Marry Me Chicken Recipe
I love cooking this creamy Marry Me Chicken when I want a date-night dinner that only dirties one pan. I simply sear chicken breasts and serve them in a sun-dried tomato and Parmigiano cream sauce with a hit of Calabrian pepper. In just one hour, I can have a rich, slightly spicy, and ridiculously good dinner on the table.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 10 to 12 ounces each
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 peeled small diced shallot, about ¼ cup
- 6 finely minced garlic cloves
- 1 heaping teaspoons Calabrian peppers, optional and substitute with crushed red pepper flakes
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 heaping cup julienne sun dried tomatoes
- 3/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 teaspoons finely minced fresh thyme
- Juice of ½ lemon, about 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons
- 2 tablespoons chopped or torn fresh basil
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Gently pound the chicken breasts using the flat end of a mallet between parchment paper to tenderize. Pat dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper on both sides and set to the side.
- Next, in a cake tin or shallow wide bowl mix the flour with salt and pepper. Then, dredge the chicken on both sides into the seasoned flour, knocking off as much excess as possible and place on a rack over a sheet tray and let stan for 5 to 7 minutes.
- In the meantime, add the olive oil to a large stainless steel pan over medium high heat. Once the oil begins to very gently smoke, add in the chicken breasts and cook untouched for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chicken over, turn the heat down to medium, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes.
- Place the chicken breasts to the side. In the pan add in 1 tablespoon of butter and the shallots and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Then, stir in the peppers and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 to 45 seconds. Deglaze with the wine and cook until only 1 to 2 tablespoons remain. Add in the tomato paste and cook while constantly stirring for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Once the paste becomes a rust like color add in the chicken stock and cream and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Then add in the ¾ of the sun-dried tomatoes and parmigiano and stir over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens up.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper, add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, thyme, and lemon juice and stir to combine.
- Place the chicken breasts back in the sauce along with the remaining sun-dried tomatoes and cook over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes to heat back up the chicken.
- Garnish with chopped fresh basil.
Notes
The keys to success here are all about making the sauce as delicious as possible, and the biggest one is reducing it rather than asking the cheese to do all the thickening. Reduce the chicken stock on its own for a few minutes to concentrate it, then add the cream and reduce that for a few more minutes. Only after that does the Parmigiano go in to finish it. I do not want the cheese to be the only thickener in the pan, because letting the stock and cream reduce naturally concentrates the flavor, and it only takes a few extra minutes.
Cook the tomato paste to rust: Do not rush the paste. Stir it constantly for the full 3 to 4 minutes, until it goes from bright red to a rust color, at which point the raw edge cooks off and the sweetness and umami concentrate.
Hold back some of the sun-dried tomatoes: Save a small handful for when the chicken goes back in. Added at the end, they keep a wonderful chew and brighten the tomato flavor, instead of melting into the sauce as it thickens.
Revive a broken sauce with cold cream: If the cream ever separates while you cook or reheat, whisk in a splash of cold cream off the heat to bring it back together.
Finish with lemon off the heat: I add the lemon juice at the very end so the acid stays bright and cuts through all that fat instead of cooking flat.
Make-Ahead: I do not make this one too far ahead because the cream keeps thickening as it sits. 20 minutes max held over very low heat is as far as I take it.
How to Store: Cover and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
How to Reheat: Add the amount you want to a saute pan with a splash of chicken stock or water. Cover and warm it over low heat to loosen the sauce and heat the chicken through.
How to Freeze: Freeze, covered, for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then reheat using the same method you would for refrigerated leftovers.
Nutrition
Calories: 803kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 38gFat: 60gSaturated Fat: 31gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0.4gCholesterol: 211mgSodium: 636mgPotassium: 751mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 1897IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 312mgIron: 2mg