"Marry Me Chicken" is a popular chicken dish named for its supposed ability to inspire marriage proposals just because of how delicious it is! This recipe features seasoned chicken breasts and a cream sauce made with sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, Parmesan cheese, garlic, onion, white wine, and heavy cream. It’s a meal that’s impossible to resist!
30-Minute One-Pan Marry Me Chicken
"Marry Me Chicken" is a relatively new sensation in the culinary world, gaining popularity thanks to food bloggers and home cooks who continue to share their unique takes on this irresistible dish across the internet and social media. I decided to join in the craze and create my version! After all, several of my most popular recipes include sun-dried tomatoes combined with chicken, like this sun-dried tomato chicken mozzarella pasta or this delicious chicken bake with creamed spinach, bacon, and sun-dried tomatoes. While the name implies that this recipe could compel someone to propose marriage on the spot after you serve this chicken, I wouldn’t rely solely on your cooking to seal the deal. But you’ll definitely score some major points with anyone—romantic partner or not—by making this version of Marry Me Chicken: it's rich, creamy, and super flavorful thanks to tangy sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and creamy Parmesan sauce! I paired it with basil pesto stuffed ravioli, but you can enjoy it with any type of pasta, such as orzo, spaghetti, penne, or fusilli.
Why you'll love it
- Quick and easy 30-minute, one-pan meal. It's ideal for a romantic meal, allowing you to serve a restaurant-quality dish in no time. You'll spend more time enjoying each other's company rather than staying busy in the kitchen.
- This dish is keto-friendly, gluten-free, low in carbs, and high in protein—perfect for days when you want to keep things light on the carbs. Pair it with roasted spaghetti squash for a low-carb meal, or, if you're not counting carbs, serve it over pasta, ravioli, or rice.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken Breasts – You'll need about 1.5 or 1.7 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 large breasts) that you will slice lengthwise into thinner cutlets. You can also use skinless boneless chicken thighs (without slicing).
- Olive Oil – I used it for searing the chicken.
- Garlic and Onion – They add a flavorful foundation to the sauce.
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes – I used 4 oz of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes.
- White Wine (optional) – cuts the richness of the cream sauce and adds so much flavor! It can be substituted with chicken broth.
- Heavy Cream – adds creaminess. You can also use half-and-half.
- Parmesan Cheese – I used freshly shredded, you can also use store-bought shredded Parmesan (sold in a bag). The cheese helps to thicken the sauce and adds rich flavor. You can also use Asiago or Pecorino Romano.
- Chicken Broth – Adds moisture to the sauce and enhances the chicken’s flavor.
- Fresh Basil – Adds color and freshness. You can also use fresh parsley, oregano, or marjoram.
How to make Marry Me Chicken (step-by-step photos)
Note: This is just a recipe overview (including photos). For the full detailed recipe with ingredient quantities and detailed directions, please scroll down to the recipe card.
1) In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Cut 2 large chicken breasts horizontally to create thinner cutlets, then season generously with salt and pepper and coat in flour. Sear the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through, then transfer to a plate.
2) In the same skillet, add chopped onion, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes (with some oil). Cook for about 5 minutes until the onions are softened.
3) Then deglaze with ½ cup of white wine, allowing it to reduce slightly.
4) Pour in 1 cup of heavy cream and bring to a simmer.
5) Stir in shredded Parmesan cheese until fully combined.
6) If the sauce is too thick, thin it out with ½ cup of chicken stock, adding more if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7) Return the chicken to the skillet to reheat, then top with fresh basil before serving.
Tips for Success
- I recommend using 2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts and slicing them lengthwise to turn them into thinner chicken cutlets. You can also use skinless boneless chicken thighs - you don't need to slice those as they are usually thinner than chicken breasts.
- Drench chicken in flour to create a nice crust when searing. You can use gluten-free flour here.
- I used oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes. You can use the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar to sear the chicken and cook onion and garlic together.
- I highly recommend using white wine in the sauce - it cuts the richness and adds amazing, subtle flavor. If you don't like that idea, you can use chicken broth.
- Other cheeses that will work well in this recipe are Asiago or Romano cheese. You can also try a store-bought shredded cheese blend like a 3-cheese or 4-cheese mix.
Storage and reheating tips
Unfortunately, creamy sauces can be tricky to reheat. The cream-based sauce tends to solidify quickly in the fridge, and reheating often results in the sauce separating into grease and losing its silky texture. To keep the sauce from separating and the chicken from drying out, avoid using high heat. While the leftover Marry Me Chicken may not have the same texture as when it’s freshly made, you can follow these tips to help preserve its creamy consistency and rich flavor:
- Fridge. Store the leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezer. I do not recommend freezing this dish.
- Microwave oven. Reheat the refrigerated Marry Me Chicken in a microwave oven in 30-second intervals, stirring in between until warm. You might have to add a splash of milk or half-and-half to thin out the sauce.
- Stovetop. Reheat in a skillet over low to medium heat, adding a splash of chicken broth or cream to help keep the sauce smooth and prevent it from drying out. Stir occasionally until heated through.
- Oven. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Place the chicken and sauce in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and heat for 15–20 minutes, or until warmed through.
What to serve with Marry Me Chicken
- Pasta. Serve it over pasta, such as spaghetti, angel hair, rigatoni, penne, or orzo. Or serve it over store-bought ravioli or tortellini.
- Roasted Spaghetti Squash. It's a great low-carb alternative to regular pasta and it will pair beautifully with Marry Me Chicken.
- Rice. Serve with long-grain rice or risotto.
- Bread. Serve this with a slice of warm Italian bread, garlic bread, or olive bread loaf. If you want to venture out and make your own simple loaf - try this easy bread recipe made in a bread machine.
- Apple Spinach Salad with Lemon Honey Mustard Dressing
- Tomato Cucumber Avocado Salad with Basil Pesto Dressing
Other creamy chicken recipes you might like
- Creamy Spinach Chicken
- Chicken with Bacon and Mustard Sauce
- Chicken Florentine Bake
- Cajun Chicken Bake with Bell Peppers and Cheese
Marry Me Chicken (30 Minutes, One-Pot)
Ingredients
- 1.7 pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts 2 large chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons flour you can use gluten-free
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- â…“ cup chopped onion white or yellow
- 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 4 oz oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes chopped
- ½ cup dry white wine or use chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan room temperature
- ½ cup chicken stock or more
- fresh basil
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. I used 2 large chicken breasts that I cut horizontally (lengthwise) to turn them into thinner cutlets. Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper, then coat it in flour. Sear the chicken for about 5 minutes on each side, or until it is browned and cooked through. Once done, transfer the chicken to a plate.
- In the same skillet, add chopped onion, garlic, and sun-dried tomatoes (including some of the oil from the jar). Cook on low to medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions are softened. Deglaze the pan with ½ cup of white wine, allowing it to cook down slightly.
- Next, pour in 1 cup of heavy cream and bring to a simmer over low to medium heat. Stir in the shredded Parmesan cheese until fully incorporated. If the sauce is too thick, add ½ cup of chicken thin it out, adding more if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return the chicken to the skillet to reheat, then top with fresh basil before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
I I found adding some sherry instead of white wine really enhanced the flavor.
Make this! You will not be disappointed! I use this sauce all the time now with everything. I made this with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, pork chops, and shrimp! I really like that Julia used quite a bit of onion in the sauce - it works well and give substance to it.
Hum!!
Facile, rapide, excellente recette servie avec des rapini...
Merci,
Re: Marry Me Chicken Recipe
Hi Julia!
The fat content of this recipe is too high for us. What would you recommend to use instead of the heavy cream? And...there is a photo on the same page with raviolis under the chicken? Is this the Marry Me Recipe with ravioli? Thanks for all the inspiration you so beautifully offer and present!
Hi Heather, here are some lower-fat alternatives:
1) To replace 1 cup of heavy cream, whisk 2 tablespoons of cornstarch into 1 cup of milk. Cornstarch thickens without adding flavor.
2) Half-and-half would work too!
3) Use evaporated milk (NOT condensed milk :)).
Thank you for trusting my recipes! 🙂
Hi Julia. Can you share details of the photo of the chicken over ravioli? Thank you!
Hi Amber! I simply boiled the store-bought frozen pesto ravioli, added them to the sauce, and finished it off with sliced chicken on top!
This looks amazing! I think I might double and use chicken breasts and thighs (hubby’s favorite)! On the menu this week! Can’t wait for another Julia yummy!!!
Thank you, Debbie, for trusting my recipes! 🙂 Chicken thighs would be so good here!