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So good it’ll make everyone want to marry you… that’s really how good Marry Me Chicken is! And even you’re not in the market for a proposal, your diners will certainly love you a little bit more after you’ve dished this beauty of a chicken dinner up.
I’ve been wanting to try create my own version of this recipe after it was all over Pinterest for years, then later went viral on Tik Tok. But where would I start with Marry Me Chicken?!
I looked at maybe 20 versions online, and according to Today, the name for this chicken-in-a-vaguely-Italian-style-cream-sauce was coined by American food publication Delish, because it was even better than Ina Garten’s much-loved ‘Engagement Roast Chicken’ recipe (national foodie treasure in the US).
All of the recipes had in common using chicken, cream, sun dried tomatoes and parmesan. I made a couple of tweaks for my own version, which, dare I say, make it even better?! Please try it and let me know if you agree!
My take on Marry Me Chicken:
⭐️ I’ve added sun dried tomatoes earlier in the process so they kind of melt a little into the sauce. I tested both ways and this felt much tastier than adding later.
⭐️ I used oregano rather than thyme, as I feel the light flavour works better here.
⭐️ I coated the chicken breasts in flour to thicken the sauce slightly (not all of the recipes I looked at do this).
⭐️ I used the juice of half a lemon at the end, just to ‘lift’ the sauce from being too rich. Do taste it yourself and decide if you feel you need it.
What else I have to say about Marry Me Chicken!
As a modern-day feminist, I’m not entirely sure about the title of this recipe. Are we still saying that marriage is the ultimate goal in life?! To be honest, the chicken is so good that I’m not going to get bogged down with what is essentially a catchy title to try and convey just how delicious this pan-fried chicken dish is.
AND ANOTHER THING!… I’m not normally a huge fan of cream sauces as they can be so heavy, but this uses one small pot of cream and the impact is huge. Really – it’s so worth it.
Marry Me Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – Skinless and boneless.
- Plain flour
- Olive oil
- Garlic – Fresh or shortcut-type is fine
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Dried oregano
- Paprika
- Double cream – Heavy cream in the USA.
- Chicken stock– Made from a cube is fine.
- Parmesan cheese – Finely grated.
- Fresh basil leaves
- Lemon – We just want the juice.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
How to make Marry Me Chicken
1. Coat the chicken in flour.
2. Heat oil in a pan and carefully add the chicken. Brown on each side.
3. Turn the heat down and add garlic, sun dried tomatoes, oregano and paprika to the pan. Cook as per the recipe below.
4. Add the cream, stock, parmesan and salt and pepper. Stir and add the chicken. Put the lid on and cook as per the recipe below.
Hint: Once you’re sure the chicken is cooked through, remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle over the basil and a squeeze of lemon.
What sides to serve with Marry Me Chicken
- Colcannon
- Roast parsnips
- Rice
- Boulangere Potatoes
- Couscous
- Parmentier potatoes
- Green veg – lots of green veg!
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Reheat fully in the microwave or covered in the oven before serving.
In the freezer Creamy sauces don’t freeze overly well and the chicken would be a little dry when you’re reheating it from frozen, however I wouldn’t let it go to waste. If freezing is your best option, do it, but manage your expectations for when you reheat it. Adding it to pasta as a sauce might be nice though.
Top tips
Cooking times
How long your chicken will take will vary on the thickness of the breasts. If in doubt, check your meat thermometer to make sure it is cooked through. (The ideal cooking temperature for chicken is 74°C, according to Thermapen – my go-to thermometer-makers. There’s also more cooking time information here).
If your sauce curdles
When you add the lemon juice at the end, the sauce can curdle a little if it’s very hot. If it does, just remove the chicken breasts to serve and give the sauce a good whisk.
Adapt this recipe
You can simplify this recipe with a slightly different version – Marry Me Chicken Orzo – it’s a quick one pot pasta with all the flavours and deliciousness of the original dish!
More Marry Me Chicken recipes…
One Pot Pasta
Marry Me Chicken Orzo {One Pot Recipe}
Under 30 minutes
Marry Me Chicken Pasta {One Pot Recipe}
Slow Cooker Chicken
Slow Cooker Marry Me Chicken
FAQ
The combination of pan-frying the chicken as well as simmering it in the sauce gives a delicious golden coating with a succulent meat on the inside. The sauce is just the right balance of creamy, zesty and cheesy.
While there’s so much wonderful flavour, it’s also a pretty simple recipe and anyone can make it, which is the ultimate test of how well a recipe is received! No nonsense. Just delicious.
It’s also impressive if you’re cooking a special meal, without much faff or expense involved.
Yes! You can substitute it if you like. We’ve tested this and we’re happy to say it works fine.
Full fat crème fraîche does taste marginally better, but if you’re looking to reduce calories and fat content particularly, using reduced fat crème fraîche will absolutely work.
Just be careful when you’re cooking to keep the heat low so it doesn’t split or curdle.
I always use my favourite saute pan, you can read my reviews here with links: One Pan Review.
Yes sure. Just swap the cream and parmesan for dairy-free alternatives and you’re good to go.
I love a recipe with a story behind it, and because food is all about coming together and sharing, you can impress your family or guests with some of these other funky-named meals: Campfire Stew, Hunter’s Chicken, Bubble and Squeak, Cowboy Pie, Dirty Rice.
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Marry Me Chicken {BEST Ever Recipe!}
Ingredients
- 650 g Chicken breast (skinless and boneless), About x4
- 50 g Plain flour
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 3 Garlic cloves, Peeled and crushed
- 150 g Sun dried tomatoes, Drained
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 2 tsp Paprika
- 150 ml Double cream
- 200 ml Chicken stock
- 50 g Parmesan cheese, Grated
- 15 g Fresh basil leaves
- 1/2 Lemon, Just the juice
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Coat the chicken breasts in the flour.
- In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. When it's hot, carefully add the chicken breasts. Cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook for a further 5 minutes.
- Remove the chicken breasts to a plate, turn the heat under the pan to low and add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and paprika. Stir for 3-5 minutes until the garlic is softened.
- Add the cream, stock, parmesan and plenty of salt and pepper and give everything a good stir.
- Sit the chicken back in the sauce. Put the lid on the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Check the chicken is cooked through. Remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle over the basil leaves and the squeeze of half a lemon.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
It’s fantastic! Loved the sun-dried tomatoes melting into the sauce, and the touch of lemon adds brightness. Coating the chicken with flour worked wonders for a thicker sauce.
Really liked this recipe. Next time I would like to try using the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to cook the chicken. I did use avocado oil instead of olive oil. I also deglazed the pan with white wine after cooking the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes and spices. My husband said that really made the dish. I forgot to get lemon at the store so went without. My only recommendation to add to the recipe is to slice the sun-dried tomatoes into strips rather than leave them whole.
The best chicken breast recipe. I used whipping cream because no double cream available here and a tad extra sun dried tomatoes. So delicious!!
The best first try