream.
• You can make this delicious Marry Me chicken recipe in the slow cooker by adding the chicken and all the ingredients to the cooker after browning them over medium-high heat. Then, cook on high for three hours or low for six hours.
• If you are looking for other chicken recipes, you can find them on my food blog at Moore or Less Cooking

Nettie is a wife and mother who is passionate about cooking and baking. With 5 children, Nettie insists that all meals, snacks, and desserts come together quickly! You will find a wide variety of easy yet scrumptious recipes on her viral website Moore or Less Cooking

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Yield: Serves 4

Marry Me Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

With a creamy sauce and tender chicken, Marry Me Chicken is flavored with garlic, tomatoes, and Italian herbs. This chicken dish is a crowd-pleaser every time. You can serve it with a salad over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes or just on its own with crusty bread.

Print

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
• 1/4 cup of flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• 2 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves, chopped
• half of a lemon
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Gather all of the ingredients.
2. Add flour to a shallow bowl and toss the chicken breasts in the flour, to coat on all sides.
3. Place a large, deep frying pan, over medium heat and add the oil. 
4. When it's hot, add the chicken breasts, and cook on both sides for 5 minutes, until nicely golden.
5. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate, and cover them with foil.
6. In the meantime, reduce the heat and add garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, dried basil, and smoked paprika. Stir and cook for 3-5 minutes until the garlic is softened.
7. Add the cream, stock, parmesan, and season with salt and pepper. Stir everything and taste, season more if needed.
8. Add the chicken to the sauce. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken on the other side and cook for another 5 minutes. Check the chicken is cooked through. 
9. Remove the pan from the heat, squeeze fresh lemon juice on top, and sprinkle over the chopped basil. Serve with pasta.

Notes

Top Tips

• You can find chicken cutlets in your local grocery store. Another option is slicing one chicken breast in half and getting the same result.

• Add sundried tomato oil when sauteing the garlic, it will add a burst of flavor.
• Use heavy cream, do not use single/light cream as it won’t thicken the sauce very well.
• Buy a block of parmesan cheese and grate it yourself. It has so much more flavor than store-bought parmesan cheese, which doesn't melt well in sauces.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 626Total Fat 41gSaturated Fat 18gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 19gCholesterol 181mgSodium 544mgCarbohydrates 20gFiber 3gSugar 3gProtein 46g

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