Marry Me Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

INGREDIENTS

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (2 1/2 ounces)

4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (2 to 2 1/2 pounds total)

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 sprigs fresh basil

Directions

INSTRUCTIONS

How to Make Marry Me Chicken

Prep the chicken. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, add to a resealable bag (or between two pieces of plastic wrap if you don’t have any bags), and use a meat mallet to pound the chicken to an even 1/2-inch thickness. (If you don’t own one, there are other ways to flatten the meat without a mallet). This will ensure even cooking.

Sear the chicken. Working in two batches, sear the chicken on both sides in a large skillet, until deep brown. The chicken won’t be cooked through yet.

Sauté the aromatics. Heat a spoonful of the sun-dried tomato oil and cook the garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, red pepper flakes, and tomato paste until fragrant.

Simmer the sauce. Add heavy cream and chicken broth and cook just until the sauce is slightly thickened.

Finish the chicken in the sauce. Return the chicken breast and any accumulated juices to the skillet, and cook at a gentle simmer until the chicken is cooked through. Garnish with a generous sprinkle of chopped fresh basil leaves.

Mince 3 garlic cloves. Coarsely chop 1/2 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes.

Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a large resealable bag and pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season all over with 1 teaspoon of the kosher salt.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the chicken in a single layer and sear until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a large plate (the chicken will not be cooked through). Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet and repeat searing the remaining chicken. Transfer to the same plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil and heat until shimmering. Add the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until darkened in color, 1 to 2 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1/2 cup heavy cream, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, 2 to 4 minutes.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices on the plate to the pan. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and registers at least 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer, 4 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, pick the leaves from 2 fresh basil sprigs and coarsely chop until you have about 2 tablespoons.

Garnish the chicken with the basil.

RECIPE NOTES

What’s the Difference Between Marry Me Chicken and Tuscan Chicken?

You may have noticed that these creamy chicken breast recipes seem quite similar (and you’re not wrong). Tuscan chicken was a major source of inspiration for Marry Me Chicken. It boils down to a few notable differences that set Marry Me Chicken apart

Red pepper flakes. Marry Me Chicken gets a little kick from red pepper flakes.

Cream and chicken broth. While Tuscan chicken relies on just heavy cream for the sauce, this recipe also incorporates an equal amount of broth.

Tomato paste. Here, a spoonful of tomato paste gets mixed into the aromatics to really up the tomato flavor in the sauce.

Basil. You won’t find any spinach in Marry Me Chicken (our Tuscan chicken recipe uses a full bag); instead, just before serving, you’ll shower the dish with chopped fresh basil.