Marry Me Chicken

Savory, rich, and tangy, this Marry Me chicken recipe is a no-brainer when you’re in the mood for a creamy chicken dinner. However, if you’re on the hunt for other tasty dinners to make with chicken, our archives have countless other five-star dishes to try! My Chicken Fricassee Recipe is a French classic that gets its gourmet flavor from a mixture of earthy mushrooms and luscious wine sauce. Or, you can try my Chicken and Mushroom Stroganoff for a hearty, noodle-packed dish that brims with a sumptuous, velvety taste. 

Ingredients

There are two major groups of ingredients for Marry Me chicken: the chicken and the sauce. The good news is that all of the ingredients you need are readily available at U.S. grocery stores, making this dish a must-have for busy weeknights.

• Chicken cutlets: A vital element of the Tik Tok Marry Me Chicken is the poultry’s thin, delicate texture. Though you can buy pre-made chicken cutlets at your local grocery store, you can prepare them yourself by halving whole skinless chicken breasts lengthwise. However, as you cut your halves, make sure that your halves are of equal size and thickness to promote even cooking. If you find that any portion of your meat is thicker than desired, use a meat mallet to tap these sections until they achieve a uniform size.
• Seasonings: Because this recipe’s sauce is full of savory, tangy, and creamy flavors, all you need to season it is kosher salt and pepper.
• All-purpose flour: Flour is the core thickening agent in this recipe, ensuring it doesn’t come out too liquidy.
• Olive oil: I use olive oil to give my chicken cutlets a perfectly seared exterior and infuse their sauce with deep, fragrant flavors. However, any vegetable oil—such as avocado oil, canola oil, etc.—would also work. You can also use a combination of olive oil and unsalted butter if you want to give your recipe a more decadent finish.

• Fresh garlic cloves
• Chicken stock: For this recipe, I recommend using either homemade chicken stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock if you don’t want to make your own. If you’re in a pinch, you can also use vegetable stock, though it may not have as savory, umami-rich flavors as meat-based alternatives.
• Heavy cream: You must use whole-fat heavy cream when making this married chicken recipe, as low-fat or no-fat versions will not thicken, resulting in a watery, less flavorful sauce.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: One of the most essential ingredients in this recipe, sun-dried tomatoes, give this tasty recipe a hint of tart, tangy, and mildly sweet flavors. I suggest using a 4-ounce jar of sun-dried tomatoes, resulting in one cup of tomatoes to use. However, be sure that the brand you buy has no added sugar, as the additional sweetness will make your chicken’s sauce too sweet, knocking its savory profile off-balance.
• Parmesan cheese: I prefer to buy a block of parmesan cheese and grate it myself to ensure maximum freshness and nutty, buttery flavors. However, you can also purchase pre-grated versions to cut down on prep time.
• Spices: The best way to animate this recipe with light, herbaceous flavors is to season it with a mixture of dried oregano and dried thyme (plus a dash of red pepper flakes if you’re a fan of spice). Alternatively, you may use pre-made Italian seasoning for a simpler solution.
• Lemon juice: Though this ingredient doesn’t appear in the original recipe, we found during testing that lemon juice provides a much-needed kick of acid to the mix, brightening the heavier flavors with a tantalizingly zesty edge.
• Fresh basil: Herby, light, and colorful, fresh basil makes an ideal garnish for this creamy chicken dinner.

How Do You Make Marry Me Chicken?

There’s a reason why this viral dish caught on so quickly: it’s a cinch to make but tasty enough to make you want to lick your plate clean. With these step-by-step instructions, you can enjoy an easy chicken recipe any day of the week.

1. Dry the chicken: Use a few sheets of paper towels to pat dry all sides of the chicken cutlets, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper.
2. Dredge: Place the all-purpose flour on a shallow dish. Then, dredge both sides of the chicken breasts through the flour and shake off any excess.
3. Heat the oil: Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Wait until the olive oil turns shimmering hot.

4. Cook the chicken: Gently add the chicken cutlets to the skillet, ensuring you don’t overcrowd the pan (you may cook the meat in two batches if necessary). Cook the chicken on each side for 3-4 minutes (or until fully cooked through), then transfer them to a plate and set them aside.
5. Sauté the garlic: Reduce the burner’s heat to medium-low. Then, add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and the garlic. Saute the mixture for 30 seconds until the garlic turns soft and translucent, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
6. Begin the sauce: Slowly add the chicken broth and heavy cream to the pan, then add the sun-dried tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat, simmering it for another 2-3 minutes. Whisk frequently until the liquid thickens slightly.

7. Add the seasonings: Whisk the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese into the sauce, followed by the oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes (if using), and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning and add more as necessary.
8. Add the chicken: Transfer the cooked chicken to the sauce and let the mixture simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the meat warms through.
9. Serve: Serve the sun-dried tomato chicken over a bed of pasta and top it with chopped basil.

Expert Tips

Savory, tangy, and exquisitely smooth, this recipe tastes straight out of a gourmet restaurant. With these pro tips, however, even beginners can make their dinner guests fall in love with this creamy chicken dish.

• Time-saving: The most time-consuming part of this recipe comes from preparing the chicken cutlets. Therefore, if you’re looking to cut down on prep time, the easiest shortcut is to buy pre-made cutlets, which have the bonus of being evenly sized from the get-go.
• Cook chicken thoroughly: Unlike most other chicken dishes, this easy chicken dinner recipe requires that you fully cook the chicken cutlets before adding them to the sauce. A good rule of thumb is to sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan until the skin develops a nice golden brown color. Though the chicken’s color certainly helps determine doneness, using a meat thermometer is the most foolproof way to check whether your chicken is ready. When done, your thermometer should register at least 160 degrees F. when inserted into the center of your cutlets.
• Prep everything before you start: This creamy chicken recipe comes together in a snap, with the entire recipe basically ready once you add the cream. Therefore, preparing the ingredients before you begin cooking will help eliminate kitchen stress and streamline the cooking process. 
• Taste for seasoning: Before adding the chicken back into the pan, I highly suggest tasting your sauce for seasoning and adding more if necessary. This step is crucial because Parmesan cheese tends to have a salty profile, so it’s best to wait until you incorporate all the sauce’s primary ingredients before adding extra seasoning.
• Serve right away: Because of this recipe’s thick Parmesan sauce and succulent pan-seared chicken, it tastes best when still warm. Therefore, I don’t recommend letting the dish rest or cool before serving.

Other Cooking Methods / Variations of this TikTok Viral Recipe

Like any viral recipe, as this new chicken recipe gained popularity, countless other versions surfaced on social media, from quicker variations to other cooking methods. Below, I’ve listed a few fan favorites to help make your cooking easier.

• Oven-Baked Marry Me Chicken: For this oven-baked variation, cook your chicken cutlets separately in a preheated oven and, when ready, cut them into small chunks. Then, make the sauce on the stovetop and add the cooked chicken to the sauce at the last minute. You can also use leftover chicken if you don’t want to bake chicken from scratch.
• Lazy Marry Me Chicken: Though I don’t prefer using this method, it offers a great way to simplify this recipe, coming together with almost zero prep time. To make lazy marry me chicken, heat store-bought alfredo sauce, tomato pesto, and heavy cream on the stovetop. Then, cook frozen breaded chicken strips in the air fryer and, when ready, add the chicken to the mixed sauce.
• Instant Pot Marry Me Chicken: If you prefer to make this recipe in a pressure cooker, use the “saute” setting to sear the seasoned chicken on each side until browned. Then, remove the chicken and add the chicken stock, Italian herbs, and sun-dried tomatoes to the pot. Once mixed, re-add the seared chicken and cook the mixture on high pressure for ten minutes. After that, use the Instant Pot’s quick release, remove the chicken again, and return the cooker to its saute function. Add the Parmesan cheese and mix the sauce until it becomes smooth. When ready, add the chicken to the sauce once more and serve while warm.