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Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me Chicken is a creamy sun-dried tomato chicken dinner with golden seared breasts and a glossy Italian cream sauce. The sauce thickens quickly in the same cast iron skillet, with Parmesan and red pepper flakes for rich, fragrant flavor—finished with fresh basil on top.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and seasoning
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 salt to taste
  • 1 black pepper to taste
  • 1 garlic powder to taste
  • 1 Italian seasoning to taste
  • 1 smoked paprika to taste
Cream sauce base
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil drained and sliced
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup Parmesan cheese grated
Seasonings and garnish
  • 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 fresh basil for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts generously on both sides with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and smoked paprika.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sear the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F; remove the chicken to a plate.
Build the sun-dried tomato cream sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes for 1 minute.
  2. Pour in the chicken broth and deglaze, scraping up browned bits from the pan.
  3. Stir in the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, dried Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, then simmer for 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over each breast, then simmer for 2 more minutes.
  2. Garnish with fresh basil and serve over pasta or mashed potatoes.

Notes

Pro tip: slice sun-dried tomatoes thin so they distribute through the sauce evenly, and simmer until the cream coats a spoon for that glossy, restaurant-style finish. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet over low heat to avoid sauce separation. Freezing is not recommended for best texture. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream (sauce will be slightly thinner).