Marry Me Chicken is an easy, yet impressive recipe for chicken cutlets made in a rich, creamy sauce flavored with parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes.
Just like my recipes for Chicken Picatta, Chicken Marsala, and Honey Lemon Chicken, Marry Me Chicken is a delicious, simple chicken skillet recipe.
What is Marry Me Chicken?
It may seem odd to describe a chicken breast recipe in relation to a marriage proposal.
Legend has it that this recipe is so good that you may end up with a marriage proposal to anyone you serve it to.
I can't promise a marriage proposal, but I can promise a delicious, easy chicken recipe whose flavors marry together beautifully, just like they do in Italian Wedding Soup.
Chicken breasts are pan-fried and then simmered in a rich, creamy, parmesan sauce that is flavored with garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. While this dinner recipe is incredibly easy to make, Marry Me Chicken is a dish that leaves a lasting positive impression.
why you'll love this recipe
- Flavorful. I think we have covered that Marry Me Chicken's flavor is so delicious, it makes the dish (and the chef) irresistible.
- Company Worthy. From the tender chicken to the creamy parmesan broth, this chicken recipe is worthy of serving to dinner guests or anyone you want to impress.
- Family-Friendly. This impressive dish should NOT only be reserved for company. It is a simple chicken dinner that's flavor goes over well with the entire family. Even if picky kids eat around the sun-dried tomatoes 😉
- Easy. Made in one pan, in less than 30 minutes, Marry Me Chicken comes together with minimal prep, despite delivering incredible flavor.
Notes On Ingredients
- Chicken: This recipe is classically made with chicken cutlets. While you can purchase thin chicken cutlets at any grocery store, it is more affordable to use boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut them into cutlets yourself. I have provided instructions on how to do this easily.
- Flour: The chicken cutlets are coated in flour before being pan-fried to create a nice crispy exterior on the chicken and to help thicken the pan sauce. If you need this recipe to be gluten-free, feel free to use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: For the best results, I recommend using jarred sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, rather than in water or sold in a pouch.
- Chicken Stock: Use low-sodium storebought or homemade chicken stock. This will help you stay in control of the level of sodium in the dish.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream will give this chicken recipe an incredibly rich, luxurious finish. I don't recommend substituting the heavy cream with milk, but half and half will work if that is all you have on hand. But honestly, the sauce will not be as rich or thick.
- Parmesan Cheese: I recommend grating parmesan yourself, rather than relying on parmesan cheese from a canister, for the best flavor. That said, feel free to use whatever parmesan cheese you have on hand.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken
Step One: Prepare the Chicken
If you are starting this recipe with boneless skinless chicken breasts, rather than chicken cutlets, don't be intimidated by having to cut your chicken breasts into cutlets. It is quite a simple process and will save you money by doing it yourself.
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner pieces.
- Place the cutlets between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until the cutlets are even in thickness.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Pat each chicken cutlet with a paper towel. This will help the flour adhere to the chicken.
- Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture to coat, shaking off excess flour.
Step Two: Pan-Fry Chicken
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Using both olive oil along with butter will help prevent the butter from burning.
- Once melted, add the chicken to the pan, working in batches if needed. You don't want to overcrowd your pan, as this will cause the chicken to steam, rather than form a nice, crisp, exterior.
- Cook the chicken cutlets for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on each side and nearly cooked through. Transfer chicken to a clean plate, tent with foil, and set aside.
Step Three: Prepare Creamy Pan Sauce
- Add a bit more olive oil to the pan, along with the minced garlic. Saute for 30 seconds, just until the garlic is fragrant. You don't want to saute any longer, or you will risk burning your garlic.
- Deglaze the pan by adding the chicken broth to the skillet. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Those brown bits will add incredible flavor to the sauce.
- Add in the heavy cream, chopped sundried tomatoes, oregano, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Once the sauce is simmering, lower the heat to low and whisk in the parmesan until melted. Taste to adjust seasonings if needed.
- Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the sauce. Turn the chicken to coat in the sauce, or spoon the sauce over the chicken, and simmer for 3-4 minutes just to finish cooking the chicken.
- Turn off the heat and top the Marry Me Chicken with ribbons of fresh basil if desired.
Serving Suggestions
Marry Me Chicken is a rich, low-carb chicken skillet that makes an impressive dish worthy of a special occasion.
To keep your dinner low in carbs, you can serve Marry Me Chicken with sauteed spinach, roasted asparagus, parmesan broccoli, or a Warm Spinach Salad.
However, if you are not on a low-carb diet, I highly recommend serving this dish with a side of cooked pasta, creamy mashed potatoes, or Instant Pot Jasmine Rice to soak up the delicious parmesan sun-dried tomato cream sauce.
Storage Instructions
If you happen to have any leftover Marry Me Chicken, allow it to cool slightly and then transfer it to an airtight container. Store the leftover chicken and pan sauce in the container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. I don't recommend freezing this dish, as the cream will separate when thawed.
To reheat the leftovers, you can opt to microwave the chicken and sauce in a heat-safe dish, but I prefer reheating the chicken and sauce together in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until just warmed through.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Easy Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu
- Chicken Florentine
- Baked Chicken Parmesan
- Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry
- Chicken Katsu
- Baked Pesto Chicken
If you gave this recipe for Marry Me Chicken a try, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1-½ tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 (7-oz) jar oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes drained and roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 5-7 basil leaves sliced into thin ribbons
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 cutlets. Place the cutlets between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy skillet until the cutlets are even in thickness. Pay dry.
- In a shallow dish, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Dredge each chicken cutlet in the flour mixture to coat, shaking off excess flour.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil with butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Once melted, add the chicken to the pan, working in batches to prevent overcrowding your skillet.
- Cook the chicken cutlets for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown on each side and nearly cooked through.
- Transfer chicken to a clean plate, tent with foil, and set aside.
- If your skillet is dry, add an additional ½ tablespoon of olive oil (omit if you still have a bit of oil left in your skillet.) Add the garlic and saute for just 30 seconds, until the garlic is fragrant.
- Add in the chicken broth and deglaze the pan scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Add in the heavy cream, chopped sundried tomatoes, oregano, thyme, and crushed red pepper flakes. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring often.
- Once the sauce is simmering, lower the heat to low and whisk in the parmesan until melted. Taste to adjust seasonings if needed.
- Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the sauce. Turn the chicken to coat in the sauce, or spoon the sauce over the chicken, and simmer for 3-4 minutes just to warm through the chicken and to ensure it reaches 165 degrees F.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and serve with basil if desired.
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