Marry Me Chicken
This saucy dish boasts pan-seared chicken in a dreamy, creamy sauce that’s scented with herbs and parmesan cheese, and speckled with sun dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes. This is the ultimate, one-pan, weeknight meal – whether you’re seeking a proposal or not!
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
This one pan meal is as elegant as it is easy
Marry me chicken is satiny and rich, so it might seem like something that should be reserved for special occasions. But that’s completely not true! It’s easy to put together, made with everyday ingredients, and ready in under 30 minutes! That makes the dish perfect for busy weeknights and romantic dinners for two.
How did marry me chicken get its name?
I found two answers here, both equally fun to consider. The first legend states that a few magazine food editors were testing this recipe when one stated that they would “literally marry the dish if they could”. The second legend is simply put: This chicken dinner is so good that if you make it for your partner, a marriage proposal will follow.
What kind of chicken should you use?
For this dish, I used thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can find the chicken pre-sliced, or you can purchase regular chicken breasts and halve them through the middle, making thinner cutlets. Marry me chicken can also be made with boneless skinless chicken thighs.
How should you serve this marry me chicken?
This creamy sauce is so delicious, you’ll want to serve something on the side to soak it up. I served buttered noodles on the side, but other great choices include rice, mashed potatoes, bread, or your favorite cooked grain. And definitely bring a spoon, so you can scoop up every drop.
Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 2 larger (8-ounce) chicken breasts halved through the middle to create 4 thin cutlets
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced, or 1 teaspoon pre-minced garlic
- 3/4 cup chicken stock, or chicken broth
- 1/4 cup oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Fresh basil leaves for serving
Instructions
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt and black pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish, add the chicken and turn to coat. Shake off excess flour.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the garlic to the same skillet and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the sun dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning and return to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream and parmesan cheese.
- Return the chicken to the pan with any accumulated juices from the plate. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce reduces (you can simmer the chicken for up to 20 minutes if you’re busy with side dishes).
- Garnish with basil (if using) and serve with extra parmesan cheese on the side.