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Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me Chicken is a viral-style Italian-American chicken dinner with golden seared breasts in a sun-dried tomato cream sauce. The sauce simmers to a thick, glossy coating with Parmesan and cream, then bubbles briefly as the chicken finishes in the skillet.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.5 tsp pepper to taste
  • 1 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning to taste
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Sun-dried tomato cream sauce
  • 4 clove garlic, minced
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and sliced
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 cup fresh basil for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the boneless skinless chicken breasts generously on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sear the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F; remove to a plate.
Build the sun-dried tomato cream sauce
  1. Add the minced garlic and sliced sun-dried tomatoes to the same pan and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze the pan, scraping up browned bits, until the liquid looks lightly reduced.
  3. Stir in the heavy cream, grated Parmesan, dried Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, then simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over each breast.
  2. Simmer for 2 minutes, until the chicken is coated and the sauce gently bubbles.
  3. Garnish with fresh basil for garnish and serve over pasta or mashed potatoes.

Notes

For the best restaurant-style sear, let the chicken sit after seasoning so the spices cling, and don’t move the breasts during the first sear. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet over low heat until warmed through (add a splash of broth or cream if the sauce tightens). Freezing is not recommended due to cream separation. If you want a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream for a thinner but still creamy sauce.