Marry Me Chicken boasts succulent chicken breasts seasoned with robust Italian spices, bathed in a rich, creamy sauce infused with tangy sun-dried tomatoes, savory Parmesan, and fragrant garlic. A final addition of fresh basil adds vibrancy and freshness, perfectly counterbalancing the creamy sauce. So irresistibly delicious, this dish might just elicit a marriage proposal!
What Is Marry Me Chicken?
Marry Me Chicken earned its name from the idea that the dish is so good, it might inspire a marriage proposal. While this is (perhaps) a playful exaggeration, it gives you an idea of just how delicious this meal is!
The recipe typically consists of chicken breasts seasoned with Italian spices, cooked to perfection, and then smothered in a creamy, savory sauce. The sauce usually contains sun-dried tomatoes and basil and is known for its bold flavors, satisfying texture, and easy preparation. It’s a popular choice for a romantic dinner at home because even though it’s pretty simple to prepare, it delivers a restaurant-quality result.
Marry Me Chicken Ingredients
Below are a few ingredients worth delving into more detail about:
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil: These tomatoes, jarred in oil and herbs, infuse the sauce with a rich, deep flavor, eliminating the need for many additional ingredients. Rather than selecting dry-packed tomatoes, choose the variety steeped in olive oil. The oil serves double duty for sautéing the chicken, further intensifying the dish’s flavor profile. Another pro tip: look for the julienne-cut tomatoes, which removes the need for extra chopping. A tasty shortcut that ‘cuts’ down your prep time—pun intended! 🙂
- Minced garlic: Freshly minced garlic offers the best flavor, but you can also use pre-minced garlic for convenience.
- Low-sodium chicken broth: As we’ve seasoned the chicken and Parmesan cheese naturally has a good amount of salt, using low-sodium chicken broth allows us to maintain balance and control the overall saltiness of this dish.
- Heavy whipping cream: Cream heightens the dish’s flavor complexity and textural appeal. The fat content imparts a velvety, creamy consistency to the sauce, bringing the flavors together and providing an indulgent mouthfeel. Lower-fat substitutes or non-dairy alternatives just can’t offer the same richness or thickness that heavy cream provides.
- Finely grated Parmesan cheese: Opt for a block of Parmesan cheese and grate it on the small holes of your cheese grater. Gently pack it into your measuring cup and you’re good to go! Avoid jarred Parmesan –it’s too salty and has an overpowering flavor.
- Dijon mustard: Dijon adds a tangy and nuanced flavor to the sauce, which we love. If you aren’t a fan, just leave it out!
- Red pepper flakes: These add a bit of heat to the dish. This ingredient is optional, but a little heat can really elevate the other flavors in this dish. Adjust the amount to suit your personal heat preference.
Preparing The Chicken
Let’s dive deeper into preparing the chicken for this recipe:
- Choosing the chicken: Start with fresh, high-quality boneless, skinless chicken breasts. They should have pink, firm flesh. Aim to get two even-sized, large chicken breasts (just over 1/2 pound each). Let the chicken come up to room temperature before cooking. This helps in even cooking and prevents the chicken from being tough.
- Butterflying the Chicken: This technique involves slicing the chicken breast horizontally into two even pieces that open like a book, resulting in two thinner fillets. It’s important to use a sharp knife and make a steady cut along the thickness of the chicken breast for the best results. Butterflying allows the chicken to cook evenly and absorb the seasonings better due to its increased surface area. And admit it: the chicken does look like a butterfly this way!
- Pounding the chicken: Once butterflied, the chicken pieces may still have uneven thickness. Pounding the chicken helps to even out the thickness, which leads to uniform cooking. It also helps to tenderize the chicken, leading to a more succulent and flavorful result. We don’t really pound it, so much as we smoosh it to make it a uniform thickness. You can use a meat mallet or a rolling pin for this task. Place the chicken pieces between two sheets of plastic wrap or in a zip-lock bag to prevent splattering, and then gently push just until the thickness is evened out.
- Drying the chicken: Before seasoning or cooking, it’s important to pat the chicken dry using paper towels. This step is crucial because excess moisture on the surface of the chicken can hinder the searing process, and you’ll end up with a less-flavorful result. A dry chicken surface ensures a better Maillard reaction, which is a chemical reaction that’s responsible for the browned, flavorful crust on seared meats.
Preparing the Cream Sauce
Here’s a summary of creating the cream sauce for the Marry Me Chicken recipe, complete with some useful tips:
- Garlic and chicken broth: After you’ve seared the chicken and set it aside, you’ll start the sauce in the same pan to take full advantage of the flavor left behind by the chicken. Begin by adding a bit more oil from the sun-dried tomato jar, and then stir in the minced garlic. Be cautious not to burn the garlic in the hot pan! It should only take about 10 seconds before you add in the chicken broth. The broth helps deglaze the pan, releasing those delicious browned bits left from cooking the chicken, which are full of flavor.
- Simmer the sauce: Next, add in the remaining sauce ingredients, but not the basil. Allow the sauce to simmer for a few minutes until the cheese is fully melted and the sauce has thickened to your liking. During this time, the flavors will meld together beautifully. Be sure to stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from burning or sticking to the pan.
- Final adjustments: Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings if needed. You might want to add a bit more salt, pepper, or Italian seasoning, depending on your preference. The sauce is ready when it’s smooth, creamy, and deeply flavorful. Just before serving, stir in the fresh basil leaves. Fresh herbs can lose their flavor if cooked for too long, so adding them at the end ensures that their flavor and vibrant color will be at their peak.
What To Serve With Marry Me Chicken:
Marry Me Chicken is a versatile dish that pairs well with various sides. Here are a few suggestions:
- Pasta: I like to add cooked pasta into the cream sauce right after it’s drained. Toss it with the sauce and reserved pasta water. Once the pasta is nicely emulsified, I add in the diced-up chicken. Toss and devour — it’s so good!
- Rice: Serve it with a side of steamed basmati or jasmine rice to soak up that delicious sauce.
- Potatoes: Mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or smashed potatoes would complement the chicken beautifully.
- Bread: Crusty French bread or a garlic baguette is perfect for sopping up the extra sauce.
- Vegetables: Steamed or roasted vegetables like asparagus, broccoli, or green beans are a healthy addition.
- Salad: A fresh, green garden salad with a light vinaigrette serves as a refreshing counterpoint to the creaminess of the dish, providing balance and adding a touch of freshness to your meal.
- Polenta or grits: Creamy polenta or grits provide a comforting base for the saucy chicken.
- Couscous or quinoa: For a unique grain option, consider couscous or quinoa.
More Easy Chicken Dishes:
- Creamy Chicken with zucchini, mushrooms, and roasted red pepper
- Tomato-Basil Chicken classic Italian flavors
- Baked Chicken Breast perfectly seasoned, tender chicken breasts
- The BEST Blackened Chicken with an incredible seasoning blend
- Creamy Chicken Soup with veggies
Marry Me Chicken
"Marry Me Chicken" boasts succulent chicken breasts seasoned with robust Italian spices, bathed in a rich, creamy sauce infused with tangy sun-dried tomatoes, savory Parmesan, and fragrant garlic. A finishing addition of fresh basil adds vibrancy and freshness, perfectly counterbalancing the creamy sauce. This dish is so irresistibly delicious, it might just elicit a marriage proposal!
Ingredients
- 1.2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 even-sized breasts)
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, separated
- Fine sea salt and pepper
- ½ cup herb and oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, plus surrounding oil (Note 1)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, divided (Note 2)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (Note 3)
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (Note 4)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
- ¾ cup ribboned fresh basil leaves (.75 oz packet)
Instructions
- CHICKEN: Slice each chicken breast in half widthwise to create two thinner pieces. Pound lightly if necessary to ensure even thickness. Combine 1 tsp of Italian seasoning with salt and pepper (I add ½ tsp salt and ¼tsp pepper) and season one side of each chicken piece.
- COOK CHICKEN: Heat 2 tbsp of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken, seasoned side down. Season the other side with the remaining seasoning mixture. Cook undisturbed for about 4 minutes, then flip and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and fully cooked (internal temperature should reach 165 degrees F). Remove chicken from the skillet and cover with foil to keep warm.
- SAUCE: Reduce heat to medium. Add another drizzle of sun-dried tomato oil (~1 tsp) and the garlic. Stir, but don't let burn-- about 10 seconds-- and then add in ½ cup chicken broth. Stir, scraping up browned bits from pan. Let broth simmer for about 1 minute or until mostly evaporated. Add in remaining ½ cup broth, 1 cup cream, ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes (optional--add to spice preference), remaining 1 tsp Italian seasoning, Dijon mustard, and Parmesan. Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is nicely thickened-- about 2-4 minutes. Taste sauce, and adjust seasoning as needed.
- FINISH: Stir through basil leaves and then add chicken (plus any reserved juices on the plate) to pan. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Sun-dried tomatoes in oil: Choose sun-dried tomatoes steeped in olive oil with herbs, rather than the dry-packed ones. The oil is also used for sautéing the chicken, further intensifying the dish's flavor profile. Another pro tip: look for the julienne-cut tomatoes, which removes the need for extra chopping.
Note 2: Low-sodium chicken broth: As we’ve seasoned the chicken and Parmesan cheese naturally has a good amount of salt, using low-sodium chicken broth ensures this dish isn't too salty.
Note 3: Heavy whipping cream: This ingredient heightens the dish's flavor complexity and textural appeal. The fat content imparts a velvety, creamy consistency to the sauce, bringing the flavors together and providing an indulgent mouthfeel. Lower-fat substitutes or non-dairy alternatives unfortunately won't thicken properly in this dish.
Note 4: Finely grated Parmesan cheese: Use a block of Parmesan cheese and grate it on the small holes of your cheese grater. Gently pack it into your measuring cup and you're good to go! Avoid jarred Parmesan--it's too salty and will overpower the flavor!
Nutrition
Calories: 437kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 160mg | Sodium: 392mg | Potassium: 874mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1451IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 183mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious and easy to make!
Thanks so much! 🙂