This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
30 min dinner! Juiciest chicken with a rich, ultra-creamy sun-dried tomato Parmesan cream sauce. So good it will prompt a marriage proposal!
Why you’ll love this marry me chicken recipe
- So much flavor. Marry me chicken includes a velvety, dreamy sun-dried tomato parmesan cream sauce spooned over the juiciest, golden-brown pan-seared chicken.
- Speedy comfort food. The entire dish comes together in just 30 minutes – it’s warm, it’s cozy, and it’s restaurant-quality, best served with all the crusty bread to sop up all the saucy bits!
- Perfect for all occasions. Marry me chicken is perfect for a quick weeknight family meal, a romantic night for two, or for weekend company for a crowd-pleasing dinner with minimal effort.
What is marry me chicken?
“Marry Me Chicken” is a viral chicken dish that was so good, it initiated a marriage proposal, quickly becoming the ultimate go-to romantic dinner. The dish typically consists of pan-seared chicken with a rich, cream sauce made with:
- Chicken stock
- Heavy cream
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Parmesan
- Basil
Is marry me chicken and tuscan chicken the same thing?
These two dishes are actually very similar, including a rich sun-dried tomato cream sauce, but they also have a few key differences.
- Heat. Marry Me Chicken includes red pepper flakes for a kick of heat.
- Basil. Tuscan Chicken typically includes spinach, whereas Marry Me Chicken omits the greens and adds basil instead.
How to make marry me chicken
- Prep the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. If using chicken breasts, pound the chicken to 1/2-inch thickness.
- Cook the chicken. Sear the chicken until a nice golden-brown crust forms, letting it cook undisturbed for 4-5 minutes per side. Cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Set aside.
- Cook the aromatics. Cook the tomato paste, garlic, oregano, thyme, and red pepper flakes until fragrant.
- Add the flour. Stir in the flour until browned – this will serve as a premium thickening agent for the cream sauce. Cooking the flour also eliminates that raw flour taste.
- Deglaze the pan. Stir in the wine, deglazing the pan by scraping up all of the browned bits stuck to the bottom of the Dutch oven. Chicken stock can be substituted for the wine.
- Make the sauce. Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, and sun-dried tomatoes. Heavy cream will result in that luxurious creaminess whereas half-and-half (or whole milk) will be lighter but watery.
- Simmer. Simmer until slightly thickened, adding additional stock if the mixture is too thick.
- Add the finishing touches. Add the Parmesan, basil and cooked chicken.
- Serve. Garnish with parsley and serve over pasta, mashed potatoes or rice with crusty bread.
How to serve marry me chicken
Serve with a starchy base to soak up all the richness and creaminess of the sauce.
- Pasta: Spaghetti, fettuccine, rigatoni, penne, or even cheese tortellini
- Potatoes: mashed potatoes, smashed potatoes, or potato wedges
- Grains: white rice, brown rice, or orzo to soak up the sauce
- Bread: crusty bread, garlic knots, or dinner rolls
More favorited creamy chicken recipes
- Chicken Divan
- Creamy Chicken Marsala
- Creamy Chicken and Gnocchi
- Parmesan Lemon Chicken
- Creamy Chicken and Cauliflower
Tools For This Recipe
Dutch oven
Marry Me Chicken: Frequently Asked Questions
The chicken dish is just so good, it will prompt anyone who eats it to propose!
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here, but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken (and are much more forgiving when overcooked!). If using chicken breasts, gently pound the chicken to 1/2-inch thickness for even cooking without drying out.
Heavy cream is the gold standard due to its high fat content, yielding that luxurious, rich, and velvety texture. Half-and-half can certainly be used but may result in a thin sauce.
Heavy cream will thicken as it simmers. If the sauce is too thin, let it simmer for longer until the desired consistency is reached. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of chicken stock.
This can be served with anything that can soak up the sauce – pasta, mashed potatoes, rice, and crusty bread are all solid options.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezing is not recommended as cream sauces tend to separate and become grainy when thawed.
Marry Me Chicken
Equipment
-
Dutch Oven
-
Instant Read Thermometer
Ingredients
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 8 chopped fresh basil leaves
Instructions
-
Season chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
-
Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, add chicken to the Dutch oven in a single layer and cook until golden brown and cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 4-5 minutes per side; set aside.
-
Stir in tomato paste, garlic, oregano, thyme and red pepper flakes until fragrant, about 1 minute.
-
Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
-
Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven.
-
Stir in chicken stock, heavy cream and sun-dried tomatoes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
-
Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened and flavors have blended, about 5 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more stock as needed.
-
Stir in Parmesan and basil. Return chicken to the Dutch oven.
-
Serve warm.
Notes
- Tomato paste adds so much flavor. Tomato paste is a key ingredient in Marry Me Chicken, adding body and richness in small amounts without adding too much liquid to the dish. Opt for tomato paste in a tube, using up only what you need at a time without having to open up a whole can.
- Choose a wine you will drink. A dry white wine (pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc) is great here – it does not have to be anything fancy or overpriced. Just something you don’t mind sipping on since you will have an open bottle.
- Deglaze with wine. This is key to scraping up all the browned, caramelized bits stuck to the bottom of the pan (called fond) after searing the chicken. This is where all the flavor is!
- Use heavy cream. Half-and-half (or whole milk) can be used, if needed, but heavy cream will yield the ultimate level of creaminess, whereas lower-fat dairy products (half-and-half or milk) will be a little more watery and prone to curdling.
- Use dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes. These will be soft and brightly colored without being overly greasy (also great for snacking!).
- Freshly grated Parmesan goes a long way. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can make the sauce gritty. Grate fresh Parmesan (using a microplane) for a smooth, velvety consistency.
- Let it simmer and reduce. Let the sauce simmer gently until it coats the back of a spoon.