Pan-Seared Marry Me Chicken
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This Pan-Seared Marry Me Chicken is a delicious chicken dish with a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. Everyone will love it!
Not only is this Pan-Seared Marry Me Chicken easy to make, but it’s filled with layers of flavor that make it feel complex and restaurant-worthy. The chicken in pan-seared for those nice browned crispy edges with a juicy interior. Then it’s added to the sauce which layers together cream, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and fresh parmesan cheese. Top it all off with some fresh basil and you have a delicious, gourmet-style meal.
We love to eat this Pan-Seared Marry Me Chicken with pasta or with potatoes. It also tastes great with thick crusty bread!
When coming up with this recipe, I decided to research a little about the origins of Marry Me Chicken. According to Mashed, this dish originated with the Delish editorial staff. Apparently it was so delicious that the food editor trying the recipe said “I’d marry you for that chicken!” Similarly, there are other dishes like Ina Garten’s Engagement Chicken that have said to be worthy of betrothal.
Where does the name “Marry Me Chicken” Come From?
When coming up with this recipe, I decided to research a little about the origins of Marry Me Chicken. According to Mashed, this dish originated with the Delish editorial staff. Apparently it was so delicious that the food editor trying the recipe said “I’d marry you for that chicken!” Similarly, there are other dishes like Ina Garten’s Engagement Chicken that have said to be worthy of betrothal.
I’ve mainly stuck to their recipe with just a couple small tweaks to bring out the flavor. I hope you love this recipe as much as we do!
Pan-Seared Marry Me Chicken
Equipment
- meat mallet
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. chicken breast
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- olive oil, for pan-searing
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1/4 cup minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon oregano, dried
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, fresh grated
- fresh basil, for topping/garnish
Instructions
Chicken
- Begin by placing the chicken breasts between two layers of plastic wrap on a large cutting board (or place them in large ziploc bags).Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound out the chicken breasts until they are only about 1/3"-1/2" thick. Try to make them as uniform as possible.
- Remove plastic and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, evenly distributing across the chicken.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add oil to pan.
- Using tongs, place chicken pieces in pan. You will have to cook these in batches – so don't crowd the pan. Cook about 3-4 at a time depending on size.
- Sear the chicken on each side for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown. Once browned, cover the pan for 2-3 minutes to finish cooking through. You can test to see if the chicken is cooked through by using a meat thermometer (chicken is done at 165°F) or you can lightly cut into the center of one of the largest chicken breasts to see if it's cooked to your liking.Once cooked through, use clean tongs to remove that batch of chicken and place on a large baking sheet or platter – and then start another batch.
- Continue this process until all the chicken is cooked and set aside.
- Using the same pan you cooked the chicken in (don't wash it out!), turn the heat down to medium and add the 1 cup of sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, while stirring around the pan to release some of the bits from the pan.(note: it's ok if some of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes gets into the pan, just try to make sure it's not too much, so the sauce doesn't get greasy.)
- Once the sun-dried tomatoes are warmed through, add the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, and black pepper – cook for 1 minute while stirring, so they don't burn.
- Then add in 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of chicken broth. Stir until well combined and heat for 2-3 minutes until warmed through.
- Once the sauce is warm, add in the parmesan cheese and whisk until creamy. Continue cooking over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until sauce is hot.
Serving
- Once sauce is done, use tongs to place the chicken pieces back into the pan. (You can alternately plate the chicken and spoon the sauce on top.)
- Spoon the sauce over the chicken breasts and top with fresh basil. Serve over pasta, potatoes, or with crusty bread. Enjoy!
I hope you get a chance to try this Pan-Seared Marry Me Chicken – you will love the creamy sauce over the juicy chicken. Be sure to tag me @plumstreetcollective if you make it – I hope you love it as much as we do!
