Love yourself and love others with this delicious Marry Me Chicken that brings bold flavor and creamy textures for a swoon-worthy dining experience.
A few dates into the man who would become her husband, my sister made this recipe. He was a picky eater so she wasn’t sure how he would respond. After two full servings and a request to take the leftovers home, she knew she had found a winner. He started calling it their “falling in love” chicken. When they married a few years later, it became Marry Me Chicken.
Now, I’m not saying food has some magical power to transform hearts and set love afloat. But I’m also not not saying that. We all know that certain dishes not only tantalize our taste buds but also they become part of our lexicon and traditions. And so it might be with this Marry Me Chicken. The Love Me Tender chicken breasts come to life with a sauce that very well might be a good marketing ploy for a jewelry store. (Make this for dinner, end with a proposal). If you want, you could serve this over (or beside) some pasta or with a fresh salad. You might want to add some dinner rolls so you can sop up the sauce (and you don’t have to resort to licking your fingers, but I won’t judge if you do).
Why You Will Love This Recipe
I love a dish that looks and tastes like I slaved in the kitchen, but that doesn’t actually require a ton of time. This is the perfect dish for that: it has the wow factor without the wow, I spent way too much time in the kitchen. It also will go with just about anything you have in your fridge or pantry, so you don’t have to stress about creating the perfect side dish.
Ingredients
It may seem like a long list, but trust me, the final result is so worth it.
- 4 chicken breasts, skin off
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 6 TBSP flour
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 3 TBSP butter
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan, finely grated
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- ½ tsp dried red pepper flakes
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
- 2 TBSP fresh basil
How to Make – The Steps
Step 1: Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and pat them to get the seasoning to stick.
Step 2: Add the flour to a bowl and coat each chicken breast in it.
Step 3: Heat a nonstick pan or cast iron skillet to medium to high heat, then add the butter, let it melt, and add in the olive oil.
Step 4: Brown the coated chicken on both sides for 4-5 minutes on each side.
Step 5: Remove the chicken from the pan, place onto a plate, and cover.
Step 6: Reduce the heat; add in the crushed garlic and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant, then add in the chicken stock and stir it to get the bits off the bottom. Pour in the heavy cream and give it another stir, then sprinkle in the spices and herbs and return to the heat to simmer for 10-12 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken.
Step 7: Toss in the sundried tomatoes, add the chicken back in, and place back onto the heat. Let it plop away until the sauce is beautiful and oozy thick, about 5-6 minutes more.
Step 8: Sprinkle on the basil and a little extra parmesan and serve.
Tips & Tricks for a Perfect Marry Me Chicken
- Slowly brown the chicken so that you bring out more of the flavor and lock in the juices.
- Give the sauce its due. Make sure to measure carefully. But also don’t be afraid to experiment and adjust the spices to your tastes.
- Make sure to give time for the chicken to rest before serving.
FAQs
Of course! Bone-in chicken will take a little longer to cook, but the bone can enrich the flavor and make it even yummier.
Nope. You can use a combination of milk and butter instead. For every cup of heavy cream, mix in 3/4 cup of milk with 1/4 cup of melted, unsalted butter.
You can add sautéed mushrooms or spinach for some extra nutrition. If you want to spice it up, throw in some red pepper flakes or chopped jalapenos. And if you love cheese, add some mozzarella.
Serving Suggestions
Make and serve this dish with a special ingredient: love. Yes, I know it’s cheesy, but this is a dish served with a side of starstruck eyes—along with mashed potatoes or green beans!
Make Ahead and How to Store
This dish is super easy to prep and make ahead. Cook the sauce and chicken separately and store until you’re ready to serve. Then just add them together and simmer for a bit until the dish is warm and ready to serve. Store any room-temperature leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. When you reheat, go slow, warming them on gentle heat on the stove (avoid the microwave and rubbery chicken). You can add a splash of chicken broth or water if the dish looks a little sticky.
Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts skin off
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 6 TBSP flour
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 3 TBSP butter
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup parmesan finely grated
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- ½ tsp dried red pepper flakes
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes
- salt and pepper
- 2 TBSP fresh basil
Instructions
- Salt and pepper the chicken breasts and pat them to get the seasoning to stick.
- Add the flour to a bowl and cost each chicken breast in flour.
- Heat a nonstick pan or cast iron skillet to medium to high heat, then add the butter and let it melt, and add in the olive oil.
- Brown the coated chicken on both sides for 4-5 minutes on each side.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and place onto a plate and cover.
- Reduce the heat and add in the crushed garlic and fry for a couple of minutes until fragrant, then add in the chicken stock and give it a stir to get the beautiful nearly bits off the bottom. Pour in the heavy cream and give it another stir, then sprinkle in the spices and herbs and return to the heat to simmer for 10 – 12 minutes or until the sauce is starting to thicken.
- Toss in the sundried tomatoes and add the chicken back in and replace onto the heat. Let it plop away until the sauce is beautiful and oozy thick, about 5-6 minutes more.
- Sprinkle on the basil and a little extra Parmesan and serve.
