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Win hearts with this easy marry me chicken recipe! The depth of flavor in the perfectly seasoned creamy tomato sauce is incredible in this 30-minute meal.
Try my Simple Filet Mignon, Marry Me Chicken Pasta, or Seared Scallops next.
Why you’ll love it
You’ll say a thousand times “Yes!” to this easy chicken recipe. Supposedly, marry me chicken will snag you a spouse if you make it for that special someone. Who can resist the tomato-y, creamy, garlicky, white wine-y, herby, totally delicious magic?
As with most of the creamy chicken recipes in the Salt & Lavender arsenal, this one is hassle-free and quick to make with a simple technique. Marry me chicken was popularized on TikTok, but I’m hoping my take on it will be the one you fall in love with!
What you’ll need
- Chicken breasts – we’re cutting boneless skinless chicken breasts in half lengthwise so they cook faster and more evenly
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, it seasons the chicken directly
- Butter and olive oil – for sautéing
- Flour – to thicken the sauce
- Garlic – adds more savory flavor
- White wine – an elegant touch. Use a dry white like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc, not a cooking wine. Use chicken broth if needed.
- Heavy cream – to make the sauce luxurious
- Tomato paste and sun-dried tomatoes – for that rich tomato flavor
- Oregano and basil – dried oregano and fresh basil are meant to be together
- Red pepper flakes – they add a gentle warmth and really do enhance the dish, so unless you absolutely can’t tolerate even a hit of spice, I’d keep them in
- Parmesan – the final cheesy touch
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use my 10.25″ Le Creuset skillet for many of my skillet chicken recipes.
- A Microplane zester is a simple way to grate the parmesan.
- Use a classic chef’s knife to easily slice the chicken, and an instant read thermometer is the easiest way to know it’s cooked through to 165F.
How to make marry me chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut the chicken in half to make four cutlets. Season them, and then pan sear until cooked through. Transfer to a plate, and cover. To the skillet, add the flour and garlic, cooking for about a minute.
Pour in the wine, and whisk so that the flour dissolves. Simmer, and reduce by half. Stir in the cream, tomatoes and tomato paste, oregano, and red pepper flakes.
After letting it thicken to your desired consistency, remove from the heat, and stir in the parmesan and basil. Return the chicken, and season with extra salt & pepper if needed.
Helpful tips
- Grate your own parmesan cheese! The pre-grated kind doesn’t melt or taste as good, and it tends to clump together.
- Sun-dried tomatoes sometimes come in jars packed in oil, or you can get them dry-packed without oil. They will often come julienne-cut (thin strips), but you can definitely chop them to a more manageable size if yours don’t.
- Be sure to let your skillet heat up sufficiently before you add the chicken. It helps achieve a nice sear!
Substitutions and variations
- This recipe has the perfect marriage of flavors, so I recommend making it the first time as suggested. 😉
- If you’re not a fan of sun-dried tomatoes, I would chop up a small tomato and use it instead, or leave them out altogether.
- You could add a handful of fresh spinach in towards the end until it wilts.
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream. The acidity in tomatoes is likely to curdle the sauce, and it won’t taste as good.
What to serve with marry me chicken
- A dinner roll, a veggie side like my Easy Roasted Asparagus or Maple Roasted Beets and Carrots, and a simple Baked Potato or Mashed Potatoes make this a fantastic meal.
- Round it out with a salad for balance. Try my Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad or spring mix with this Creamy Balsamic Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store marry me chicken for 3-4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
- Reheat in a saucepan over a low heat slowly until warmed through.
- Creamy sauces don’t freeze well, so I wouldn’t recommend doing that.
More easy chicken recipes
If you said yes to this marry me chicken recipe, leave a star rating and review below! You can also tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram if you made it.
Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes see note
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 small handful fresh basil chopped/torn
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make four thinner pieces. Sprinkle them with the garlic powder and salt & pepper.
- Add the butter and olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Let the pan heat up for a few minutes.
- Cook the chicken for about 5-6 minutes/side or until it's golden and cooked through (165F). Transfer the chicken to a plate and loosely tent it with foil to keep it warm (turn the heat off while doing this step).
- Turn the heat back on to medium, and add the flour and garlic to the skillet (the pan should still be hot, but if it's not, let it warm up a bit first). Let it cook for about a minute or so, stirring often.
- Pour in the wine and whisk it until the flour has dissolved. Let it bubble until the liquid has reduced by half.
- Stir in the cream, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes, and then let it simmer for a few minutes until it's thickened to your desired consistency (turn the heat down if it's rapidly boiling).
- Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the parmesan and basil.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet (and any juices from the plate) and spoon some sauce over top. Season with extra salt & pepper as needed.
Notes
- Use parmesan cheese from a block that you’re grating yourself for best results. The pre-grated kind doesn’t taste or melt as well, and it tends to clump together.
- If your sun-dried tomatoes are packed in oil, drain them first. If they aren’t already cut into small pieces/strips, I recommend chopping them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this following the directions exactly and it was delicious!! My husband can be a picky eater and he ate all of it! Wonderful recipe.. I’m making another one of yours tonight and am so excited to try it!
Lovely!! Thank you, Kathy! 😀 Appreciate your review.
It was ok. Not that difficult and did not need a novel about everything related to making this dish. Ridiculous!!!
Hi Ginger! Believe it or not, as *ridiculous* as it sounds, many readers value a description of the dish, step-by-step photos for how to make it, storage and leftovers info, etc. since it’s all valuable to have success with the recipe in their kitchens. That said, we realize you’re an expert on all things cooking, so our deepest apologies for the mental toll that scrolling for 3 seconds put on you.
I thank you for the instructions for every step! It is so helpful!! I make so many of your recipes and just love them!!
I’m thrilled to hear that, Barb! 🙂 Thank you!
I appreciate the “novel” that G Rice was unhappy with. I need the pictures and the step by step. We are not all chefs in the kitchen. What are a few extra seconds! Thank you for this recipe !
😀 Thank you, Eileen!
I love this response so very much. Good for you!
Haven’t actually tried this recipe yet, but your sausage orzo soup might be the best thing I’ve ever made. Ever. I did sub broccoli raab and I think it was a real success. Give it a try.
Aww thank you!
My 17 year old daughter requested this for her birthday dinner. This recipe did not disappoint, delicious!! I made exactly as written, except I didn’t measure anything 😀 We really enjoyed this dish and will be making many times again. I served with broccoli and mashed potatoes. It would be fantastic with pasta but we needed a change from noodles.
Love that!! 😀
That’s me.. I’m one of those readers who appreciates all the information and input from others who’ve made the dish as well 🙂 I’m not a chef by any means and can use all the help I can get 🙂 Thank you!
You are very welcome, Kathy!
Touche!!! That “Jump to Recipe” button needs a relabel. Just call it the “Ginger” button! 🥰
When you buy something at the store and it comes with instructions, your head must just explode, huh? You probably ask to see the manager a lot. 😂 How dare this food blogger explain to us how this recipe should be made! I see that you also found it easy to make- that’s strike two! 3-stars it is! (I have seen a lot of “ridiculous” comments on food blogs, but this one takes the cake.) Anyway, I actually came here to leave a well-deserved 5-star review because this recipe has been on repeat in our house for weeks. It’s super. The post answered a few questions that I had on substitution and serving options on more than one occasion- Thank you Natasha!
I’m thrilled you love this recipe, Sarah!! And thank you for your support!!
tsk tsk Ginger. clearly your cooking skills are far superior than the rest of us. next time stick to food and wine website. i, however, found this the perfect after work cooking for a busy family recipe.
Very yummy. First time making it and it was very delish. Served mine with garlic mashed potatoes 😋
Wonderful!! Thank you, Tamelia! 🙂
This chicken was a flavor bomb! My family loved it. I left out the sundried tomatoes bc we have *some people* who don’t like chunky things in sauce. 😉 My sauce was a bit thick so next time I might use less heavy cream and more wine/broth. Served with roasted potatoes that were great in the extra sauce. Thanks!!!
I’m so glad it was a hit!
I loved the Chicken Piccata and made it without the heavy cream. It was delicious and my husband and I both loved it!
A neighbor had us over for dinner and served this and I begged her for this recipe. I have compared it with NY Times Recipe and yours is superior. Thank you!
I love that!! 😀 Thank you!
It was great with your butter noodles I did tweak it a bit added thyme 1/2 tsp and mushrooms that I had left over probably a cup and a half the chicken broth I got was open so I used 1/2 cup water and tbs of chicken bouillon
I’m thrilled to hear that, Justin!! 😀
This is so good. I’m making it for the second time. Adding spinach. Is there a way to serve this over pasta? Double the sauce maybe?
I’m thrilled you like it!! Yes, I think doubling the sauce should work. Or maybe make my garlic butter noodles with it and just pour a little sauce over: https://bit.ly/46kHEiJ
This was my favorite version of this recipe with the white wine instead of chicken broth! Thank you for sharing it with us!
You’re very welcome!
Could I sub a non-dairy alternative for the cream?
You could try. Some readers have used Silk’s dairy-free whipping cream in similar recipes of mine. Let me know how it goes!