Marry Me Chicken

This super tender Marry Me Chicken with rosemary and sun-dried tomatoes is so delicious that it just might seal the deal on a proposal! It will definitely garner brownie points for you! No one has to know how easy it is!

I'm pretty sure that Scott would propose all over again just to have the promise of this delicious Marry Me Chicken in his life. Every time I make it I know there's going to be little contented sighs, "Mmmm's" and statements like "Wow, this is so good!" and "Amazing!" and "You can make this anytime!"

History of Marry Me Chicken

The original Marry Me Chicken recipe was posted by Delish back in 2018. Since then, many versions of this creamy, garlicky Sicilian-inspired chicken with sundried-tomatoes have been floating around the internet and through our social media feeds. In fact, if you google "Marry Me Chicken", 367,000,000 hits come up!

How did this dish get its name? According to Delish, "Marry Me Chicken" earned its title from a taste test by the publication's editors. When they were sampling this recipe, someone said, after taking the first bite, "I'd marry you for that chicken!". And the rest is delicious history!

My version of this renowned chicken dish is my own rendition, but does include the creamy sauce and sun-dried tomatoes. I used my Juicy Tender Chicken Breasts recipe as a base and then went with a super simple sauce made in the same pan. I love that this recipe is easy enough to make for a quick weeknight dinner, yet it also makes a very gourmet meal for entertaining.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

How to serve this Marry Me Chicken? We really enjoy this chicken served in a bowl with fresh pasta. Fresh pasta is readily available these days in most larger grocery stores. It's often stocked in the dairy case, near the butter, cheese and yogurt. It's not only super tender and delicious, but fresh pasta is also a great option because it cooks in 2-4 minutes vs dry pasta which takes around 10-12 minutes. As we all know, sometimes those few extra minutes, especially on work nights  can be the deal-breaker!

Rice, mashed potatoes, quinoa, farro and polenta are also wonderful with this chicken. And if the sauce isn't enough of a splurge, just pair this dish with a side of roasted veggies. Broccoli, broccolini or these roasted carrots are all delicious too!

Put this Marry Me Chicken on your "must make" list. I'm quite certain you'll be thanking yourself over and over. And when you serve this dish to family, friends, guests... expect sighs of delight, "Mmm's" and statements like "Wow, this is so good!" and "Amazing!" and "You can make this anytime!" I'm not promising anything else... but who knows what this delicious chicken dinner might elicit....... maybe??

Café Tips for making this Marry Me Chicken

• A non-stick or regular heavy sauté pan will work well for this recipe. Just make sure that it has a cover as you will need that once you get to step 5 in the recipe.
• Most of the time, you'll find that chicken breasts are packaged with the pieces being different sizes. Don't wait for all of the chicken to reach 160˚F. Just keep an eye on it after 5 minutes of being covered and removed the pieces as they reach 160˚F. The ideal temperature for chicken that's moist and tender is 160-165˚F. The chicken will rise a few more degrees after you remove it from the pan.
• It's difficult to get perfectly cooked chicken without an instant thermometer. Instant thermometers aren't expensive and they last for years. I also use mine for baked goods to get perfectly done cakes and breads. This instant thermometer is waterproof and has over 7,000 5-star reviews.
• I like to make prepare a triple or quadruple batch of the rub and store it in a small mason jar. It makes preparing this recipe easy and quick. We also enjoy this chicken on its own (without the sauce) when we're watching our calories so it's super convenient to have this rub on hand.
• Want to make this dish ahead? Cook the chicken and sauce as directed but keep them separate. If you're preparing the recipe more than 30 minutes in advance, refrigerate both the sauce and chicken separately. Before serving, re-warm the sauce over low heat for 10 minutes, then add the chicken, cover and continue to heat (on low) until the chicken is warmed through.
• I like to use sun-dried tomatoes in oil for this recipe. I scoop out the amount I need with a slotted spoon then chop them up with a sharp knife. If you can't find sun-dried tomatoes in oil, dried will also work but you'll need to re-hydrate them before chopping.
• Either full or low-fat (Neufchâtel) cream cheese will work for this recipe but not fat-free.
• This recipe calls for white wine. A dry, crisp white wine will work well. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and dry sparkling wines are all good choices. If you don't drink wine and don't want to buy it just for this recipe, you can sub extra chicken broth for the wine.

Thought for the day:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. 2 Peter1:2

What we're listening to for inspiration:

Grace Flows Down

If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.

5 from 21 votes

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Marry Me Chicken

This super tender Marry Me Chicken with rosemary and sun-dried tomatoes is so delicious that it just might seal the deal on a proposal. No one has to know how easy it is!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Marry Me Chicken

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Total Time: 40 mins

Servings: 4

Calories: 338 kcal

Ingredients

For the rub:

• 2 teaspoons garlic salt
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For the cream cheese mixture:

• 4 ounces cream cheese
• ¼ cup milk

For the chicken

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1½-2 pounds
• 1 small lemon thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• For the sauce:
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• ¼ cup white wine
• 1 ½ cups chicken broth maybe more
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained, plus more for garnish, if desired
• 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
• fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Combine the garlic salt, Italian seasoning, paprika and pepper in a small bowl. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board or large plate and sprinkle both sides with the rub. Place lemon slices on a separate plate and sprinkle with a little bit of the rub. Use all of the rub.

2. Place cream cheese in a small microwave-safe bowl or cup. Cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave on high power for 20-40 seconds or until cream cheese is very soft. Stir until nice and smooth then, slowly add the milk. Stir again until all of the milk is incorporated and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Set aside.

3. Heat a medium-large sauté pan or skillet (a pan that has a cover) over medium heat. Add the butter and oil and heat until butter is melted and beginning to bubble. Add the lemons and sauté for 30 seconds then remove them back to the plate.
4. Add the chicken breasts to the pan (smooth side down) and cook, uncovered for 3 minutes or until underneath side is a pretty golden brown. You want the chicken to be sizzling while it cooks but if the butter/oil is splattering (making a mess on the stovetop), reduce the heat a bit to maintain a gentle sizzle.
5. Flip chicken to the opposite side and cover the pan. Lower the heat slightly and cook for 5-12 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken) until underside is golden brown and an instant thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast reads 160˚F. (Don’t go by just color. It’s important to check the temperature.)
6. Remove the chicken to a clean plate and tent with foil.
7. Add the finely minced or grated garlic to the pan and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the wine and chicken stock and increase the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits from the chicken. Boil for 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by about one half.
8. Reduce heat to low and add the cream cheese mixture, the sun-dried tomatoes and the chopped rosemary. Stir and cook over low heat until cream cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it out with a little more chicken broth. It should have the consistency of heavy cream.

9. Return the chicken to the pan and cover. With the heat on low, cook for about 3 minutes or until chicken is warmed through. Top with the lemon slices and sprinkle with extra chopped rosemary (and sprigs, if desired) and sun-dried tomatoes, for garnish.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for further instructions and detailed tips.

Calories 338kcal

Fat 21g

Saturated fat 9g

Cholesterol 113mg

Sodium 1761mg

Potassium 735mg

Carbohydrates 9g

Fiber 2g

Sugar 3g

Protein 28g

Vitamin A 885%

Vitamin C 30%

Calcium 85%

Iron 2%

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