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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.

A pan filled with cooked Marry Me Chicken, ready to be served.

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.


A close up of chicken in a sauce, ready to be served. Marry Me Chicken recipe.

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

Ingredients for Marry Me Chicken recipe laid out on a table.
  • 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

Chicken breasts coated in flour before being cooked for the recipe Marry Me Chicken. Step 1.

1. Coat the chicken in flour.

Chicken breasts being pan-fried in a pan for the recipe Marry Me Chicken. Step 2.

2. Heat oil in a pan and carefully add the chicken. Brown on each side.

Garlic and chopped sun dried tomatoes being cooked in oil in a pan for the recipe Marry Me Chicken. Step 3.

3. Turn the heat down and add garlic, sun dried tomatoes, oregano and paprika to the pan. Cook as per the recipe below.

The sauce being made in a pan for Marry Me Chicken. Step 4.

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

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…

FAQ

What makes Marry Me Chicken so good?

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.

Can I use crème fraîche instead of cream?

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.

What pan should I use to make Marry Me Chicken?

I always use my favourite saute pan, you can read my reviews here with links: One Pan Review.

Can I make this dairy free?

Yes sure. Just swap the cream and parmesan for dairy-free alternatives and you’re good to go.

Do you have any other recipes with catchy names?

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).

4.94 from 377 votes

Marry Me Chicken {BEST Ever Recipe!}

There is so much to LOVE about this recipe, you might want to even marry it! It’s succulent, creamy, cheesy, and just that little bit special. Marry Me Chicken is perfect for a fuss-free but impressive dinner.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

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

Cooking time: This will vary slightly depending on the thickness of chicken breasts. If in doubt, check with your meat thermometer.
Lemon juice: When you add the lemon juice at the end, the sauce can curdle a little if it’s very hot. If if does, just remove the chicken breasts to serve and give the sauce a good whisk.
Nutritional value: Please note that the calories shown are for a single portion of this dish and do not include any sides you might have.

Nutrition

Calories: 566kcalCarbohydrates: 37gProtein: 48gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 13gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 157mgSodium: 514mgPotassium: 2069mgFiber: 6gSugar: 17gVitamin A: 1732IUVitamin C: 26mgCalcium: 250mgIron: 5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Italian
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Sarah Rossi founder of TamingTwins.com and author of 'What's for Dinner?' books.

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4.94 from 377 votes (274 ratings without comment)

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130 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    Made this tonight / everyone ate ! Including the kids (4& 3) the only thing I would say was I found the chicken a little congealed where I had cooked with the flour – soft inside but slightly congealed texture – could this be because I covered them in flour then put them in the fridge and then when I took them out again all the flour seemed to have disappeared so I floured them again. ? I’m not sure cause when I look at the pics included in this recipe I actually didn’t have as much flour on them as in the pics here !?!

    1. I know that’s happened to me when I didn’t dry the chicken enough prior to dusting in flour and also not shaking enough flour off before browning. I’m hoping the recipe folks chime in on this.

  2. 5 stars
    Love this recipe! I’ve made it 4 times now and have tweaked it slightly. I use the oil from the sun dried tomatoes jar to fry the chicken and a bit more for the garlic. I also add spinach at the end with the chicken and don’t add basil. I’ve served it with pasta, rice and potatoes. Really quick to do once everything is prepped.

  3. 2 stars
    I made this previously and commented that I found it bland. Since then I’ve check a lot of recipes, and found most of them include chopped onion, and white wine. Don’t know whether I’ll bother having another crack, but the addition wouldn’t hurt.

  4. 5 stars
    This was really great. My 4 year old, who is extremely hard to please, ate it all, and she even had a second helping (which might be the first time ever).
    I chopped up some kale, and tossed it around with everything else, just for some added good stuff, and she ate it all. My 8 year old loved it as well.

  5. 5 stars
    Made this last night. This chicken rocked. Takes longer than 5 minutes to prep, though. It took 15-20+ but well worth it. I added a bit of red pepper to spice it up and it was fantastic!