The Ultimate Marry Me Chicken Recipe for Date Night
Master this Marry Me Chicken recipe with golden crust and rich sun-dried tomato cream sauce. Perfect for impressing dinner guests or date nights.
The Ultimate Marry Me Chicken Recipe for Date Night
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Dinner
Cuisine
Italian-American
Author:
This recipe comes from Matt Pittman, CEO of Meat Church BBQ, YouTube personality, and friend of Montana Knife Company.
Servings
5
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Calories
480
Marry Me Chicken has earned its name for a good reason. According to legend, it’s inspired more marriage proposals than any other home-cooked meal.
This particular Mary Me Chicken recipe’s golden crust and rich, sun-dried tomato cream sauce make it irresistible. Once you master this recipe for Marry Me Chicken, it’ll become your go-to means of impressing dinner guests or turning a regular Tuesday into date night.
Ingredients
Grab these ingredients for the perfect Marry Me Chicken:
- 10 chicken tenderloins or 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil, plus more as needed
- 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced with a sharp, clean knife
- 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
- 1/2 tsp. of your favorite garlic and herb seasoning
- Red pepper flakes, to taste
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
- Fresh basil leaves, chopped with a clean, sharp kitchen knife, for serving
- Your favorite all-purpose seasoning to taste
Directions
Follow these instructions, and you’ll end up with the best Marry Me Chicken your dinner guests have ever had.
Prepare Your Marry Me Chicken
Season the chicken lightly with your chosen all-purpose seasoning on both sides.
Scatter the flour on a large plate. Coat each piece of chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Transfer the coated chicken to a sheet pan in a single layer.
Pan-Fry the Marry Me Chicken to Perfection
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, reduce to medium and add the butter.
When the butter melts, add your prepared chicken pieces. Cook until golden on one side, about five minutes.
Flip each piece and cook until golden on the other side, four to five minutes. Work in batches if needed, adding more oil between batches. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
Create the Signature Marry Me Chicken Sauce
Reduce the heat to low. Add minced garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, one to two minutes.
Stir in tomato paste, cooking until the color deepens, about two minutes. Add your garlic and herb seasoning and red pepper flakes.
Increase the heat to medium. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the pan bottom. Let the liquid reduce by half, about five minutes.
Pour in the heavy cream, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens slightly, about three minutes. Watch the cream closely, reducing heat if necessary to maintain a gentle simmer.
Stir in Parmesan cheese and sun-dried tomatoes until well combined. Season the sauce to taste.
Finish Your Recipe for Marry Me Chicken
Return the chicken to the pan, spooning sauce over each piece. Let everything warm through, about four minutes.
Remove from heat and garnish generously with fresh basil.
Serve your Marry Me Chicken over pasta, rice, or creamy polenta.
Recipe Note
Techniques for the Perfect Marry Me Chicken
I’ve whipped up countless batches of this Marry Me Chicken recipe. Here are the techniques I’ve learned that make all the difference:
- Pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels before seasoning for the best golden crust. Any moisture on the surface will steam instead of sear, preventing that restaurant-quality browning.
- Keep the flour coating light to prevent a gummy texture in the finished dish. A thin dusting is all you need. Shake each piece vigorously over the plate to remove excess.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan instead of pre-shredded for a smoother sauce. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that can make your sauce grainy.
- Add pasta water to the sauce if you’re serving it over noodles for a better coating. The starch in the pasta water helps the sauce cling to every strand.
- Let the chicken rest for two minutes before serving to redistribute juices. This small pause makes the difference between dry meat and juicy Marry Me Chicken.
- Double the sauce ingredients if you love extra for dipping bread. Trust me, you’ll want every drop.
This recipe for Marry Me Chicken works perfectly at family gatherings, at home after a long day pursuing game in the field, or as a romantic dinner that might lead to a bigger commitment.
Whether you’re cooking for someone special or just treating yourself and your hunting buddies to a restaurant-quality meal at home, Marry Me Chicken proves the best recipes are the ones that bring people together around the table.
