You’ll surely fall in love with this Marry Me Chicken recipe. Make this juicy chicken topped with a sensational sun-dried tomato cream sauce for your partner, and it’s said he’ll pop the question next!
I am a living example of the saying: “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”. Cook my man a big bowl of something delicious, and he’ll swoon. Marry Me Chicken is really so good, that there actually might be something behind the legend that this dish will get him on one knee!
What’s different about my Marry Me Chicken recipe from the rest? This recipe is more than just chicken with a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. It’s PACKED with flavor from shallots, garlic, herbs, parmesan cheese, and most importantly, a touch of champagne vinegar and grainy Dijon mustard for tanginess that cuts the richness of the cream. The tang is everything! Seriously, you won’t regret it.
Want other creamy dishes that just might be proposal-inducing? Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta and Lemon Pasta are two of my hubby’s favorites.
What is Marry Me Chicken?
“Marry Me Chicken” is known for its creamy, flavorful sauce made from heavy cream, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, and oftentimes garlic, onion and parmesan cheese. Chicken breasts are cooked on the stovetop and then served with the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce spooned over the top. It’s comforting and indulgent and SO delicious that it’s said that if you make Marry Me Chicken for your partner, a proposal will be the next question!
What You’ll Need to Make Marry Me Chicken
- Chicken breasts – while you absolutely can use different cuts of chicken (which will require different cook times), I use boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe.
- Shallots – shallots add complementary sweetness and texture.
- Garlic – garlic makes everything better!
- Heavy cream – cream provides a rich, creamy sauce that’s a signature attribute of marry me chicken.
- Sun-dried tomatoes in oil – sun-dried tomatoes in oil are tender and flavorful. Look for high-quality sun-dried tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil if possible, since you’ll be using the oil from the jar to cook the chicken.
- Parmesan cheese – a generous sprinkle of parmesan cheese (or Parmigiano-Reggiano) adds a touch of salty, nuttiness.
- Champagne vinegar – champagne vinegar tastes like a more complex white wine vinegar. While you can use white wine vinegar, if you can find champagne, it’s the best option! A splash of vinegar adds tanginess that cuts the richness of the cream.
- Tomato paste – tomato paste creates a beautiful deep blush cream sauce.
- Whole grain Dijon mustard – whole grain Dijon mustard adds texture and tanginess.
- Fresh oregano – fresh oregano adds Italian earthy, floral notes.
- Fresh spinach – a handful of fresh spinach provides a pop of green freshness.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken
Learn how to make the best Marry Me Chicken! Full instructions in the recipe card; this is an outline!
- Prep.
Preheat oven to 170 degrees and prep ingredients.
- Heat.
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil from sun-dried tomatoes jar in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken breasts, in a single layer, in the skillet.
- Cook.
Cook chicken on one side for 10 minutes, then flip and cook for 5-10 minutes until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
- Warm.
Remove chicken, wrap in foil, and keep warm in the oven.
- Sauté.
In the same skillet, sauté shallots, garlic, and vinegar for 3 minutes.
- Add.
Add cream and mustard, and heat until simmering.
- Add more.
Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 3-4 minutes.
- Add even more.
Add spinach and parmesan, and stir until spinach wilts. Add more vinegar if desired.
- Serve.
Serve chicken with sauce and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
What to Serve With Marry Me Chicken
With Marry Me Chicken’s rich and flavor-packed sauce, there a lots of ways to serve it to complete the meal:
- Serve over or mixed into pasta, like penne, orecchiette, or fettucine.
- Add a scoop of rice, quinoa, or couscous to your plate to soak up the extra sauce.
- You can’t go wrong with a slice of crusty bread on the side, like a Homemade Baguette!
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes and chicken are a classic combo. For a lower carb version, try Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes!
- Roasted Green Beans or Roasted Zucchini are two great roasted veggie side dishes to serve with Marry Me Chicken.
- A Cucumber Tomato Salad is a fresh option that will only take you 15 minutes to make.
Tips
Want some tips and tricks to make sure your Marry Me Chicken turns out perfectly? Here they are!
- Prepare all your ingredients before you start cooking so you don’t overcook the chicken or scorch the sauce.
- Cooking times may vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts.
- Cook the chicken in a large skillet with enough space between each piece to ensure even cooking.
- Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should register at least 165 degrees when cooked!
- Champagne vinegar is more complex than white wine vinegar, so if you can find it, use it!
- Use good-quality sun-dried tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil if possible. Cooking the chicken with the olive oil from the jar will help infuse the chicken breasts with flavor.
- Stay away from lower fat dairy like half and half or milk, which can curdle when heated. For a lighter sauce, use 50% heavy cream and 50% chicken broth.
Storage
- Store leftover Marry Me Chicken in the fridge, covered, for up to 3 days. Make sure the chicken and sauce are fully cooled before covering.
- Reheat chicken itself in a 350-degree oven, wrapped in foil, for 5-10 minutes until hot. Reheat the sauce on the stovetop over low heat, or in the microwave in increments of 30 seconds. You can also reheat the chicken in the microwave but the oven-method reheats chicken the best!
- I don’t recommend freezing the sauce; however the cooked chicken itself can be frozen for up to 3 months.
More Chicken Recipes You’ll Love!
Best Marry Me Chicken
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts, equal sized
- 4 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, chopped, plus 2 tablespoons of the sun-dried tomato oil
- 3 tablespoons finely grated parmesan cheese, plus more to garnish
- 2 tablespoons champagne vinegar, or white wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon whole grain Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh oregano
- 1 handful fresh spinach
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 170℉. Prep all ingredients ahead of time.
- Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar throughout a large skillet. Preheat the pan over medium heat until hot. Add the chicken breasts as far apart as possible.
- Let cook over medium heat on side #1 for 10 minutes. Flip. Cook on side #2 for 5-10 minutes depending on the size of the breasts, until chicken registers at least 165 degrees.
- Remove chicken from pan, wrap in foil, and place in the oven to keep warm.
- In the same pan, add the shallots, garlic, and vinegar over medium heat. Sauté for 3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the cream and mustard, stir, and heat until it just starts to simmer.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir until incorporated. Let simmer for 3-4 minutes over medium heat.
- Add spinach and parmesan. Stir until spinach just wilts. Add a ½ tablespoon more vinegar if you prefer a tangier sauce.
- Serve chicken with generous spoonfuls of sauce and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese!
Video
Notes
- Champagne vinegar is more complex than white wine vinegar, so if you can find it, use champagne vinegar!
- The cook time of your chicken breasts varies depending on the size of the breasts. Monitor the internal temperature once you flip them to side #2 to avoid overcooking!
- Look for good-quality sun-dried tomatoes in extra virgin olive oil if possible. Cooking the chicken with the olive oil from the jar will help infuse the chicken breasts with flavor. I love Mezzetta’s sun-dried tomatoes (this is not an ad).
- You can use ½ tablespoon dried oregano if preferred.
- Stay away from lower fat dairy like half and half or milk, both of which can curdle when heated. If you’d like a lighter sauce, I recommend using 50% heavy cream and 50% chicken broth.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! I made this last night using bone-in chicken thighs with the skin removed because I find chicken breast to be dry and unpalatable. Covered the seared thighs with the sauce and baked at 350F till the chicken cooked through. It was perfect. I will be making this dish a lot in the future. Thank you Grace.
Hi There!
I’m so glad the chicken turned out well. I love chicken thighs too 🙂 Thanks for your comment, and hope to see you soon!
Grace