Marry Me Chicken (For Two)

Why This Recipe is a Keeper!

I’ve seen “Marry Me Chicken” on numerous websites and food blogs lately, so I investigated 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!
• Rich and delicious!
• Quick! 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.

How to Make Marry Me Chicken For Two:

Recipe Ingredients:

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

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions:

• 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.

• 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.

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

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

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

• 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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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!

Chef Tips and Tricks:

• When searing a protein, you always want to start with the “presentation” side first, or the best-looking side, as with a steak. It would be the smooth top side with a boneless, skinless chicken breast. 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.

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.

What to serve with Marry Me Chicken:

• Angel hair pasta as shown
• Rice or risotto such as Champagne Risotto
• Cauliflower White Bean Puree
• Creamy Mashed Turnips
• Twice-Baked Mashed Potatoes
• Roasted Riced Vegetables with Garlic and Parmesan
• Cauliflower Rice

More great chicken recipes for two you’ll both love!

• Pesto and Goat Cheese-Stuffed Chicken with Roma Tomatoes
• Sheet Pan Roast Chicken with Potatoes and Green Beans
• Roast Chicken Half with Fingerling Potatoes
• Bruschetta Chicken

Get all my chicken recipes at Chicken Recipes – From A Chef’s Kitchen and restaurant-quality date night dinners at 30 Best Restaurant-Quality Date Night Dinners!