This Marry Me Chicken recipe has pan-seared chicken in a rich and creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. If your partner needs a little nudge toward saying "yes," this dish might do the trick! Jokes aside, I probably can't guarantee your future love life, but I can guarantee this will be one of the best chicken dinners you ever eat.
Can't get enough of delicious chicken dinners? Try my chicken piccata or lemon pepper chicken next!
About This Recipe
If you're looking to impress someone for marriage (..or just a date), this dish will NOT disappoint. It's super tasty, and the flavors are slightly more elevated than a regular weeknight meal. It's perfect for a special occasion! Serve it with some red wine, dim the lights a bit, and yeah this is a pretty romantic meal!
I actually made this for my wife and I last year for Valentines day and we both really enjoyed it. It was super easy- only took about 30 minutes to put together. And my wife absolutely loved it. She asked if we could make it outside of Valentine's Day as well. And the answer to that is obviously yes.
So today, I'm making Marry Me Chicken on a random week in December :). My absolute favorite part of this dish is the creamy and slightly tomato-y sauce. Cream and tomatoes pair so well together, and the addition of sundried tomatoes adds another level of sophistication.
Key Ingredients
Chicken breasts: Chicken breasts are standard in this recipe, but I actually made this with chicken thighs the first time. You can use whatever you want! But I will say that I prefer chicken breasts because they are leaner and pair better with the creamy sauce.
Extra virgin olive oil: For searing the chicken.
Chicken stock: For the chicken stock, I just mixed Better than Bouillion chicken base with water.
Heavy cream: This is essential for the sauce. Do not skip or replace this with a lower-fat option.
Tomato paste: One tablespoon is needed to bump up the tomato flavor in the sauce. You can put leftovers in your freezer.
Sundried tomatoes: You can use either sundried tomatoes packed in oil or dry-packed ones. For dry-packed ones, I like to soak them in warm water for 15 minutes.
Fresh basil: Fresh basil is absolutely critical for the recipe.
Seasonings: Salt, pepper, dried oregano, red pepper flakes.
Instructions
STEP 1: Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side until golden. I had to do this in two batches because my pans could only fit two breasts.
STEP 2: To the empty skillet, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
STEP 3: Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 3-4 minutes.
STEP 4: Add back the chicken and continue cooking until the chicken breast is cooked through or reaches an internal temperature of 150°F. Stir in the basil and parmesan cheese. Spoon the sauce over top of the chicken and season with more salt and black pepper to taste. Enjoy!
📋 Recipe
Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes (chopped)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil
Instructions
- Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook 5 minutes on each side until golden. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add back the chicken and continue cooking until the chicken breast is cooked through or reaches an internal temperature of 150°F.
- Stir in the basil and and parmesan cheese. Spoon the sauce over top of the chicken and season with more salt and black pepper to taste. Enjoy!
Leave a Reply