My marry me chicken recipe is creamy, dreamy, and downright irresistible. It is the kind of chicken dinner that gets people talking… and maybe even proposing.
Tender chicken breasts simmered in a rich cream sauce loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and parmesan. It’s the kind of flavor profile that makes an ordinary weeknight feel like a special occasion.
Marry Me Chicken is a newer addition to the lineup of popular chicken dishes, but it’s already earned legendary status. It was first whipped up by the folks at Delish in 2016. During a taste test, someone exclaimed, “I’d marry you for this chicken!”—and just like that, the name stuck.
After one taste, you’ll understand how this dish got its name.
This recipe hits all the right notes – creamy, savory, a little tangy, and packed with rich flavor.
Sun-dried tomatoes and garlic build deep flavor, while parmesan and heavy cream make it pure, cozy comfort food.
It’s easy enough for a weeknight dinner but impressive enough for special occasions or date night at home.
Made with simple ingredients, you won’t need a culinary degree to create this delicious dish—just a skillet, a little love, and maybe a glass of Pinot Grigio for the chef.
Serve this Marry Me Chicken alongside our warm homemade garlic bread recipe or a crisp cucumber tomato salad for a restaurant-quality meal right at home.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients needed to make our Mary Me Chicken recipe. Culinary professionals call this the Mise en Place, which means “Everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also helps ensure you have all of the ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Change Up the Recipe?
Absolutely—there’s plenty of wiggle room here if you want to adjust based on what you have on hand or ingredients that you enjoy eating.
We made the recipe with skinless chicken breasts, but you can use skinless chicken thighs for a juicier bite and even more flavor. Just be sure the internal temperature reaches 165°F for safe and juicy chicken.
For a tangier kick, replace the parmesan cheese with pecorino romano; you’ll get a sharper, saltier edge that works beautifully with the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce.
If you’re out of heavy cream, a mix of cream cheese and a splash of chicken broth is a lighter option that still delivers that rich flavor.
Want to give the sauce a little elegance? Swap the chicken broth with a splash of Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc for extra depth of flavor.
Fresh oregano and basil are ideal for that burst of garden-fresh flavor, but Italian seasoning is the best option from your spice rack if you don’t have them on hand.
While sun-dried tomatoes bring big flavor, fresh cherry tomatoes or even diced fresh tomatoes can do the job, just cook them down first so they blend nicely into the cream sauce.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to see how to make marry me chicken in your home kitchen.
- Preheat your oven to 375°F so it’s ready to go once your sauce is done.
- Pat the boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry. If they’re thick, give them a quick pound with a meat mallet so they cook evenly.
- Add all-purpose flour, table salt, and black pepper to a shallow dish.
- Mix to combine.
- Dredge the chicken pieces to give them a light, even coating.
- Heat a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, then lay the floured chicken in a single layer.
- Sear each side for 3–4 minutes until golden brown. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
- In the same pan, melt the butter over medium heat, then add chopped sweet onions. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the minced garlic and sauté for about a minute until it smells delicious. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Pour in the chicken broth and bring it to a gentle boil. Let it pull up all that rich flavor from the bottom of the pan.
- Stir in the heavy cream and bring it to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to medium.
- Add grated Parmesan cheese to the mixture.
- Stir until the sauce is creamy and smooth.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, fresh oregano, and basil.
- Stir well to combine everything into a flavorful sauce.
- Return the seared chicken to the skillet, coating it in the creamy sauce.
- Place the pan on the center rack of the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Garnish with chopped fresh basil and serve hot with your favorite artisan bread recipe, green beans, or olive oil pasta.
You can prep the chicken and sauce a day ahead. But wait until you’re ready to serve the dish before combining them and baking.
Our Marry Me Chicken is the perfect dish for a quiet weeknight meal or to celebrate a special occasion.
After one bite, you’ll understand why so many people call this their favorite recipe of all time.
Leftovers should be stored refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-4 days. Freezing is not recommended since the cream sauce can separate and change texture when thawed.
To reheat, warm it gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of chicken stock or cream to loosen up the sauce.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but sear the chicken first for that golden brown crust, then transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on low for 3-4 hours until tender.
Chicken pasta dishes like this pair beautifully with penne, fettuccine, or even orzo – something that can soak up all that creamy sauce.
You can use leftover chicken, but the flavor profile won’t be quite as rich since it skips the searing step that builds depth at the bottom of the pan.
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Marry Me Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ – 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 4-5 breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream room temperature
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes -sliced
- 2 tablespoons garlic -minced
- 1 cup sweet onions -chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano -chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil -chopped
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- fresh basil chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Remove the chicken breasts from their packaging and pat dry with a paper towel. *If the chicken is thick, pound it to flatten using a meat mallet.
- Add the all-purpose flour, table salt, and black pepper to a shallow dish. Mix to combine.
- Dredge the chicken breast in the flour mixture.
- Place a large oven-safe cast iron pan (or frying pan) over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and then the floured chicken breasts. t
- Brown the chicken breasts for 3-4 minutes. Then, turn it over and brown the other side for 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside while you make the sauce.
- Add one tablespoon of butter to the pan. When the butter has melted, add the chopped onions, stir to coat the onions with butter, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook for about 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add the chicken broth to the pan and bring to a boil.
- Add the heavy cream to the pan and stir to combine. Bring the sauce to a light boil and lower the heat to medium.
- Add the grated Parmesan cheese, stirring to combine.
- Add the sliced sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, fresh oregano, and fresh basil to the sauce. Stir to combine.
- Place the chicken back into the pan. Turn to caot the pieces with the sauce.
- Place the skillet on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Garnish with fresh chopped basil and serve.
Ofelia G-E says
I made this last night using skin on, bone-in thighs and followed the suggestion to swap out the broth for dry white wine except I used a full cup – BIG MISTAKE! Since I was boiling some fettuccini, I used the pasta water to tone down the heavily flavored wine sauce and success! Hubby really liked the recipe and will make again but I’ll reduce the amount of dried sun tomatoes (too tangy for my taste buds). Another great recipe from Chef Dennis. Thank you for sharing.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe even with the extra wine.
debbie jacksonville TAWES says
if you’d like to serve this over noodles would you double the sauce? thank you!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I don’t think you need to double the sauce, maybe just half more.
Jennifer Lendrum says
Absolutely delicious!