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Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me Chicken is a golden seared chicken dinner in a rich sun-dried tomato cream sauce, simmered until glossy and spoon-coating. This Italian-American chicken recipe turns tender breasts into an Italian cream sauce chicken with basil and Parmesan in every bite.
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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
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste; season generously.
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste; season generously.
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder to taste; season generously.
  • 0.5 tsp Italian seasoning to taste; season generously.
  • 0.25 tsp smoked paprika to taste; season generously.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Cream sauce
  • 4 garlic cloves 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
To finish
  • 1 fresh basil for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts generously on both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika. Make sure both sides look evenly coated for best flavor.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F, then remove to a plate.
Make the sun-dried tomato cream sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes for 1 minute. Stir just until fragrant to avoid scorching.
  2. Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze, scraping up the browned bits from the pan. Keep the heat at a steady simmer while you stir.
  3. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan, dried Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Simmer the sauce for 4-5 minutes until it thickens and turns glossy.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over each breast. Simmer for 2 more minutes so the chicken warms through and absorbs flavor.
  2. Garnish with fresh basil and serve over pasta or mashed potatoes. Spoon extra sauce from the skillet over the top.

Notes

Pro tip: for a restaurant-style sear, dry the chicken slightly before seasoning and don’t move it while it browns. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat gently in a skillet until warm. Freezing is not recommended because the cream sauce can separate on thawing. For a lighter swap, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, knowing the sauce may be a bit thinner.