This easy Marry Me Chicken recipe simplifies the viral sensation by using chicken thighs instead of sliced chicken breasts and skipping the breading altogether. The chicken is pan-seared to perfection and then combined with a rich sun-dried tomato parmesan cream sauce. The TikTok rumor is that this dish will make your special someone want to marry you! It’s absolutely delicious and full of flavor—definitely a WHOLE LOTTA YUM!
Ingredients
- 2 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs (or thin chicken breast cutlets)
- Salt
- Pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika (not smoked)
- 1+ tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1+ tablespoon butter
Sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or ½ teaspoon each of dried oregano and dried basil)
- ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼+ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, grated
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Trim any fat from the chicken if needed and pat it dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Cook Chicken: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and melt the butter over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken on both sides for 3-4 minutes until golden (it doesn’t need to be fully cooked). Transfer the chicken to a plate, cover with foil, and set aside.
- Make Sauce: In the same skillet, sauté the minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat to medium-low.
- Add Cream & Seasonings: Stir in the heavy whipping cream, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Warm the cream mixture, but do not let it boil.
- Add Parmesan: Gradually add the grated parmesan cheese, stirring constantly to prevent clumping, until it melts into the sauce.
- Finish the Sauce: Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes. Return the chicken to the skillet, spooning sauce over it. Let the sauce simmer for a few more minutes until the chicken reaches 165°F internally. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve: Garnish with fresh basil slivers. Serve with roasted vegetables, cauliflower rice for a low-carb option, or over rice or pasta. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can also use chicken tenders or cutlets for this recipe, reducing the cooking time to 2-3 minutes per side for tenders.
- For a boost of flavor, add fresh baby spinach when stirring in the sun-dried tomatoes.
- To lighten up the recipe, substitute olive oil for butter, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, and thicken the sauce with cornstarch.
