Tender, juicy chicken cooked in a creamy, rich, and savory sauce is an impressive one-pan dish made in under 30 minutes! Marry Me Chicken might sound strange, but after just one bite, you’ll be smitten with this incredibly flavorful recipe.
Serve this impressive recipe with Garlic Herb Rice and a fresh salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette, then sit back and enjoy all the compliments!
In This Post
True story. I made this recipe because the crazy name totally sucked me in. I mean, you have to give something with the term “marry me” a try to see if the dish stands up to its name, right?
After making this one-pan wonder, that’s been a hit on social media; I can state without a doubt that I am a huge fan of Marry Me Chicken. While I might not have heard wedding bells, I have added this crazy good chicken dish to my all-time favorites list.
What Is Marry Me Chicken?
The origins of Marry Me Chicken are unclear, but the story goes that this recipe is so delicious that when you serve it to someone you love, a marriage proposal is sure to follow.
I don’t know about that; however, I do know that one thing is clear, the ingredients in this dish marry perfectly together. The tender chicken and the rich, luxurious sauce with sun-dried tomatoes make this one lovely match.
Marry Me Chicken Recipe Ingredients
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts – boneless, skinless chicken thighs can also be used.
- Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
- Garlic
- Chicken Broth, Heavy Cream
- Parmesan Cheese, Sun-dried Tomatoes
- Red Pepper Flakes, Italian Seasoning – dried oregano and basil can be substituted, Salt, Fresh Cracked Pepper
- Fresh Basil – for garnish
Tips For Making This Easy Marry Me Chicken Recipe
- Season the chicken before searing to enhance the flavor.
- Don’t overcook the chicken. Remove the chicken from the oven when the internal temp reads 160 to 162. As the chicken rests, the temp will rise to 165, making the chicken juicy and allowing it to be fully cooked.
- Make sure to let the chicken rest. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, producing more flavorful and moist chicken.
- The sauce should be creamy and velvety. If you find the sauce too thick, you can thin it out by adding a splash of chicken broth or white wine. Conversely, if the sauce is too thin, you can let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken it slightly.
About Sun-Dried Tomatoes
I used sun-dried tomatoes that were not packed in oil. They added loads of flavor as they simmered in the sauce. My reason? I’ve got a picky eater who’s not really a fan of dried tomatoes (it’s a texture thing) but likes the flavor, so by switching things up, it was easy for him to enjoy the chicken without the texture of the tomatoes. You can chop the tomatoes if you like, or feel free to use sun-dried tomatoes in oil.
How To Make Marry Me Chicken
- Season the chicken and sear it on both sides. Remove it to a plate and cover with foil.
- Add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes and sauté for about a minute. Pour in the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits in the skillet.
- Whisk in the heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Simmer until slightly thickened.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet and place in the oven to bake for 10-12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes, sprinkle on fresh basil, and serve.
Crock Pot Marry Me Chicken
You can easily turn this recipe into a slow cooker meal. Here’s how:
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet and sear the chicken until golden brown. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Make the sauce by reducing the heat to low, adding garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the pan, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock to the pan, stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the heavy cream. Once combined, add in the sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese and stir.
- Add the sauce to the crock pot, then nestle in the seared chicken breasts. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4- 5 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
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How To Store And Reheat
If you are lucky enough to have leftovers, you are going to be super happy! Store the chicken with the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
To reheat, warm the chicken in the microwave or in the oven until heated through. If the sauce is too thick, add a liquid like, chicken broth, water, or wine to thin.
What To Serve With Quick And Easy Marry Me Chicken
There are so many ways to serve this chicken dish. I like to serve it with:
- Creamy Stovetop Cheese Tortellini
- Air Fryer Baked Potatoes
- Easy Baked Fettuccine
- Skillet Green Beans
Craving More? Try These Easy Chicken Recipes
If you tried this Marry Me Chicken Recipe or any other recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 3 ounces each
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup chicken stock or broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- â…“ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ – 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Place a skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil and butter.
- When the butter has melted, add the chicken breasts and sear 3-4 minutes, flip and sear 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Remove chicken from the skillet, to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock to the pan, stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Whisk in the heavy cream. Once combined, add in the sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese and stir. Simmer for 2 minutes for the sauce to thicken. Place the chicken back in the skillet. Spoon sauce over the chicken, then place in the oven and bake for 10 – 12 minutes. When done, the internal temperature should read 162 degrees. ***As the chicken rests, the temperature will rise to 165 for fully cooked chicken***
- Remove the chicken from the oven, and let rest for 5 minutes. Top with fresh basil and serve.
Video
Notes
- Store the chicken with the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
- To reheat, warm the chicken in the microwave on in the oven until heated through. If the sauce is too thick, add a liquid like, chicken broth, water, or wine to thin.
- The sauce should be creamy and velvety. If you find the sauce too thick, you can thin it out by adding a splash of chicken broth or white wine. Conversely, if the sauce is too thin, you can let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken it slightly.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet and sear the chicken until golden brown. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Make the sauce by reducing the heat to low, adding garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes to the pan, and sauté for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock to the pan, stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the heavy cream. Once combined, add in the sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese and stir.Â
- Add the sauce to the crock pot, then nestle in the seared chicken breasts. Place lid on slow cooker and cook on LOW for 4- 5 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
Carolyn
I’m looking at the recipe for Marry Me Chicken. Could mushrooms be added to this recipe? Since they give off some liquid when cooked, I didn’t want to ruin the meal.
Donya Mullins
Sure, go for it! The mushrooms will not add that much water and they will be a great addition to the recipe.
Let me know how things turn out!
~Donya
Jackie B.
Delicious, Donya, full of flavor! Thank you for a very doable and delectable dish 🙂
Donya Mullins
Thanks, Jackie, you’ve made my day!! I am so grateful for the terrific rating, too.
~Donya
Pamela Hundley
In the Marry Me Chicken recipe – is there any substitution I can make for the sun-dried tomatoes? Love everything else “tomato,” but just can’t enjoy them sun-dried. Thanks so much!
Donya Mullins
You can use tomato paste. Add it when you add the garlic, then proceed with the recipe.
~Donya
Pamela S Hundley
That sounds like something I could have thought of! Thank you so much! Sounds like a great recipe