Marry Me Chicken For Two

Name: Marry Me Chicken For Two
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves; Salt and freshly ground black pepper (to taste); 3 tablespoons olive oil (or as needed); 1 medium shallot (finely chopped); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 1/4 cup dry white wine (plus more to balance sweetness IF needed); 3/4 cup chicken broth; 1 cup heavy cream; 1/4 cup drained and finely chopped oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (*see note ); 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to tolerance); 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for serving); 1 small sprig fresh basil (5-6 leaves) (thinly sliced); Angel hair pasta ((optional))

Jump to Recipe

5 from 1 vote

30 minutes

Here's the classic Marry Me Chicken recipe scaled perfectly for two--the way it should be. This famous creamy, indulgent chicken dish with sun-dried tomatoes is super easy to make and perfect for any date night.

One serving of Marry Me Chicken in white bowl over angel hair pasta garnished with fresh basil.

TABLE OF CONTENTS - Click the Icon to Find the Info You Need FAST!

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

I've been seeing "Marry Me Chicken" on numerous websites and food blogs lately, so I decided to look into why it has become so popular.

The rich, creamy, cheesy pan sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, herbs and a touch of heat from red pepper flakes blankets tender boneless skinless chicken breasts is indeed delicious!

I did have to chuckle when I looked at the ingredients for Marry Me Chicken because I've been making a similar sun-dried tomato chicken dish for personal chef clients for over 20 years!

Even if you’re already married, it’s worth making this version of the rich and creamy chicken dish for your sweetheart.

This Marry Me Chicken recipe is:

Easy!
Crazy rich and delicious!
Comes together in about 30 minutes.
Scaled perfectly for two. You can certainly make four servings (as most of the recipes I've seen are for) of this recipe simply by doubling it, but Marry Me Chicken does not reheat well because of the cream sauce.

Let's make it!

How to Make Marry Me Chicken For Two:

Recipe Ingredients:

Here’s everything you’ll need to make this Marry Me Chicken recipe along with how to prep the ingredients. See the recipe card below for the exact quantities.

Ingredients for Marry Me Chicken in glass bowls.

Ingredient Notes:

Chicken Breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breast halves are generally used in a Marry Me Chicken recipe. However, if you prefer boneless skinless chicken thighs, by all means, use them. They're also a little more budget-friendly. Add another 1-2 minutes of cooking time and make sure they're cooked to 165 degrees.
Shallot: Shallots are a member of the onion family and are used extensively in French cooking. They grow in clusters (heads) similar to garlic but without the quantity. They have a mild oniony flavor with a hint of garlic. Regular onion can be used instead if you prefer.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes are dehydrated tomatoes. They're dehydrated in the sun, a dehydrator or an oven. When tomatoes are dried they shrink from the loss of their water content and lose 90% of their weight. Sun-dried tomatoes are sweet, tangy and chewy. I highly recommend using sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil because they're ready to use. If using bagged sun-dried tomatoes, you'll need to rehydrate them in hot tap water for 20 to 30 minutes.
Dry White Wine: Use a good dry white wine that you enjoy drinking. NON-ALCOHOLIC SUBSTITUTION: Use an alcohol-free wine or use extra chicken broth with a tablespoon of white wine vinegar added to it.
Heavy Cream: This Marry Me Chicken recipe was tested with heavy cream (also called heavy whipping cream) not whipping cream, which has less fat. Heavy cream will thicken up nicely. With whipping cream, you may need to add a thickening agent such as cornstarch, flour or just have a thinner sauce. If using half-and-half, you'll definitely need to add a thickening agent.
Parmesan Cheese: If grating the cheese yourself, grate it as finely as possible. Mine was pre-shredded but before adding it to the sauce, I just chopped it up more.

Step-By-Step Instructions:

Gather and prep all the ingredients.
Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and black pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat.
When the oil is hot and shimmering, place the chicken breasts in the hot oil top side down first.
Cook until browned on the first side, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook another 4 to 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through to 165 degrees in the thickest part. Transfer to a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Two browned boneless skinless chicken breast halves in white enamel cast iron skillet.

Add the shallot, reduce heat to medium-low.
Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until softened. (If necessary, add a little water or chicken broth to keep the shallot from burning. The shallot will take on the color of the fond, but you don't want it to brown or burn.)
Add the garlic and cook briefly until fragrant, approximately 10 seconds.

Cooked diced shallots in white enamel cast iron skillet.

Add the white wine and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up all the browned bits.

Cooked diced shallots with white wine in white cast iron enamel skillet.

White wine and diced shallot in white enamel cast iron skillet after it deglazed the skillet.

Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes.

Chicken broth, heavy cream, sun dried tomatoes, dried oregano and red pepper flakes in white enamel cast iron skillet.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes or until slightly reduced and thickened.

Finished cream sauce in white enamel cast iron skillet.

Stir in the Parmesan cheese until it's melted and blended into the sauce.
The sauce should now be thickened enough to the point where you can run a spatula or spoon through it and the path will not immediately fill in.

Cooked sauce with Parmesan cheese added.

Finished sauce in white enamel cast iron skillet with spatula being run through it to show proper consistency.

Stir in the fresh basil.
Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Adjust the flavor balance with 1 to 2 tablespoons of additional dry white wine if the sauce tastes too sweet to you.

Finished sauce in white enamel cast iron skillet with fresh basil added.

Slice the chicken and carefully return the chicken to the skillet and simmer briefly on low to bring it back up to the safe temperature of 165 degrees.

Sliced chicken breasts in finished sauce in white enamel cast iron skillet.

Serve this easy Marry Me Chicken recipe over angel hair pasta if desired. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Done! The simple recipe for Marry Me Chicken!

Two servings of Marry Me Chicken in white bowls over angel hair pasta garnished with fresh basil with light blue napkin and glass of water.

Chef Tips and Tricks:

When searing a protein, you always want to start with the "presentation" side first which would be the top or the best-looking side as with a steak. With a boneless, skinless chicken breast, it would be the smooth top side. Keep it on the heat without touching or turning it until it's golden brown.
To effectively judge the thickness/viscosity of a sauce, run a spatula or spoon through it. If the path fills in immediately (right behind the spatula/spoon), it's quite thin. If there's a delay as shown in the above photo, it's the correct consistency. If there is a significant delay, the sauce is very thick.
Slicing the chicken and then adding it back to the sauce will enable it to heat back to the safe temperature of 165 degrees faster. It's also a little easier for your dining partner to enjoy--no need for a knife which can be awkward if served over pasta.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Why is it called "Marry Me Chicken?"

The story is about the kitchen crew and staff at Delish who were testing sauteed chicken with a creamy sun-dried tomato and Parmesan sauce. The flavor was so good that shouts of “I’d marry you for that chicken!” could be heard. It wasn’t long before word spread of this “marriage proposal material” chicken dish.

Can Marry Me Chicken be made ahead of time?

I don't recommend it. I'm not sure why, but the color of the sauce begins to deepen almost immediately upon standing. Reheating cream sauces may also cause them to "break" or separate.

What can I use instead of sun-dried tomatoes?

Roasted red bell peppers from a jar would be lovely in this recipe but you won't have the same sweet-tangy flavor.

Storage:

If there are any leftovers, refrigerate them promptly. Reheat covered at 350 degrees until heated through to 165 degrees. Be prepared that there the color changes to a much deeper color.