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    Marry Me Chicken

    Updated August 7, 2025 / By Holly Erickson

    Our easy marry me chicken recipe is simply the best one-pan dinner out there! With succulent chicken breasts, sun-dried tomatoes, and a luscious cream sauce, it’s no wonder it is so beloved.

    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 with herbs, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, and heavy cream. Tender chicken in a creamy sauce, served over pasta or mashed potatoes, it’s such an easy, wow-worthy dinner and it’s on the table in 30 minutes! 

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

    What Is Marry Me Chicken? 

    Legend has it a few food editors were testing this chicken recipe, when one said it was so delicious that they would literally marry it if they could and so they started calling it ‘Marry Me’ Chicken. Then, in 2023, Marry Me Chicken went viral on TikTok, and many variations appeared. I’m 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 this, check out this next-level Marry Me Chicken Pasta, or our Creamy Tarragon Chicken and Chicken à la King, too.  And for more ‘marry me’ fun, try our Marry Me Salmon.

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

     Ingredients For Our Marry Me Chicken Recipe

    • Chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breast have truly never tastes as good as they do when they get the ‘Marry Me’ treatment.
    • Garlic: Plenty of fresh garlic makes the sauce irresistible!
    • Heavy cream : I don’t recommend substituting any other dairy for the heavy cream. It’s really a key ingredient.
    • Parmesan cheese: Grate it yourself with a microplane for the best results. Pre-shredded Parm often has anti-clumping ingredients that make it less likely to melt into a cream sauce like this.
    • Sun-dried tomatoes: Find these at the grocery store near the canned and jarred olives.
    • Italian seasoning
    • Chicken stock: Veggie stock would work fine, if that’s what you have.
    • Chicken bouillon: I like “Better Than Bouillon” or you could use 1 chicken bouillon cube
    • Red pepper flakes: Optional, but I think the little kick of heat is so good with the sun-dried tomato cream sauce.
    • Fresh basil: Fragrant and vibrant, it lifts the heavy flavors of Marry Me Chicken and ties everything together! 
    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 just until they’re crispy on the outside (they don’t need to be cooked through at this point).
    2. Make the creamy Marry Me Chicken sauce. Sauté garlic, stir in cream, stock, bouillon, Parmesan, sun dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes.
    3. Add the chicken to the sauce. (Tongs are your friend!) Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, and cook until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
    4. Serve Marry Me Chicken over comforting carbs. See below for more ideas about what to serve it with. 
    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! 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.- 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 cooking in a skillet made with garlic, cream, parmesan, Italian seasoning and sun-dried tomatoes

    What To Serve With Marry Me Chicken

    • Serve it over pasta, like spaghetti, linguine or homemade pappardelle.  
    • Or over mashed potatoes. Plain or garlic mashed potatoes would both be good! 
    • For a gluten free or low-carb option, serve it over spaghetti squash, zoodles, or with a simple roasted veggie on the side, like roasted cauliflower. 
    marry me chicken in a pan with a wooden spoon made with cream, chicken stock, chicken bouillon, parmesan, garlic, and spices

    How To Store + Freeze Leftovers

    • Leftovers will stay good in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat them gently on the stove top for best results. 
    • You can freeze leftovers if you really need to (better than tossing it!) for up to two months, but be aware that cream sauces like this tend to turn a bit grainy in the freezer and the sauce may separate when you reheat it. Just reheat it as gently as you can. 
    marry me chicken in a pan with a wooden spoon made with cream, chicken stock, chicken bouillon, parmesan, garlic, and spices

    Optional Variations

    • Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts. Note that you may need to adjust cooking time slightly. 
    • When I have them, sometimes I love to add sautéed mushrooms to the cream sauce.
    • For an extra veggie boost, stir in fresh or frozen spinach. 

    More Delicious Chicken Breast Recipes

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

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    Marry Me Chicken Recipe

    Updated August 7, 2025

    By Holly Erickson

    • Serves:  4
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  30 min
    • Calories:  419
    Print Recipe
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    Description

    Our easy marry me chicken recipe is simply the best one-pan dinner out there! With succulent chicken breasts, sun-dried tomatoes, and a luscious cream sauce, it’s no wonder it is so beloved.

    Ingredients

    • 4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, about 2 pounds
    • 1 ½ 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 breasts dry with paper towels. Season all over with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the chicken and cook, undisturbed, 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

    2. Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic to the same skillet. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the heavy cream, chicken stock, bouillon, ¼ cup of the Parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, black pepper, red pepper flakes (if using), and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Whisk until combined and smooth.

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

    3. Return the seared chicken to the skillet, nestling it into the sauce. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the sauce has thickened slightly and the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 8 to 10 minutes.

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

    4. Remove from heat and top the chicken with the fresh basil and remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle with additional red pepper flakes, if desired. 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
    • Calories 419
    • Protein 55 g
    • Carbohydrates 7 g
    • Total Fat 18 g
    • Dietary Fiber 1 g
    • Cholesterol 181 mg
    • Sodium 605 mg
    • Total Sugars 3 g

    Marry Me Chicken

    Questions & Reviews

    Rated 5 stars by 108 readers

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    • Kate

      Anything I could substitute in place of the chicken bouillon to maintain the flavor?

      Hi Kate, You could use a bouillon cube or powdered bouillon but we recommend using some sort of bouillon so you don't lose any flavor.

    • Tayler

      How much is a serving?

      A serving size would be one of the chicken breasts. sorry we don't have an exact sauce measurement at this time.

    • Sherrill

      Can you substitute capers for salt

      You are welcome to add capers but we don't recommend using them in place of salt.

    • Sandra

      Can I substitute whole milk for the heavy cream?

      The sauce will not be quite as thick and creamy but it will work out ok.

    • Lorraine

      Can this recipe be frozen and then cooked in the slow cooker. Would the cream split.

      We haven't tried it but we thin if you thaw it in the fridge first it should be ok. You might want to check on it and stir it a few times through out the reheating process in the slow cooker.

    • Marilyn

      Sorry, I just saw that you answered that question. But I would like to know if I could make the sauce ahead of time and refrigerate. Then just before my guests arrive, I could brown the chicken, put it in a oven safe dish and warm it in the oven until the chicken reaches 165. Do you recommend this or should I make the entire dish and reheat. I just don't want the chicken to be dry.

      Make the entire dish then reheat. You never watch to half cook chicken then continue cooking it later. Always fully cook chicken then reheat. Hope you enjoy!

    • Paige

      I'm very excited to try this recipe for Christmas! Can I make anything ahead of time? Thanks!

      You can make it in advance and store it in an air tight container in the fridge. To reheat, you can gently warm it on the stovetop until the chicken reaches 165F internal temperature again. You might need to add some water or cream to loosen the sauce.

    • Natalie

      Can I cook this in the oven?

      Sure!

    • Hayley

      What if you dont have Parmesan what other cheese can you use ?

      We think Parmesan is best, it could be subbed for romano but it will change the flavor a bit.

    • Samantha

      Can I substitute the chicken breast for skinless boneless chicken thighs?

      Yes, cook time might take a bit longer though so make sure to check the temp before serving.

    • Lisa

      5-star rating

      This recipe is fantastic! So flavorful. I am definitely making it again. Thanks for sharing!
      I served it with cheesy cornmeal grits on the side. Delicious!

      Thanks Lisa, so happy you loved it!

    • Veronica

      5-star rating

      Excellent! Better than a restaurant! I omitted the tsp of chicken bullion and only used a sprinkling of salt over the raw chicken, but otherwise followed the recipe. I mixed in cooked rice when we were ready to eat. Absolutely delicious. Fantastic recipe, thank you for posting! (I sliced my chicken breasts in half horizontally since they were so thick). This is fail proof. This is going in my rotation for sure!

      Thanks Veronica, so happy you loved it!

    • Sophie

      5-star rating

      Best chicken recipe ever!!! Thank you

      THANKS SOPHIE!

    • Nancy

      5-star rating

      This recipe is delicious! I did half heavy cream and half half-and-half, and it turned out great. Just let it rest for a few minutes and it will thicken up very nicely. The only thing I will do next time is eliminate the salt altogether. I feel between the Parmesan cheese and the sun-dried tomatoes, that would allow me to eliminate the salt. Will definitely make this recipe again!

      Thanks Nancy, so glad you loved it!

    • Erin

      5-star rating

      Amazing! My 2 year old loved it too. So easy to throw together. Cant wait to make again

      Thanks Erin, we are so glad you all loved it!

    • Michelle

      5-star rating

      Delicious! I wouldn't change anything!

      Thanks Michelle, we are so happy you loved it!

    • murray

      5-star rating

      swe

    • Jules

      5-star rating

      WOW. This was very good. Lives up to the name, but was also so good to make in one pan. Very easy to clean up and cook. I use lao gan ma crispy chilli oil bc we have no red pepper flakes, and I think that was nice with it.

      Thanks, we are so happy you loved it!

    • Lisa

      5-star rating

      I'm so hungry after reading the recipe and cooking directions.

      haha you'll be very happy after you eat it. This is one of our favorites!

    • Christal

      5-star rating

      I have made this recipe so many times I have lost count. I sear the breasts in the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes packed in herb oil. This gives the sauce a nice herb flavor and color. Sometimes I throw in some fresh spinach or even frozen peas. I serve it with about everything! Spinach linguini tossed with EVO, toasted pine nuts and fresh grated parmesan, or sometimes with a side of couscous. Everyone asks for the recipe. It is easy to make and presents so beautifully. Great recipe.

      Thanks Christal, we are so glad you love it!

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