Description

Marry Me Chicken is a delicious dish featuring tender boneless, skinless chicken breasts cooked in a creamy, flavorful sun-dried tomato cream sauce with hints of garlic, parmesan, and herbs. This recipe results in a rich yet balanced sauce, perfect for serving with potatoes or vegetables for a comforting and elegant meal.

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chicken

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 3–4 large breasts)
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil or other neutral oil

For the Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce

2 tablespoons minced garlic
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
½ cup grated fresh parmesan cheese (at room temperature)
1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (preferably packed in oil)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (more or less to taste)
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)

For Serving (Optional)

Chiffonaded fresh basil
Grated fresh parmesan cheese

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Instructions

Prepare and Sear the Chicken: Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board, trim if necessary, and pound them until evenly thick. Pat dry all sides with paper towels, then season generously with salt and freshly cracked black pepper on both sides. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot and shimmering, sear the chicken breasts for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until lightly golden but not fully cooked. Remove chicken and set aside without draining the skillet.
Make the Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce: Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low; add minced garlic and sauté for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant. Pour in chicken broth, stirring to loosen any browned bits. Remove skillet from the heat and cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in heavy cream until fully incorporated, then add parmesan cheese and whisk gently until melted.
Simmer the Sauce: Return the skillet to medium-low heat and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until warmed through. Add sun-dried tomatoes, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir together and taste to adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, oregano, or red pepper flakes. Bring sauce to a slow simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.
Finish Cooking the Chicken: Place the seared chicken breasts back into the skillet and flip them 3 to 4 times to coat thoroughly in the sauce. Transfer the skillet into the preheated oven. Bake for about 13 minutes, then check doneness with a meat thermometer. Continue cooking until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 160° Fahrenheit. Remove from oven once done.
Rest and Serve: Spoon sauce over the chicken and let rest in the skillet for 5 minutes to allow residual cooking to bring the chicken temperature to 165° Fahrenheit. Transfer chicken to serving plates, spoon remaining sauce on top, and garnish with chiffonaded fresh basil and extra parmesan if desired. Serve immediately with your choice of sides such as potatoes or asparagus.

Notes

Use chicken breasts of similar size and thickness for even cooking. Large breasts can be sliced into cutlets or pounded thinner.
The sauce is intentionally thinner than an Alfredo; add more parmesan, cream cheese, cornstarch, or flour to thicken if desired.
Freshly grate parmesan from a block for best melting and flavor; pre-grated cheese may contain fillers and not melt well.
Make sure cream and cheese are at room temperature before adding to avoid clumping or curdling when combined with hot liquids.
Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil add richer flavor; add some of the oil when sautéing garlic or adding tomatoes to the sauce.
To chiffonade basil, stack leaves, roll tightly lengthwise, and slice thin ribbons perpendicular to the roll.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 480 kcal
Sugar: 3 g
Sodium: 450 mg
Fat: 32 g
Saturated Fat: 16 g
Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 7 g
Fiber: 1 g
Protein: 38 g
Cholesterol: 140 mg