Marry Me Chicken
Famous skillet chicken in a sundried tomato parmesan cream sauce with fresh basil. It will definitely inspire marriage proposals!
This is some famous chicken. I found this Marry Me Chicken recipe and the photos of it had me falling fast. I can definitely see why this is called "Marry Me Chicken"...it may have the power to elicit a marriage proposal.
After I watched "The Bachelor" last night and saw him meet the parents and talk a lot about proposals, it only seems fitting that I share this "Marry Me Chicken" recipe. This chicken recipe may just be the lucky charm!
What is Marry Me Chicken?
It is chicken breasts sauteed in olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. A sundried tomato cream sauce is made with fresh garlic, thyme, red pepper flakes, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, sundried tomatoes, and fresh basil. It is an easy, crowd-pleasing, popular 30-minute dinner.
I love to use a cast iron skillet since I can take it from the stovetop to the oven with ease. You can find one here for less than 15 bucks.
Almost five years before I started Modern Honey, I entered and participated in recipe contests all over the country. One of my most memorable ones had to be Cooking Channel's Perfect 3 Contest to find the most perfect cookie recipe. The grand prize winner would be flown to New York City to film a segment for a show in the Food Network Studios.
I wanted to win this contest so badly so I got busy right away in the kitchen concocting a brand new cookie recipe in an attempt to woo the judges. I came up with a saucepan browned butter cookie with toffee notes and both white chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips. I named them, "I WANT TO MARRY YOU COOKIES" and shared my own little love story.
The judges whittled it down to the top 3 and that's where we had to make our own cooking video showing how to make the cookies. The results came in and I actually won the grand prize! It was an incredible once-in-a-lifetime experience and you can read all about it here. But these little "I Want to Marry You Cookies" ended up being the most popular recipe on Cooking Channel in 2012. Now that's crazy!
So you can serve this Marry Me Chicken and I Want to Marry You Cookies and you should have the perfect meal!
I love to pair this Marry Me Chicken with creamy garlic mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus or broccoli. It pairs so well with any type of vegetable!
How to make the best Sundried Tomato Cream Marry Me Chicken:
- Start by heating olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts for about 4-5 minutes per side. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and add finely diced garlic. Cook for only 1 minute since garlic can easily burn. Add thyme, red pepper flakes, chicken broth, and cream to skillet. Cook until cream sauce begins to thicken -- about 5 minutes. Stir in sundried tomatoes.
- Remove from heat and add chicken to the skillet. Spoon sauce all over the chicken. Place in an oven set at 375 degrees and cook for 15-18 minutes to until chicken is cooked through. If using thinly sliced chicken breasts, reduce baking time.
- Top with fresh basil and freshly grated parmesan cheese, if so desired.
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Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 3-4 Large Chicken Breasts
- Salt
- Pepper
- 2 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1 teaspoon Thyme
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes (may add only ½ teaspoon for less spice)
- ¾ cup Chicken Broth
- ½ cup Heavy Cream
- ½ cup Sundried Tomatoes (chopped)
- ¼ - ½ cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh Basil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large oven-safe skillet heat oil over medium-high heat. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper and sear until golden, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Return skillet to medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in thyme, red pepper flakes, chicken broth, and heavy cream. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Stir in sundried tomatoes and parmesan cheese.
- Return chicken to skillet and spoon sauce all over the chicken breasts. Bake until chicken is cooked through -- about 15-18 minutes. Garnish with basil and grated parmesan cheese, if so desired.
Video
Notes
- Recipe adapted from Delish.com
Find my "I Want to Marry You Cookies" Recipe by clicking HERE.
Liz
My boyfriend is soooooo picky with what I make for dinner. He won’t touch a vegetable or anything he didn’t grow up eating. I’m from Los Angeles and he’s from central Ohio, so we already had our varying diets from the beginning. He LOVED this. I ended up adding capers and artichoke hearts (easy to scrape out of the sauce for him) and it was totally a hit. Highly recommend!!
Nina
My step son won’t eat veggies either, so I puréed some steamed cauliflower and added it to the sauce. reduced the amount of cream a little. I hid veggies all the time. Tastes amazing
Rush
Did it change the flavor?
Yesenia
Oh! I love the artichoke heart idea! Thanks for sharing.
Karen Stahler
Any idea how this could be adapted for the slow cooker?
Alanna
Love this recipe!! It’s a family favorite now. We never have sundried tomatoes on hand so I use a can of diced Italian tomatoes. I always add a handful or two of chopped green olives as well! It’s so good.
Meghan
any chance this could be done in a slow cooker?
Donna
I did it in the crockpot and it came out great.
Pedro Flores
Slow cookers and Instapots are the ruin of good cooking. Stcik to an iron skillet and your cooking will likely improve!
RedheadedMomma
Instant pots are the salvation of a busy mom! We know some things are better done the long way, but it is still a world better than take out! And some things ARE better in the instant pot. Makes perfect brown rice every time!
This recipe looks amazing and I cannot wait to try it! It will be perfect for Valentines Bunco in February!
Dorrie
Absolutely delicious! I changed a few things though. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs, olive oil, s/p, garlic powder 350 oven..40 minutes. Made the wonderful sauce but sautéed some chopped onions and sliced mushrooms along with the garlic(which I doubled). Took chicken out after the 40 min, drained the fat, then poured the wonderful sauce over and baked another 15-20 minutes. Garnished with basil. Really good meal!
Nancy
Sounds like you made a totally different dish
Mal
Right? Lol
Renee' P
Thanks for sharing this. I really only use boneless skinless thighs and wanted to know how they would work!
Pam
I haven’t made this yet bet definitely plan to! I was thinking that serving/adding some gnocchi would be so good! And I am definitely planning on doubling the sauce and adding mush/onions and more garlic as well. I will probably add more sun dried tomatoes as well just because I absolutely LOVE them!
Carol Heitkamp
Absolutely delicious. Already married but my husband was very pleased with this recipe!
Sarah Torre
Absolutely delicious! Will keep this recipe to serve to dinner guests bc it’s that good! I served it over mashed potatoes with green beans on the side. Restaurant worthy in my opinion. I literally went into a food coma afterward. Thank you for this amazing recipe!
Carol Marshall
This was an amazing company worthy recipe. I made the recipe as stated with no modifications. Question: If it wanted to assemble it ahead and bake a couple hours later would that work?
Rae DeBord
AMAZING!!!
I used the oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes to fry the chicken breasts in - it adds some flavor.
I doubled the recipe so we would have extra sauce to put over angel hair pasta. Also - once I took the pan out of the oven - I put the chicken on a plate and added a bit of corn starch to the sauce to thicken it a bit for the pasta - then added the chicken back in.
Steamed broccoli - garlic bread - this is better than a lot of meals I’ve had in restaurants!
shannon
This was delicious/easy/eaten by all, which makes it a keeper. Next time I may add goat cheese and a side of pasta. Waiting for resolutions to fall by the way side :). Thank you for sharing!
Ashley
I have all the ingredients to make this, with the exception of thyme. I have ground thyme. And ironically, not enough time to run to the store to get anything else. Is there something I could use in its place or simply omit it?
Danya
Delicious!! I have been striking out lately but this great. a new regular.in my kitchen. Doubling the sauce wont hurt a thing!
dries thyme worked fine
Danya
Delicious!! I have been striking out lately but this great. a new regular.in my kitchen. Doubling the sauce wont hurt a thing!
Tami
Do you use the dried tomatoes or the sun dried in olive oil?
Jason
If you get the tomatoes in oil, you can do what was suggested above and use a couple tablespoons of the oil to cook the chicken in to add more flavor.
Allen Morgan
I've been married for 50 plus years. I baked the "Will You Marry Me? Cookies, and my wife told me she would marry me again! So, we're planning another ceremony when we go to Jamaica in 2023, should the pandemic-pandemonium be under control by then!
Delilah
This dish was wonderful and so easy. I used bone in chicken thighs, cooked in the oven and drained the fat. Added some sautéed mushrooms because we love them. I didn’t have fresh thyme or basil but added some dry to the sauce. Served it with some left over scalloped potato’s and fresh asparagus. Hubs loved it. Will definitely make again using fresh herbs which I will have this Spring and Summer.
Janice Huggins
This has rapidly become a family favorite, even enticing my pickiest eater to the table. The chicken is so juicy, the flavor fantastic and the sauce is perfect. I make sautéed potatoes with it and some sauce always "finds" its way onto them. Just an all around good dish. We've made your recipe many time but I thought I would comment since when I asked Ms. Picky what we should have for dinner, she thought and said "something really good....hmmm Marry Me Chicken!" I am cooking it now. Thank you for sharing1
Brittany
This is soo amazing. My favorite recipe to impress the family and friends!!
Brandi
The sauce is Amazing! Thank you. I served with Grits 🙂
SandE86
This dish turned out awesome. I cut back on crushed peppers for my husband, but it still had a good flavor. I will definitely be making it again.
Jessica Contreras
Delicious! My husband and I loved it. Next time I will add a little less red pepper flakes - I put in 1/2 tsp and my nose was running, lol.
Beth
Delicious! Entire family (some picky eaters) all loved it!
Karen
My husband brought home sundried tomatoes in balsamic so I used them and they were a nice balance to the red pepper flakes. This dish is a
100% keeper!
Damaris
Absolutely delicious!! I doubled the sauce so I could have enough for the mashed potatoes. Served it with mashed potatoes and asparagus. Perfect
Maxine Parrotta
Very easy recipe! Guests really enjoyed it. Left overs were good the next day too.
Summer
My family loves this recipe. This time, I had 6 really big chicken breasts so I had to improvise a bit. I put them in a 9x13 baking dish, doubled the sauce recipe, and then poured it over the chicken. Covered the dish with foil and baked for 30 minutes. I used the extra sauce with spaghetti and it was a hit!
Helen
Love this dish!! I cook mine in a Dutch oven. Also, I add sliced mushrooms before putting in the oven. After removing from oven, I add fresh baby spinach!
Maite Stephens
Loved this recipe!!!!! I will definitely make it again for our supper club friends!!!
Frances Herman
This recipe was so good my husband said it was as good as a dish in a nice restaurant. Big compliment from him. It's a regular in my house. Thanks for the recipe.
Mona
Hi,
For those cooking in the oven longer do you still sauté the chicken? Wondering if can just put everything including raw chicken, sauce and mushrooms in the oven? Any help is appreciated. I know this changes the recipe a lot so thank you for providing yours!
Liz
This was a hit. Though I should’ve warned my husband ahead of time what it was before I set it in front of him. He thought it was bacon, so to hear that it was actually sun-dried tomatoes was a bit of a let down, lol. Followed recipe exact, and did not tell him it was anything special. Just wanted to get his unbiased reaction. He loved it. We both agreed it could be served for company and was definitely worth making again. I used pretty large breasts, which I would not do again. Made them a little drier but the sauce saved them. Doubling the sauce is a good choice. Served it with mashed potatoes and a crusty ciabatta to soak up the extra sauce. Excited to try it with a few variations (adding artichokes, mushrooms, spinach, goat cheese, serving over pasta, etc...). Though next time, we want to experiment and try it with bacon and Asiago, instead of the tomato/Parmesan! And may try another reviewers suggestion to use tenderloins in a baking dish for ease in serving the kids. Thanks for an easy, delicious recipe that can have lots of fun variations!
Lorena
Very moist and insanely flavorful. The best chicken breast I have ever made in the oven. Melissa has such a wonderful palate for recipe development.
Jeanie
I have made this twice & the sauce does not thicken even with heavy cream. Is it because I used powdered thyme? And I used freshly grated Parmesan cheese & it clumped together.
Tomi
My sauce was super runny and never really thickened up, so it didn’t really adhere to the chicken, so my chicken up tasting bland. Any suggestion on how to thicken up the sauce?
Melynda
Made this recipe last night. I didn’t change anything and it turned out great. Hubby loved it and said this is a keeper!!!
Kathleen
Last time I made this recipe using my cast iron skillet the cheese from the sauce stuck to the pan and it was an absolute nightmare to scrub clean. I had made it one other time and don't remember that being an issue. Any thoughts on preventing this?
Laura
This was amazing. I’m not skillful in the kitchen…like at all. But this actually came out to be so delicious! We all loved it.
J
Have made this several times and it has become a favorite for special occasions! Mushrooms make a yummy addition. We serve this either with risotto or thin spaghetti. So yummy!
Sally C
Made this tonight and doubled ingredients for more sauce over whole wheat penne. I only used 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes and it was still pretty spicy…I can’t imagine using more! Also, added more cheese to thicken sauce. The sauce keeps the chicken moist and we loved the fresh herbs with sun dried tomatoes. Delicious!
Debs Fellowes
I get confused when a recipe calls for "red pepper flakes" - are these dried chilli flakes - the hot red ones? Or are they sweet red pepper flakes? We don't seem to get these in the UK - well you can from Amazon but if they are the same as chilli flakes then I already have those in abundance.
Gen
You can use chili flakes instead, but they won’t be as hot, so you might want to double the amount. Or…use the same quantity if you don’t want it to be hot. I used the full teaspoon of red pepper flakes and we loved it, but it definitely cleared our sinuses!
FYI, the difference between the two is that chili flakes use only one kind of red pepper (typically a milder one) while red pepper flakes use several kinds and typically contain one or more spicy ones.
Kelli
This is my go to meal when I want to impress someone and it never fails! I have cooked pancetta with it before and it really enhances this dish wonderfully. Also, I've used evaporated milk in lieu of the heavy cream and that worked out just as well. Love, love, love this dish!!!
Gen
I made this exactly as the recipe instructed and wouldn’t change a thing. Some people have commented that the sauce was thin, but that’s how it’s going to be unless you add cornstarch or flour. I served my chicken sliced on a bed of fettuccine, and the sauce was absolutely perfect spooned over that. Warning: If you don’t like a lot of heat, cut back on the red pepper flakes by half. I used the full teaspoon and it was just right for us, but it will clear your sinuses!
Dean
This dish is amazing! Packed with flavor and makes me look like I know what I am doing in the kitchen! Looks so sophisticated and I was intimidated to make it at first but boy was I wrong. All my friends that follow you and make your recipes always talk about this dish. Great job MH!
Tiffany
One of our new weeknight staples. This chicken recipe is so juicy and full of flavor. It is simple to make and does not take much time at all!!! I will be making this again next week for sure! Thanks for sharing!
Cvoelkel
This chicken was so good! My whole family (six of us) loved it! That is really unusual. I have a picky family. There is usually at least one person grumbling. Thank you for sharing! I will make again and again.