Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me Chicken has the most irresistible marriage of flavors that will leave you wanting more! This recipe makes plenty of restaurant-quality sauce to serve with pasta on the side.

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Servings: people

Calories: 437kcal

Author: Stephanie

Ingredients

Chicken

2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
Salt/Pepper
2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
¼ cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce

2 ½ cups chicken broth
½ chicken bouillon cube or ½ tsp better than bouillon
½ cup half and half
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon hot sauce see notes
½ cup white wine see notes
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes drained and diced
1 tablespoon cream cheese at room temp
½ cup Parmesan Cheese grated

Sauce Seasonings

¾ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon Each: dried oregano, dried basil, mustard powder
1 pinch red pepper flakes

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep Work

For the sauce: In a large measuring cup with a spout, combine the chicken broth, bouillon, half and half, honey, hot sauce, and sauce seasonings and set aside.
Measure out all remaining ingredients before beginning.

Make the Chicken

Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to create 2-3 thinner slices. Cover with saran wrap and use the textured side of a meat mallet to pound it to ½ inch thick.
Season each side with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Sprinkle with flour and rub it over the surface of each side. (The flour gives it a little texture and prevents it from sticking to the skillet. It also thickens the sauce a little more at the end.)
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes per side, until a golden crust has developed. Set aside.

Make the Sauce

Turn the heat off. Add the wine and then set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to clean the bottom and sides of the skillet, the “fond” will add more flavor to the sauce. Bring to a gentle bubble and reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 more minute.
Melt the butter and add the flour. Stir continuously for 2 minutes, until the raw flour smell is cooked off.
Add the chicken broth mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. (This is the mixture that we combined in step 1 of prep work.)
Add the sundried tomatoes. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Let it simmer and reduce for 10 minutes. During this time the flavors will meld, and the sauce will thicken and concentrate.
Reduce heat to low. Stir in the cream cheese until combined. Gradually stir in the Parmesan cheese.
Add the chicken back and spoon the sauce on top. Let it simmer and reduce for 5-7 minutes, uncovered. Garnish with fresh basil or parsley and serve!

Notes

Pro Tips:

Wine: Sauvignon Blanc is the best wine to use in this recipe, followed by Chardonnay, and then Pinot Grigio. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.
I prefer to use Mezzetta Sundried tomatoes in this recipe. Be careful about selecting a variety that may be seasoned with herbs, I prefer plain as we’re already seasoning this sauce.
Some of the oil from the sundried tomatoes can be used to sear the chicken for even more flavor!
I use Mutti Tomato Paste tubes, they're handy for measuring smaller/customized amounts.
Hot Sauce: This is a flavor enhancer in this recipe and doesn't make the end result spicy, I use Frank's Hot Sauce.
Cheese: Shred the cheese from a block, it will melt and taste much better than packaged shredded cheese. I use Belgioioso Parmesan.
The longer this sauce simmers, the thicker and more concentrated it will get.
Optional additions include: Sauteed mushrooms, spinach, and sliced cherry tomatoes, basil.

Storage:

Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. This does freeze/reheat well.
To reheat: Defrost leftovers in the fridge overnight or in the microwave, then bake in a small, lightly greased, covered casserole dish at 350° for 20-25 minutes.

The nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition