Looking for a dinner recipe that will not only delight your family but also become a new favorite? Meet “Marry Me Chicken,” a dish so irresistibly delicious, legend has it, it could even inspire a proposal! But beyond its charming name, this creamy chicken recipe is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, perfect for busy weeknights or special family meals. Easy to make with just a handful of ingredients and ready in under 30 minutes, Marry Me Chicken is about to become your go-to family dinner solution.
Marry Me Chicken served in a white bowl, garnished with fresh basil, showcasing its creamy texture and inviting appearance
If you’re a fan of creamy chicken dishes, you’re in for a treat. Marry Me Chicken takes the concept of comfort food to a whole new level. While it shares similarities with other beloved recipes like Instant Pot Tuscan Chicken, its unique blend of flavors and textures sets it apart. The combination of juicy chicken in a rich, parmesan-infused cream sauce, punctuated by the sweetness of sundried tomatoes and aromatic herbs, is simply irresistible.
And if you’re always on the lookout for quick and easy family dinners, Marry Me Chicken fits the bill perfectly. Similar to the popular creamy lemon chicken recipe, this dish comes together in just about 25 minutes, making it ideal for those evenings when time is short but you still want to serve a satisfying and flavorful meal to your loved ones.
What Makes Marry Me Chicken a Family Dinner Winner?
The name “Marry Me Chicken” might sound whimsical, but it speaks to the incredible flavor of this dish. The story goes that it’s so good, anyone who tastes it will instantly fall in love with your cooking! While we can’t guarantee a marriage proposal, we can promise a dinner that will have your family asking for seconds. The magic lies in the creamy, flavorful sauce that perfectly complements the tender chicken, creating a comforting and satisfying meal that appeals to all ages. It’s a fantastic way to elevate your regular chicken dinner routine and bring excitement to the family table.
How to Cook Marry Me Chicken: A Simple Guide for Family Meals
One of the best things about Marry Me Chicken is its simplicity. This recipe is designed for busy families, requiring minimal effort and readily available ingredients. Even if dinner planning is last-minute, you can easily whip up this dish as long as you have the basics on hand.
Family-Friendly Ingredients You’ll Need:
Marry Me Chicken ingredients laid out, including chicken breasts, flour, spices, garlic, cream, parmesan, sundried tomatoes, and basil, highlighting the fresh and simple components of the recipe
- Chicken Breasts: Opt for boneless, skinless chicken breasts and slice them into cutlets for faster cooking. This ensures even cooking and tender chicken pieces that are perfect for kids and adults alike.
- Flour, Salt, and Pepper: These pantry staples are essential for creating a light, crispy coating on the chicken, adding texture and flavor to the dish.
- Olive Oil and Butter: A combination of olive oil and butter creates the perfect base for browning the chicken and building flavor. You can even use the oil from the sundried tomatoes for an extra layer of richness.
- Garlic: A generous amount of garlic infuses the sauce with its signature savory aroma, making it even more delicious and appealing to the whole family.
- Chicken or Vegetable Stock: Chicken stock is recommended for a richer flavor, but vegetable stock works just as well, making it adaptable to your pantry staples.
- Heavy Cream and Parmesan Cheese: These are the stars of the creamy sauce! Heavy cream provides the luxurious texture, while parmesan cheese adds a salty, nutty depth of flavor. Avoid using lighter creams as they won’t thicken properly.
- Chili Flakes, Dried Oregano, and Thyme: These herbs and spices bring warmth and complexity to the sauce, enhancing the overall taste profile without being overpowering for younger palates.
- Sundried Tomatoes: These little bursts of flavor are what truly make Marry Me Chicken special. Their sweetness and slight tanginess balance the richness of the cream sauce perfectly.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: A sprinkle of fresh basil at the end adds a vibrant, fresh note and a beautiful visual garnish.
For the complete list of ingredients and precise measurements, please refer to the recipe card at the end of this article.
Easy-to-Follow Cooking Directions:
- Prepare the Chicken: Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Dredge them in flour, ensuring they are evenly coated, and shake off any excess.
- Brown the Chicken: Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Brown the chicken cutlets on both sides until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate, cover to keep warm, and set aside.
- Sauté Garlic and Create the Sauce: In the same skillet, sauté minced garlic until fragrant. Pour in chicken stock to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom for extra flavor. Stir in heavy cream and parmesan cheese. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes until it slightly thickens. Season with chili flakes and oregano.
- Combine and Finish: Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Add the sundried tomatoes to the sauce, then return the chicken to the skillet. Let everything simmer together for a few more minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken further and coat the chicken beautifully.
- Serve and Enjoy: Marry Me Chicken is ready to serve! Garnish with fresh basil leaves and serve hot over your family’s favorite sides.
Serving Suggestions for a Complete Family Dinner
- Pasta Perfection: Marry Me Chicken is incredibly delicious served over pasta. Garlic butter pasta is a fantastic pairing, but even simple pasta tossed with olive oil or butter works wonderfully to soak up the luscious sauce.
- Comforting Classics: Pair it with mashed potatoes, rice, or crusty bread for a hearty and satisfying meal. Homemade breadsticks are a fun and delicious addition that kids will love.
- Low-Carb Options: For a lighter family meal, serve Marry Me Chicken with zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice, or roasted butternut squash.
Marry Me Chicken served over pasta in a stainless steel skillet, emphasizing its versatility as a dinner option and appealing presentation for family meals
Top Tips for Perfect Family Marry Me Chicken
- Chicken Cutlet Convenience: Save time by using pre-sliced chicken cutlets or easily slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create your own.
- Flavor Boost: Enhance the garlic sauté by adding a drizzle of oil from the sundried tomatoes jar for extra depth of flavor.
- Cream Choice Matters: For the richest, thickest sauce, use heavy cream. Lighter creams may not thicken sufficiently.
- Fresh Parmesan is Best: Whenever possible, use freshly grated parmesan cheese from a block. It has superior flavor and melts more smoothly into sauces compared to pre-shredded varieties.
Family Meal Prep: Storing and Reheating Tips
Leftover Marry Me Chicken is perfect for lunch the next day! Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or oven. If the sauce has thickened too much during storage, simply add a splash of water or chicken stock to thin it out while reheating. Freezing creamy sauces is not recommended as it can alter the texture.
More Easy and Delicious Dinner Recipes for Your Family
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Cheesy Chicken Fajita Casserole
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Creamy Lemon Chicken
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Enjoy making Marry Me Chicken for your family! It’s a recipe that’s sure to bring smiles to faces and become a cherished part of your dinner rotation.
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Marry Me Chicken is creamy, juicy, and packed with flavor! This chicken dinner is so amazing, it’s said to inspire proposals! Yes, it’s that good! A fun name for what might just be your family’s new favorite chicken recipe!
6 servings
Marry Me Chicken is creamy, juicy, and packed with flavor! This chicken dinner is so amazing, it’s said to inspire proposals! Yes, it’s that good! A fun name for what might just be your family’s new favorite chicken recipe!
Recipe Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless, sliced lengthwise into thin cutlets
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons (50 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup (240 ml) chicken stock
- 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream (double cream in the UK)
- ½ cup (43 grams) parmesan cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon chili flakes
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon thyme
- ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and shake off any excess.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil and melt the butter on medium heat. Swirl pan to coat with oil and butter evenly.
- Brown the chicken (do not overcrowd and work in batches if needed) for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer onto a plate, cover, and set aside.
- Saute the garlic for a minute or until it’s fragrant. Add the chicken stock, and deglaze the pan scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Adjust the heat to medium-low, and add the heavy cream and the parmesan cheese to the skillet. Allow the sauce to simmer for a couple of minutes, then season with chili flakes, thyme, and oregano.
- Season with salt and pepper to your taste, add the sundried tomatoes then put the chicken back in the sauce and let the sauce simmer and thicken for a few more minutes.
- Garnish with chopped fresh basil leaves and serve warm over pasta or rice.
Notes:
- Chicken cutlets/steaks are available in most supermarkets, but you can slice a chicken breast in half and get the same result.
- To slice chicken breasts into thin cutlets: Place a chicken breast down flat on a cutting board. Hold one hand flat on top of the breast, and use a sharp knife to cut the breast in half, parallel to the cutting board. Typically, that is all you need to do! The cutlets should be about ¼ inch in thickness. If they are thicker than that, use a meat mallet to pound them down thinner.
- Boneless and skinless chicken thighs can be used in place of chicken breasts, but keep in mind that they take longer to cook.
- When sauteing the garlic, add a little bit of sundried tomato oil for more flavor.
- Do not use half and half/single cream as that won’t thicken the sauce enough.
- I recommend buying a block of parmesan cheese and grating it yourself. I found that store-bought parmesan cheese doesn’t have much flavor, and doesn’t melt well in sauces.
Storing Tips Store the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven, you will need to add a splash of water to thin out the sauce as it thickens in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing creamy sauces as they change textures to grainy when frozen.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 447kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 31g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 147mg, Sodium: 601mg, Potassium: 749mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 1019IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 154mg, Iron: 2mg
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
