A simple one-pan dish featuring tender chicken fillets smothered in a rich, creamy sauce. Ingredients include cream, parmesan, paprika, and sun-dried tomatoes.
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Each ingredient brings loads of flavour, but they make a truly delicious dish when married together!
Why is it called marry me chicken?
You'll find many different answers on Google, so it's unclear where the name really came from.
The idea is that this chicken dinner is so irresistibly delicious, serving it to your special someone might just inspire a marriage proposal on the spot. 😉
Although it may not guarantee a proposal, it's sure to impress. You can make it just for one with surprisingly little effort.
Ingredients
Some recipes call for sliced mushrooms, but I decided to add spinach to mine for a healthy twist!
But as it's so tasty, you will wish you had more sauce! 😋
To serve 4
You will need 4 chicken fillets, 50 ml more chicken stock and 30 ml more cream. Plus another 10 g of Parmesan.
Olive oil and butter:
Oil has a higher smoke point than butter, which helps prevent the butter from burning while still delivering its rich flavour.
Butter adds depth and richness to the sauce. Using both together is perfect for browning the chicken and cooking the shallots and garlic.
Plain (all-purpose) flour:
Coating the chicken in flour before frying it in oil and butter helps create a beautiful golden colour.
Chicken breast fillets:
Skinless chicken breast fillets are essential for this dish because they cook quickly. Chicken thighs will not taste the same and take longer to cook, so avoid them in this dish.
Spices and seasoning:
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, sweet paprika, and dried oregano all add spice and seasoning. Fresh basil leaves are used to garnish the dish and, of course, add even more flavour.
Eschalion (banana) shallots and garlic:
Shallots are a variety of onions that are milder and sweeter than white or brown onions. If you must, you can use red onion instead. Garlic adds a vital flavour to the final sauce.
Tomato purée (paste in the US):
Double-concentrated tomato purée is exactly what you need. It deepens the sauce’s colour and adds a rich, full-bodied flavour.
Sun-dried tomatoes:
Sun-dried tomatoes bring a rich tomato flavour and a touch of sweetness to any dish.
Chicken stock:
Stock is a base for the sauce, which, when the other ingredients are added, is so good you will want more!
Double (heavy) cream:
Will thicken up the whole sauce and make it truly delicious and creamy.
Parmigiano reggiano:
This hard Italian cheese adds the perfect finishing touch that only comes from being aged. You could use regular Parmesan, but it hasn’t been aged as long and doesn’t pack the same depth of flavour.
Equipment needed
So, how do we make it?
Full details in the printable recipe card below 😉
Spread the flour on a plate and press the chicken into it, making sure both sides are evenly coated.
In a large frying pan, heat the butter and oil over medium heat, then add the chicken.
Cook for 5 minutes, turn, and cook for 5 minutes (the chicken will not be cooked through at this stage).
Remove the chicken and put it onto a plate.
Turn the heat low. Add the shallot and garlic and cook while stirring.
Add the tomato puree, paprika, oregano, and chilli flakes, give it a stir, cook for a minute, then add in the sun-dried tomatoes.
Pour in the stock and add the cream and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Put the chicken back into the sauce, put a lid on the pan, and cook for 6 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
Check that the chicken is cooked through. Using a digital meat thermometer, the chicken should be 74°C (165°F) at its thickest part.
Add the spinach (if using) for just a minute or so to wilt. Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle over the basil leaves and serve right away.
What to serve with Marry Me Chicken
- rice
- tenderstem broccoli
- mashed potatoes
- pasta
- crusty bread for dipping and mopping that delicious sauce!
Another cream sauce recipe you might like is Tarragon Chicken 😋
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!
Easy Marry Me Chicken Recipe
A simple one-pan dish featuring tender chicken fillets smothered in a rich, creamy sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 skinless chicken breast fillets
- 3 tablespoons plain flour (all-purpose)
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 large eschalion (banana) shallot - peeled and finely diced.
- 2 fat garlic cloves - peeled and minced
- 100 g sun-dried tomatoes in oil - drained well
- 1 tablespoon of tomato puree (paste in the US)
- 1½ teaspoons sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 150 ml chicken stock - ½ a Knorr stock cube dissolved in boiling water
- 150 ml double (heavy) cream
- 35 g Parmigiano Reggiano - grated
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- a small handful of spinach
- a few fresh basil leaves - torn
Instructions
- Start by making the stock and leave it to cool; otherwise, it will curdle the cream when you add it to the dish later on.
- Put the flour on a plate and press the chicken into it to coat on both sides.
- Heat the butter and oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. When it's nice and hot, add the chicken breasts. Cook for 5 minutes, turn, and cook for 5 minutes (the chicken will not be cooked through at this stage).
- Remove the chicken and put it onto a plate.
- Lower the heat and add the shallot and garlic, cook for 5 minutes whilst stirring. Next, mix in the tomato puree, paprika, oregano, and chilli flakes, stirring and cooking for another minute. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Pour in the stock and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Then add the cream and Parmesan. Stir, have a taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Put the chicken back into the sauce, put a lid on the pan, and cook for 6 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
- Check that the chicken is cooked through. Using a digital meat thermometer, the chicken should be 74°C (165°F) at its thickest part.
- Add the spinach for just a minute or so to wilt. Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle over the basil leaves and serve right away.
Notes
To serve four, use 4 chicken fillets, 50ml more chicken stock and 30ml more cream. Plus another 10g of Parmesan.
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Jan