My husband said he wanted to marry me all over again after one bite of this Marry Me Chicken! I make a lighter version of this easy, one-pan dinner recipe with tender chicken breasts in a light, creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach. It’s so good, and on the table in 30 minutes.
Marry Me Chicken
This one-pan dinner is a lighter spin on the viral “Marry Me Chicken,” and it just might win over everyone at your table. Juicy boneless chicken breasts simmer in a rich tomato cream sauce made with cream cheese and half-and-half instead of heavy cream, plus a handful of spinach for extra veggies. It’s cozy, flavorful, and anything but boring… with 30 grams of protein per serving.
If you love the flavors in this Marry Me Chicken recipe, I have more chicken breast recipes I think you’ll love for dinner that are weeknight-approved: Spinach-stuffed chicken breasts, chicken gnocchi soup, and Chicken Florentine.
Why This Marry Me Chicken Recipe Is a Hit
“Marry Me Chicken” is a popular dish featuring chicken breasts cooked in a creamy sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, parmesan, and herbs. The story goes that its rich, gourmet flavors are so impressive that they could inspire a marriage proposal. For this reason, Marry Me Chicken is a favorite for romantic dinners and special occasions. I’m already married, but even my husband said he’d marry me all over again after trying it!
- Jazz up a package of chicken breasts: I’m usually a dark meat girl. When I make chicken breasts, they have to be good. This recipe delivers.
- Date-night worthy: Marry Me Chicken looks and tastes impressive enough to serve guests or make for an at-home date night. That creamy sun-dried tomato sauce? Swoon-worthy.
- Lightened-up classic: I swapped the heavy cream for a lighter combo and added spinach for a veggie boost. It’s still a rich and satisfying dinner, just more balanced.
- One-pan wonder: Make it in one skillet, under 30 minutes, no fuss.
Ingredients You’ll Need
I’m always looking for ways to lighten up comfort food without sacrificing flavor. After testing this chicken recipe multiple times to get the balance of creaminess and flavor just right without the heaviness, these are the winning ingredients. See the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- 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 adds some leafy greens. Kale or chard is a good substitute.
- 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.
How To Make Marry Me Chicken
Here’s the step-by-step directions. See recipe card for printable recipe.
- 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.
Tips from the Skinnytaste Community
These reader-tested tweaks and tips help make this Marry Me Chicken recipe even more flexible and delicious:
- Double the sauce: Many readers recommend doubling the sauce, especially when serving over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
- Use the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes: Several commenters sautéed the chicken in the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar for extra flavor.
- Dairy-free success: Readers had success using plant-based cream and cream cheese, or combos like almond milk + extra cream cheese, or even Laughing Cow wedges.
- Vegetable swaps: Don’t like spinach? Try kale, mushrooms, or even chopped broccoli. One reader added mushrooms with the shallots and loved it.
- Lower points & custom protein: Some used chicken thighs, tenders, or even rotisserie chicken. One even made it with tofu!
- Time-saving prep: A few readers suggested prepping everything in advance to save time midweek. Others found the recipe quick if you chop while the chicken cooks.
- Serving ideas: Popular pairings included orzo, angel hair pasta, mashed potatoes, cauliflower rice, or roasted veggies. One reader added cooked tortellini right into the skillet.
Tried this chicken dish with your own twist? Drop a comment! I’d love to hear how you made it. If you share photos on social media, use the #SkinnytasteMadeIt, giving me permission to share your image.
More 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
Serve saucy Marry Me Chicken with pasta, like spaghetti, cavatappi, or orzo. I also love it spooned over rice, quinoa, or I’ll keep it low-carb with cauliflower rice. This is the kind of dinner that’s super flexible, and I often make it a meal with the side dish ideas below.
Pair with easy sides
Storage
- Refrigerate. Leftover Marry Me Chicken will last up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Freeze. If you want to freeze it, it will last 3 months in the freezer.
- Reheat. Reheat the chicken and sauce in the microwave until warm.
FAQ
Marry Me Chicken is a viral one-pan recipe made with boneless skinless chicken breasts, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic, cooked in a rich tomato sauce with cream.
Dredging the chicken lightly in flour is a technique used in Italian recipes like chicken piccata. Flour helps the chicken crisp up when it’s pan-fried and also thickens the sauce.
Pounding the chicken to an even thickness encourages even cooking.
Absolutely. If you’re using chicken that’s already cooked, you can prepare the Marry Me Chicken sauce as written and add the chicken to heat through at the end.
More Chicken Breast Recipes You’ll Love
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 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.