This Marry Me Chicken recipe is a delicious creamy chicken breast recipe with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach in a light cream sauce. Your significant other will definitely want to say “Marry me” after trying this recipe!
Marry Me Chicken
This one-pan dinner is inspired by the viral “Marry Me Chicken,” made with a few tweaks to lighten it up. It’s such a delicious way to make boring chicken breasts taste amazing! It features the same tender boneless chicken breasts nestled in a tomato cream sauce but replaces heavy cream with cream cheese and half-and-half and adds spinach for an extra veggie. The finished dish is so rich and cozy that you won’t even know the cream is missing. Plus, each serving has 30 grams of protein! More chicken breast recipes you will love, Slow Cooker Chicken Taco Chili, Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breasts and Air Fryer Chicken Bites.
Why This Creamy Sundried Tomato Chicken Works
- Makes Boring Chicken Breast Exciting! I’m a dark meat girl, so if I am making chicken breasts, they have to be good!
- Impressive: Your guests will swoon over this chicken and may even proclaim their love for you. The juicy chicken with the creamy tomato sauce is so good, and it’d be great to serve for your next at-home date night!
- Healthy Marry Me Chicken: I lightened up the sauce, kept the olive oil to a minimum, and added more vegetables.
- Quick and Easy: This chicken dish cooks in one skillet in less than 30 minutes.
What Is Marry Me Chicken?
“Marry Me Chicken” is a popular dish featuring chicken breasts cooked in a creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, parmesan, and herbs. Its rich flavor is said to be so impressive that it could inspire a marriage proposal, making it a favorite for romantic dinners and special occasions. Easy to prepare, it combines gourmet flavors with simple ingredients, contributing to its widespread popularity. Since I am already married, I think my husband fell in love with me all over again when I made this.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients (See Recipe Card Below for Exact Measurements and Directions):
- Sundried Tomatoes: Drain sundried tomatoes from oil and chop them.
- Chicken: You’ll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise.
- Salt and Black Pepper to season the chicken.
- Flour: Coat the chicken breasts in flour before searing them.
- Minced Shallot and Garlic are cooked until fragrant and added to the sauce.
- Tomato paste gives the sauce a light tomato flavor.
- Spinach provides extra fiber, vitamin C, and calcium.
- Marry Me Chicken Sauce: Combine chicken broth with half-and-half and reduced-fat cream cheese for a creamy sauce that’s lighter than the original recipe.
- Seasoning: Dried oregano, red pepper flakes
- Parmesan Cheese: Grate fresh Parmesan over the chicken before serving.
Step-by-step Instructions:
- Prep the Chicken: Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness, season with salt and pepper, and dredge the pieces in flour.
- Cook the Chicken in a large skillet on medium-high heat for about five minutes on each side. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté the Vegetables: Add the remaining olive oil with the shallots and garlic. Then, stir in the tomato paste and cook for a minute. Add the sundried tomatoes and spinach and cook until the spinach wilts.
- Make the Sauce: Reduce the heat to low, and add the cream cheese, broth, half-and-half, oregano, and red pepper. Stir until the cream cheese is fully melted.
- Serve: Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer them in the sauce for a few minutes. Sprinkle with grated parmesan and serve.
Variations
- Chicken: Swap chicken breasts with chicken tenders or thighs.
- Gluten-Free: Replace all-purpose flour with a gluten-free mix.
- Broth: Substitute vegetable broth with chicken.
- Spiciness: For spicier chicken, add more red pepper flakes or omit them for a milder version.
Serving Suggestions
- This one-pot chicken dish is great on its own since it’s high in protein and has a serving of veggies. Pair it with a slice of hearty bread to soak up the sauce.
- Serve this easy Marry Me Chicken recipe with pasta, like spaghetti, cavatappi, or orzo.
- Eat this meal with mashed potatoes or your favorite grain, like quinoa or rice, and green beans or a salad.
Storage
Leftover chicken will last up to 4 days in the fridge. If you want to freeze it, it will last 3 months in the freezer. Reheat it in the microwave until warm.
More Chicken Breast Recipes You’ll Love
- Baked Chicken Parmesan
- One-Skillet Chicken with Bacon and Green Beans
- Chicken Fajitas
- Air Fryer Chicken Breast
- Baked Chicken Breasts
Marry Me Chicken Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
- 2 8-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved lenghtwise, 1 lb total
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour, or gluten-free flour mix
- 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, divided (I used oil from the sundried tomatoes)
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 4 cups baby spinach, packed
- 1 1/2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, (3 tablespoons)
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons half-and-half
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- pinch of red pepper flakes, adjust to your taste
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Begin by pounding the halved chicken breasts to an even thickness (about 1/2-inch thick). Season them with salt and black pepper. Dredge each chicken piece in flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil (or use from the sun dried tomatoes) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 4-5 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through and has a golden-brown crust. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the minced shallot and garlic and sauté for about 1-2 minutes until they become fragrant and translucent.
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add the chopped sundried tomatoes and baby spinach to the skillet. Cook until the spinach wilts.
- Reduce the heat to low, and then add the cream cheese, chicken broth, half-and-half, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes. Stir until the cream cheese is fully melted and the sauce is well combined.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and let it simmer in the sauce for a few minutes until heated through.
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.
Last Step:
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Notes
- Chicken: Swap chicken breasts with chicken tenders or thighs.
- Gluten-Free: Replace all-purpose flour with a gluten-free mix.
- Broth: Substitute vegetable broth with chicken.
- Spiciness: For spicier chicken, add more red pepper flakes or omit them for a milder version.
