Marry Me Chicken

This easy Marry Me Chicken recipe features tender chicken breasts nestled in the most irresistible, lush, and creamy sun-dried tomato sauce ready in under 30 minutes.

I can’t resist a saucy chicken recipe, especially when the sauce is so good I want to drink it. Full disclosure, yes I have. Recipes like my Dijon chicken, creamy lemon chicken breasts and mushrooms, and honey mustard chicken are creamy, comforting, and always a family favorite dinner-time hit. Add to the list this Marry Me Chicken recipe — my take on the viral TikTok recipe. Also known as “Tuscan chicken”, this recipe shows off tender chicken breasts simmered in a rich and creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. To complement the sun-dried tomatoes, I add shallots and a touch of tomato paste to amp up the acidity in the robust sauce. I also add spinach for more nutrition and basil for fresh flavor. Marriage proposal lore aside, this dish is simple to make and absolutely delicious. I guarantee the hype is real.

What Is Marry Me Chicken Made Of?

Marry Me Chicken calls for just a few simple ingredients to create a rich, luxuriously addictive sauce that’s surprisingly easy and fast to make.

Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts (sliced in half length-wise so they’re thinner and cook faster)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Shallot
• Garlic
• Italian seasoning
• Red pepper flakes
• Tomato paste
• Sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
• Chicken stock
• Heavy cream (don’t be tempted to use half-and-half or milk as the sauce won’t properly thicken)
• Parmesan cheese (grate your own instead of using the pre-grated stuff so it melts easily)
• Baby spinach
• Fresh basil (optional, but I like the flavor and the extra pop of green it lends)

How to Make Marry Me Chicken

This Marry Me Chicken recipe is easy to make and takes only about 20-25 minutes to cook. Some recipes have you dredge the chicken in flour, though I don’t find that’s necessary as the sauce is plenty thick without it.

Here’s how to make it:

• Prep your chicken. Slice the boneless chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make two thinner scallops. Making the chicken breasts thinner helps them cook faster. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
• Brown the chicken. Butter is what gives the seared chicken its golden glow. Olive oil raises the butter’s smoke point so it doesn’t burn. Using the two together makes the perfect seared combination. Melt the butter and oil in a large pan, and brown the chicken breasts on both sides (about 3-5 min for each). Set them aside because they’ll finish cooking in the sauce.

Make the Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce

• Build your sauce. Sauté the shallot, garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes for 1 minute or until fragrant, stirring so the garlic doesn’t burn. Add the tomato paste and continue stirring for another minute, coating the shallot and garlic.
• Make the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock then add the cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Simmer for 3-5 minutes to reduce the sauce. Stir the spinach into the sauce.
• Finish cooking the chicken in the sauce. Nestle the chicken breasts back into the sauce. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165°F on a meat thermometer.
• Spoon up that sauce! Spoon the sun-dried tomato sauce over the chicken breasts and top with the basil and more Parmesan cheese. Taste and add more salt or red pepper flakes if desired. 

What Is Marry Me Chicken?

Word is that this viral chicken dish originated from a Delish editor who created a recipe and video for a Tuscan-style chicken dish. Her video producer took a bite and said, “I’d marry you for that chicken.” The video went viral and thus the dish got its name. However, it’s not to be confused with the popular “Engagement Chicken,” a roast chicken recipe from a former fashion editor, published in Glamour Magazine, in 2004.

Tips and FAQs

• Slice boneless chicken breasts in half lengthwise for faster cooking.
• Use dehydrated sun-dried tomatoes instead of those packed in oil. To rehydrate, soak the sun-dried tomatoes in boiling water for 5 minutes then drain and press out any water.
• Instead of chicken stock, whisk 1 teaspoon of Better than Bouillon Roasted Chicken Base in 1 cup of boiling water.
• Avoid using light cream or whole milk. Heavy cream thickens the sauce best.

What to Serve with Marry Me Chicken

I serve Marry Me Chicken over buttery Parmesan noodles, zoodles, rice, or creamy polenta, with a salad or veggie. Here are some ideas:

• Roasted Asparagus
• The BEST Garlic Bread
• Sautéed Spinach with Garlic
• The BEST Creamy Mashed Potatoes
• Arugula Salad with Shaved Parmesan
• Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons
• THE BEST Kale Salad with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on this recipe below and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram with #foodiecrusheats.

5 from 4 votes

Marry Me Chicken

This easy Marry Me Chicken recipe features tender chicken breasts nestled in a lush and creamy sun-dried tomato sauce ready in under 30 minutes.

Print SaveSaved!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Keyword marry me chicken

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 567kcal

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts , each breast sliced in half lengthwise to create two thinner cutlets
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil , divided
• 1 large shallot , minced
• 3 large cloves garlic , minced or pressed
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil , drained well and chopped
• ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 cups baby spinach
• ¼ cup fresh basil , roughly chopped

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

• Season both sides of the chicken breasts with the kosher salt and the black pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the butter with the olive oil over medium-high. Add the chicken in a single layer and brown for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a large plate (the chicken will continue cooking in the sauce later).
• To the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of butter. Add the shallot, garlic, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute, stirring so the garlic doesn't burn. Add the tomato paste and continue to stir for another minute. Add the chicken stock and stir to deglaze the skillet, picking up the flavor bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. Cook for 3-4 minutes to reduce the sauce.
• Stir in the spinach, then nestle the chicken breasts back into the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 4 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Top with the basil, and more Parmesan cheese if desired. Taste and add more salt or red pepper flakes to taste. Serve warm.

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 42g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 198mg | Sodium: 1099mg | Potassium: 1055mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1572IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 130mg | Iron: 2mg

More Creamy Chicken Dinners You’ll Love

• Dijon Chicken
• Honey Mustard Chicken
• The Best Easy Chicken Marsala
• Creamy Lemon Chicken Breasts and Mushrooms
• Easy Chicken Breasts with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

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