The BEST Marry Me Chicken Recipe - House of Nash Eats (2024)

This easy Marry Me Chicken recipe made in one pan with with juicy chicken breasts and a delicious sundried tomato cream sauce, then topped with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves for a flavorful bite! Ready in just 30 minutes, it's perfect for busy weeknights, but perfect for any special occasion too.

This is the Best Marry Me Chicken Recipe

They say that Marry Me Chicken is SO delicious, that serving it on that special date night will cause your beloved to give you a marriage proposal right there and then! I know that when I first made this for Paul he declared it one of the best dinners I have ever made and immediately added it to his Top 5 favorite recipes from my blog.

What is Marry Me Chicken?

"Marry Me Chicken" is a popular dish made with juicy chicken breasts smothered in a rich and flavorful sauce made with garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. While the origin of the name is unclear, it's believed to stem from the idea that the dish is so delicious, it might inspire a marriage proposal. It's usually served over pasta or with crusty bread to soak up the delicious sauce.

Why you'll love this Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken

You only need a handful of simple ingredients for this creamy chicken dish, but it's so flavorful from the first bite. I love that this recipe makes enough to feed the whole family in only 30 minutes from start to finish, making it the perfect dish for busy weeknights.

But it's also tasty enough and looks good enough to serve on date night or at a dinner party. This is definitely a family favorite of ours, along with my Creamy Garlic Chicken, this Lemon Chicken Piccata, and my Easy Chicken Stroganoff.

Ingredients for Marry Me Chicken

Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for a complete list of ingredients with quantities and instructions.

• Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breastsfor this recipe.
• Seasoning: A mixture of kosher salt, freshly groundblack pepper,red pepper flakes, andItalian seasoning is all you need for this flavorful dish!
• Oil: Use olive oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil to brown the chicken and sauté the garlic for the sauce.
• Flour: All-purpose flour will work fine here for dredging the chicken to make it crispier.
• Garlic: Use freshly minced garlic cloves for the best flavor. You can use garlic powder in a pinch.
• Broth: I like to use low-sodium chicken broth for a richly flavored sauce. You can use chicken stock, or even vegetable stock if you prefer.
• Cream: Heavy cream works best to give you a thick and creamy sauce, but you can get away with a lower-fat cream, half-and-half, or even milk if you need to. The sauce just won't be as thick or rich.
• Cheese: Use a block of Parmesan cheese that you grate yourself for the best cheesy flavor.
• Tomatoes: Sundried tomatoes will give this dish a rich, sweet, tomato flavor that is irresistible! We use the kind that come in a jar with oil.
• Basil leaves: Garnish with sliced, fresh basil leaves for serving for an added fresh and earthy flavor.

How to Make Marry Me Chicken

1. Dredge chicken. Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally using a sharp knife, if necessary. Season chicken with salt. Dredge in flour, shaking off any excess and discarding unused flour.
2. Brown chicken. Heat oil in a pan. Place chicken breasts in the hot pan and sear for 4-5 minutes per side until browned. Don't overcrowd the pan and work in batches, adding more oil, if needed. (we aren't worrying about cooking the chicken all the way through yet). Transfer to a plate and set aside.

3. Sauté garlic. Sauté the garlic in the pan for 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add broth. Then, add the chicken broth to the pan, and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan to deglaze it.

5. Make sauce. Add the heavy cream, ¼ cup of Parmesan cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to the pan, and stir.
6. Add chicken. Return the chicken to the pan on medium-high heat and bring the sauce to a simmer. Then, reduce heat to medium-low.

7. Cook and serve. Cook until chicken reaches 165°F when tested with a digital meat thermometer (affiliate link), about 5-8 minutes. Sprinkle with basil, remaining Parmesan cheese, and additional red pepper flakes (if desired). Serve over pasta or mashed potatoes.

Easy Marry Me Chicken Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Meat. Change up the meat for a different kind of dish. This creamy sauce would work well with other cuts of chicken, pork, fish, or even shrimp.
• Cheese. Parmesan cheese has a strong and salty cheesy flavor, but you can use a different kind of cheese or additional cheese for this recipe for a different flavor. Try some mozzarella cheese on top, or some Pecorino Romano in the sauce.
• Spice it up. Add some more spice with some hot sauce to the sauce, or by adding red pepper flakes on top as a garnish when serving.

Best Marry Me Chicken Recipe tips for success

• You can get small chicken breasts in most grocery stores, but you can use a large chicken breast sliced in half if you need to. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
• Use freshly grated parmesan cheese if you can. Store-bought pre-shredded cheese is often coated in a floury substance, it loses it's flavor quickly, and it won't melt into the sauce very well.

How to store this recipe for Marry Me Chicken

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven covered in foil until piping hot.

Marry Me Chicken will freeze and defrost fine if you have used full-fat heavy cream for the sauce, but lower-far dairy tends to not freeze very well. Freeze for up to 1 month, and defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating in the oven or microwave until warmed all the way through.

Marry Me Chicken Recipe FAQs

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