Marry Me Chicken Recipe (2024)

By Naz Deravian

Updated Dec. 12, 2023

Marry Me Chicken Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Rating
4(9,018)
Notes
Read community notes

This cozy dish, whichwent viral on TikTok with claims that if you prepare it for someone, you will end up getting married, features boneless chicken breasts nestled in a creamy, tomato-y sauce. With wedding bells in mind or not, this dish comes together fairly quickly and is just as great for entertaining as it is for a family meal. In this version, the addition of tomato paste adds a bright acidity to the rich cream sauce and complements the sun-dried tomatoes. Serve with crusty bread to sop up all the juices as well as tangy green salad to balance out the sauce’s richness. Or, try it over pasta,rice orpolenta.

Featured in: The Chicken That Might Put a Ring on It

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 3large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 6 chicken cutlets (about 2¼ pounds total), patted dry
  • Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
  • ¼cup all-purpose flour
  • 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1tablespoon tomato paste
  • ½teaspoon dried oregano
  • Red-pepper flakes, to taste
  • 1cup low-sodium chicken stock
  • ½ to ¾cup heavy cream
  • ½cup (1½ ounces) grated Parmesan
  • cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
  • Fresh basil, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    If using chicken breasts, start from the thickest end and slice each chicken breast in half horizontally so you end up with a total of 6 cutlets (see Tip). Season both sides of the chicken cutlets well with salt and pepper.

  2. Step

    2

    Scatter the flour on a large plate and coat the cutlets, shaking off the excess. Transfer the cutlets to a sheet pan or large plate in a single layer.

  3. Step

    3

    Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. As soon as it melts, add the cutlets and cook until golden on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook the other side until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Do this in batches, if needed, adding more oil, if needed. Transfer the cutlets to a plate or sheet pan.

  4. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring until the color deepens, about 2 minutes. Add the oregano and red-pepper flakes, to taste. Increase the heat to medium, add the stock and bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

  5. Step

    5

    Add ½ cup of the cream and warm through, stirring, until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Watch the cream closely, reducing the heat if necessary, to maintain a gentle simmer. Stir in the Parmesan and the sun-dried tomatoes. Add more cream, if you like, and season the sauce. Place the chicken back in the pan to warm through, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and scatter basil on top.

Tip

  • To make it easier to slice into cutlets, place the chicken breasts in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Ratings

4

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9,018

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

cd1600

I have been making this for years. I pound my chicken cutlets and by the time it’s done they’re are falling apart tender. I add a lot more broth and thicken it with the flour from the chicken. I also add a half pound of cooked pasta and a lot of raw baby spinach at the end - it melts from the heat and makes this a true one pot meal. I always have enough for at least 2 nights!!

amanda v

Made this tonight. Didn’t have cream so used whole milk and some flour to thicken. We don’t like SDT so I used a can of petite diced tomatoes drained and it was delicious. Served it over rice. Was very good, easy and came together quickly. Marry me tho? Maybe not lol. Sleep with me, maybe haha.

Souad Sharabani

You don't need to use that much oil & butter to make this dish, 1/2 the amount is sufficient . You can also use milk, or coconut milk instead of cream

Ash

Add a finely diced shallot when you add the garlic, you won’t regret it.

Curt Conklin

In college we used to joke that every fella needed to know how to make a creamy chicken dish for serving a first-time dine-over date. It didn't matter the recipe, but we all called it Chicken Seducto. This qualifies!

Degustibus Dan

Deglaze with a shot (or two) of vodka after cooking the tomato paste (double that too) and the dish becomes pretty classic vodka sauce.

Donna

Wondering if you could use greek yogurt instead of heavy cream to cut back on the fat content?

Lindsay

Sub the dairy for sour cream, add some onions, serve it with spaetzle or other dumpling and you’ve got chicken paprikash. Yes, my spouse we would remarry me for this.

Stephanie T

This was really good, and the leftovers reheated well and made a great lunch! I did make some modifications based on some notes. After browning the chicken, I sautéed some mushrooms until nicely browned, removed from pan and then sautéed some finely diced shallots and garlic until soft. Added the tomato paste and after a few minutes deglazed with a splash of vodka. once that cooked off, I added the broth and followed the rest of recipe, adding the mushrooms along with the chicken in that step.

Katie

This recipe nearly caused a divorce in my household as my boyfriend got so mad at the amount of oil I had splattered everywhere. Also I used chicken thighs as it was the only thing I had in the fridge. Frankly the outcome was a little gross, between the fattiness of the thighs and the creaminess of the sauce. I know, none of this is the fault of the recipe, but I guess my advice is don't use thighs and get a boyfriend who doesn't hover over you while you cook.

Christina

As a newlywed, my first dish was this! I added extra red pepper flakes for more heat, and doubled the amount of sun dried tomatoes for extra tangy-ness. I also threw some basil into the sauce after removing the pan from heat, as well as extra for garnish. Came out great!

steve rayman

Threw some vermouth in to deglaze the pan.

JG in Florence

I made this as written. It was very tasty and the whole family enjoyed it, and I liked the overall technique in the recipe. The sauce was yummy mopped up with bread.That said, I doubt me or my partner would have been impressed by this kind of food. Butter, cream and parmesan on chicken is rich. It's good, but if we want to splurge, we'd rather do it on something else!

SophiaSprinkles

So if it’s like a curry but without spices and with sun dried tomatoes, it’s nothing like a curry. *shrugs*

beepboop

I always put toasted garlic breadcrumbs on top, with a little bit of cumin. It's my version of curry not curry!

Steven Yanas

Me and my new girlfriend have been curiously anxious about the new steps forward in our blossoming relationship. In this anxiety one of the biggest hurdles was our relatability in cuisines. Not anymore! Not only did this meal bring us closer but it perhaps sealed the deal (fingers crossed). Marry me chicken? ya right, more like Marry me Today Chicken!

Kathleen G.

Almost 48 years ago I made Aglio e Olio (spaghetti with oil and garlic) for man I'd met the day before at a road race. We've been together ever since. I made it last night and while it was good, I wouldn't put it in the Marry Me category. I did add more garlic-8 cloves (really, Naz, 3 cloves for almost 3 pounds of chicken), 2 TBS paste, 2 cups chicken stock and about a cup of my home grown sun dried tomatoes. I served it over spaghetti with a salad. Not sure if I would make again.

Jody

Served over jasmine rice. Boyfriend and I don’t plan on marrying, but this dish? It’s incredible just the way it is. Do nothing but enjoy it.

blaze

Make chicken thighs flat

blaze

Flatten thighs and use canned diced tomatoes instead of sundried

Katharine

I doubled the sauce and declined the pan with cognac. As someone suggested prior, I served it with a half pound of cooked pasta and a generous amount of fresh spinach. I sliced the chicken into bite-size pieces before heating in the sauce, and poured the chicken and sauce mixture over the pasta and spinach. It made a wonderful one pot meal that my family truly enjoyed. I’ll definitely make this again, probably adding a shallots as suggested. a shallot as other people have suggested.

Hannah

I made this with extra firm tofu, using two blocks cut into six slabs each. AND OH MY GOODNESS WAS IT DELICIOUS! The whole family flipped out over it and wants to eats it every day forever.

Jeff

Added sautéed mushrooms and served over papardella pasta.

Connie

I double the sauce and serve it over Pappardelli pasta!

Connie

I don't know who comes up with the "PREP" times for NYT...but, unless you have a couple of sous-chefs it takes almost twice the amount of time listed!

Connie

As with most recipes that have a sauce, I usually make 1 1/2 times or double the amount of sauce. My husband loves the sauce over mashed potatoes!

RSB56

The family is simply wild about this dish. I've made it exactly as written, but agree, a little less oil and a little less butter. I might also just go ahead and use the full 3/4ths cup of cream to make more sauce. Unfortunately in both cases an unexpected delay came up and the dish holds only so-so with the oil and the cream separating if left too long. (Still scrumptious, however.)

Amy

This dish has a most a delicious sauce. I wish I had more and next time will create a larger volume of it. I did substitute a coconut creamer (without sugar) instead of regular dairy cream, and the result is still excellent. I used thin chicken breasts which saved some time, minced the garlic instead of chopping, and used whole wheat flour.

Tina

this took us way longer than an hour, even after all the ingredients were measured out, and it was just fine. it was good enough. maybe “marry me” is selling it too hard.

deb

I made this tonight and thought it was tasty. The only thing I did differently was to use Calabrian chili paste instead of pepper flakes. I served it over slightly buttered egg noodles. I like the idea below of french bread to mop up the sauce!

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Marry Me Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is marry me chicken made of? ›

Golden, juicy chicken coated in a simple creamy sauce with tomatoes, garlic, and thyme. I love this with mashed potatoes and a salad! This is just so good.

How long does it take to bake chicken breast? ›

If you're following a specific recipe, then don't deviate! Otherwise, follow this general formula: Cook large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts for 20 to 30 minutes in a 375-degree-F oven. Cook large, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts for 35 to 40 minutes in a 375-degree-F oven.

How to cook chicken like a chef? ›

How to Make Perfectly Cooked Chicken Breasts
  1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and black pepper on both sides.
  2. Add olive oil to a sauté pan over high heat. ...
  3. Heat the oil until it begins to smoke lightly. ...
  4. Add the chicken breasts, turn the heat to medium-high, and cook them for 3 ½ to 4 minutes.
Oct 23, 2023

What to eat with chicken? ›

Recipes like roasted Brussels sprouts or roasted potatoes are great picks. For fried or oven-fried chicken, cozy classics like mashed potatoes or garlic butter crescents are always winners. That too goes for saucy chicken casseroles (because who doesn't like some extra sauce and gravy with their taters and crescents?).

Why is it called Marry Me Chicken? ›

Why is it called Marry Me Chicken? The idea is that the chicken is so unbelievably good, it could cause a person to propose to the cook right there on the spot. Different versions have been floating around the internet for some time now, but the original came from Delish.

Which is the tastiest chicken dish in the world? ›

Butter chicken, also known as Murgh Makhani, has recently claimed the top spot in the "Top 100 Chicken Dishes in the World" list by TasteAtlas, (an online guide for traditional food) solidifying its place as a global culinary sensation.

Is it better to bake chicken at 350 or 400? ›

You can roast or bake anywhere between 325 and 450 degrees F. When roasting a whole chicken, a nice rule of them is to start at 400 to 425 degrees F and then turn the oven down to 350 after 15 minutes and cook until the internal temp of the chicken is 165 – 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer.

Should you bake chicken breasts covered or uncovered? ›

If you prefer a tender and moist result, covered baking will be the better option. If you're desiring a crispy exterior and bolder flavors, uncovered baking is best.

How do you cook chicken breast without drying it out? ›

Pro Tip: The key to a juicy chicken breast is to not over-cook it. To prevent your chicken breast from turning out dry, use an instant-read thermometer to check when the internal temperature has reached 165°F.

What is the secret to moist chicken? ›

Brine. Like a marinade, a brine helps chicken breast soak up as much moisture as possible before cooking. It only requires three ingredients: water, salt, and a pinch of sugar.

How do chefs get chicken so tender? ›

Brines and marinades help tenderize the meat by bringing more moisture in the protein. With that extra moisture, you lose less when you cook.

How to make chicken taste better? ›

Marinating is good for flavouring and tenderising your chicken at the same time. It's best to marinate your chicken overnight to give the flavours plenty of time to infuse. A faster way to add flavour is to simply brine your chicken in salty water prior to cooking.

What is the healthiest thing to cook chicken with? ›

Poached Chicken

Poaching is great because it adds virtually no fat to your food, yet yields subtle flavour and moisture. To poach your chicken, add your ingredients (chicken and any other vegetables, aromatics, and spices you like) to a skillet or pot, and add a cooking liquid such as broth, wine, or coconut milk.

What is the name of the fake chicken meat? ›

Cultured meat, also known as cultivated meat among other names, is a form of cellular agriculture where meat is produced by culturing animal cells in vitro.

Where does fake chicken come from? ›

Understanding Vegan Chicken Substitutes. Vegan chicken is a food product designed to mimic the texture and taste of chicken meat. It is generally made from ingredients like vital wheat gluten, vegetable protein, and soy protein. It's usually fashioned into patties, nuggets, or roasts.

What is Chinese honey chicken made from? ›

In a large mixing bowl, mix together Chicken, Chinese Cooking Wine, Light Soy Sauce, and Egg White. Set aside to marinate for 10 – 15 minutes. In another bowl, combine Chicken Bouillon, Water, Chinese Cooking Wine, Rice Vinegar, Light Soy Sauce, Honey, and Brown Sugar. Set aside.

Is there a fake chicken? ›

Now available in the US, VFC's line of tender, crispy vegan chicken products satisfy that itch for this familiar food. The range includes breaded Chick*n Fillets, Popcorn Chick*n, and Chick*n Tenders.

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