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    Marry Me Chicken

    June 12, 2024

    Succulent chicken breasts, sun-dried tomatoes, and a luscious cream sauce — our easy marry me chicken recipe is simply the best one-pan, 30-minute dinner out there!

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    marry me chicken in a pan with a wooden spoon made with cream, chicken stock, chicken bouillon, parmesan, garlic, and spices
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    Marry Me Chicken is a quick and easy chicken breast recipe — we’re talking a wow-worthy dinner on the table in 30 minutes — with herbs, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and heavy cream. Legend has it, a few magazine food editors were testing this recipe, when one said it was so delicious that they would literally marry it, if they could! Then, in 2023, Marry Me Chicken went viral on TikTok, and many variations appeared. We’re not sure that our marry me chicken recipe will land you an engagement, but it will win you rave reviews!

    If you love easy, creamy, one-pan chicken recipes like our easy Marry Me chicken, check out our Creamy Tarragon Chicken and Chicken à la King, too.

    olive oil, chicken, salt, garlic, cream, chicken stock & bouillon, parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, and spices on the counter

    Ingredients For Our Marry Me Chicken Recipe

    • Chicken breasts - We use boneless, skinless here, but boneless, skinless thighs also work. Feel free to pound the chicken breast a little thinner so they cook more quickly and evenly.

    • Garlic - 3 cloves is what we call for, but as always 1-2 will be plenty, but there's always room for 4-6 if you love garlic.

    • Heavy cream - We don't recommend subbing the heavy cream here. It's what creates the luscious, creamy sauce.

    • Parmesan cheese - This will also help thicken and flavor the sauce. We always recommend freshly grated, because the pre-grated has anti clumping agents in it that will not melt in with your sauce as well.

    • Sun-dried tomatoes - These are gonna get chopped up, so feel free to get the halves if you want, also we love the ones packed in oil.

    • Italian seasoning - If you don't have this on hand, you can always swap with a little dried thyme.

    • Chicken stock - Store bought or homemade, both work well.

    • Chicken bouillon - We like “Better Than Bouillon” or you could use 1 chicken bouillon cube, crushed.

    • Red pepper flakes (optional) - This just adds a little heat, skip it if you want.

    • Salt, pepper and olive oil

    • Fresh basil - You could also top with some fresh minced parsley if that's all you have on hand, but we love the taste of fresh basil, nothing compares.

    chicken breasts seasoned with salt being seared in olive oil in a skillet
    garlic, heavy cream, chicken stock, bouillon, parmesan, sun dried tomatoes and spices being cooked in a skillet

    How To Make The Best Marry Me Chicken

    1. Brown the chicken breasts in a bit of oil in a large skillet (affiliate link) just until they’re a little crispy on the outside (they don’t need to be cooked through at this point). Set them aside.

    2. Make the creamy Marry Me Chicken sauce. Sauté a bit of garlic, stir in heavy cream, stock, bouillon, Parmesan, sun dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.

    3. Add the chicken to the sauce. Tongs (affiliate link) are your friend! Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer (affiliate link).

    4. Serve Marry Me Chicken over comforting carbs, like Creamy Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes, or try with Classic Mashed Potatoes. People love to have Marry Me Chicken with pasta, too — try serving it over spaghetti or Linguine. For more easy weeknight chicken recipes to mix up your routine, try our Rosemary Chicken or hearty Stuffed Chicken Breasts!

    marry me chicken cooking in a skillet made with garlic, cream, parmesan, Italian seasoning and sun-dried tomatoes

    What People Are Saying About This Recipe

    • This recipe is absolutely amazing! Soooo good. It tasted like we were at a top rated Italian restaurant. We had it with the garlic roasted potatoes and it was definitely a favorite! Will make this next time we have company! - Kris

    • Wonderful dish! There are a lot of Marry Me Chicken recipes floating around, all similar, but this one looked the best to me, especially with the addition of red pepper flakes. I made the right choice in recipes. - Diane

    • I absolutely loved it and so did my dinner guests. Easy to follow recipe with no fuss. Once I had combined all the ingredients together I cooked mine in my slow cooker, it was absolutely delicious, and went great with the mashed potato. This will become one of my favorite dinner party main course recipes. - Elaine

    marry me chicken in a pan with a wooden spoon made with cream, chicken stock, chicken bouillon, parmesan, garlic, and spices

    More Delicious Chicken Breast Recipes

    We make A LOT of chicken in our own homes. Here are 4 of our favorite chicken breast recipes, but you can also find more inspiration in our 60 Best Chicken Breast Recipes roundup.

    Say ‘Yes’ To Our Marry Me Chicken & Keep Going!

    For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

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    Marry Me Chicken

    Updated on June 12, 2024

    • Serves: 4
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  30 min
    • Calories: 419
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    Ingredients

    • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 pounds)
    • 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 3 garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • ½ cup chicken stock
    • 1 teaspoon chicken flavor “Better Than Bouillon” (or 1 chicken bouillon cube)
    • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
    • 1 (7-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
    • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
    • ¼ cup thinly sliced fresh basil leaves
    • Cooked pasta or mashed potatoes, for serving (optional)

    Method

    1. Pat the chicken dry. Season all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt.

      olive oil, chicken, salt, garlic, cream, chicken stock & bouillon, parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, and spices on the counter

    2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the chicken and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

      chicken breasts seasoned with salt being seared in olive oil in a skillet

    3. To the same skillet, add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in heavy cream, chicken stock, bouillon, ¼ cup of the parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, pepper, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt until combined.

      garlic, heavy cream, chicken stock, bouillon, parmesan, sun dried tomatoes and spices being cooked in a skillet

    4. Return the chicken to the skillet. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low. Cook until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 5-8 more minutes.

      marry me chicken cooking in a skillet made with garlic, cream, parmesan, Italian seasoning and sun-dried tomatoes

    5. Top the chicken with basil, remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese, and remaining red pepper flakes. Serve over pasta or mashed potatoes, if desired.

      marry me chicken cooking in a skillet made with garlic, cream, parmesan, Italian seasoning and sun-dried tomatoes

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories419
    • Protein55 g
    • Carbohydrates7 g
    • Total Fat18 g
    • Dietary Fiber1 g
    • Cholesterol181 mg
    • sodium605 mg
    • Total Sugars3 g

    Marry Me Chicken

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Christina

      I am wondering how long the chicken takes to cook without a thermometer.. I did every step but no thermometer and it's been 10 min and still little pink inside?I did brown it first

      You'll want to cook it until there is no more pink inside.

    • Allie

      Is there a way to reduce the fat? Can I substitute the heavy cream for something lighter but keep the creaminess?

      It won't get as thick using whole milk or lighter milk etc.. You could use canned coconut milk in place that tends to thicken up a bit more similarly to heavy cream.

    • Ali

      Hello! I am really excited to try this recipe here in the UK, but just wondered if you could please tell me how many grams would be in a cup in your recipe? Also the 7oz jar? I have Googled but the answers differ quite a lot! Thank you! Ali x

      We aren't as familiar with grams but from googling the conversions this is what we found. 1 cup heavy cream = 252 grams. 1/2 cup chicken stock = 120grams. 1/2 cup grated Parm = 45 grams. Not sure how your jars of sundried tomatoes are labeled but ours is 7 oz (198 grams) hope this helps!

    • Kay

      How can I make the sauce thicker. I added more parmesan but it didn't work well.

      If you want it thicker you could make a flour slurry. Whisk together equal parts flour and cold water in a cup or small bowl. Once you've whisked the flour and water into a smooth slurry, stir the slurry into the cream sauce 1 teaspoon at a time.

    • Jeanne

      Planning to serve this dish for a dinner party. Could I prepare ahead and place in a Pyrex dish to keep warm in the oven so I can enjoy time with my guest before dinner?
      Thank you

      That should work just fine. Just use the lowest temperature your oven has available. Hope you enjoy Jeanne!

    • Jenn

      Couldn’t taste any better! All 4 of us loved it!! I had a little extra chicken so just added a little more of everything and it was DEE-LISH!!

      Thanks Jenn, so happy you all loved it!

    • Kathy

      I made this for my family last week. The last 5 minutes, I added sliced mushrooms, spinach, and al dente Orecchiette pasta before the final toppings. My family loved it. My husband said it was as good as we'd get at a restaurant. My daughter said, put it on a recipe card so we don't lose it. It really was the best. I had all my ingredients measured and ready to go, so it really came together easily.

      Thanks Kathy, so glad you and your family loved it!

    • Bri

      Fantastic recipe! My husband loved this dish and it was easy to make. I doubled the chicken. I will definitely make this again.

      Thanks Bri, so happy you loved it!

    • CARMEN

      Divine! You guys did it again! Used chicken tenderloins and doubled the sauce to have enough to cover pasta. Came out amazing. Plenty of sauce. A perfect weeknight comfort meal.

      Thanks Carmen, so happy you loved it!!

    • Melissa

      Amazing! Made this tonight with some mashed potatoes and broccoli salad. Instead of cooking the chicken in the pan we grilled them on the BBQ and then added it into the sauce while it simmered. We loved it and will be making this again for an easy dinner!

      Thanks Melissa, so glad you love it!