Quick and Easy Chicken Dinner
Chicken cooked in a luscious creamy sauce made with stock, cream, parmesan, paprika, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano, and fresh basil.
Each ingredient brings loads of flavour, but they make a truly delicious dish when they're married together!
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Why is it called Marry Me Chicken?
You'll find many different answers if you Google it, but actually, it's unclear where the name Marry Me Chicken came from.
The idea is that this chicken dinner is so delicious if you serve it to your special someone that they'll propose marriage to you there and then. 😉
Although it may not really guarantee a proposal, it's sure to impress. You can make it just for one with surprisingly little effort.
Marry Me Chicken ingredients
Some recipes add sliced mushrooms, but I went for spinach in my recipe (for good health)!
My recipe is for two but there is just enough sauce to serve 4 - we are just greedy. 😊
But it's so good you will wish you had more sauce. To serve 4 you would need two more chicken fillets and, say 50ml more of cream and chicken stock.
Olive oil and butter:
Oil has a much higher smoke point than butter and prevents the butter from burning while still allowing for the rich flavour of butter. Butter gives richness to the sauce. Both are used together to brown the chicken and to cook the shallot and garlic.
Plain (all purpose) flour:
Flour is used to coat the chicken before frying in the oil and butter and will help give the chicken a golden colour.
Chicken breast fillets:
Skinless chicken breast fillets are a must for this dish as they are quick to cook. Chicken thighs will not taste the same and take longer to cook so avoid them in this dish.
Spices and seasoning:
Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, sweet paprika, and dried oregano all add spice and seasoning. Fresh basil leaves are used to garnish the dish and of course, add even more flavour.
Escalon (banana) shallot and garlic:
Shallots are a variety of onions that are milder and sweeter than white or brown onions. If you must, you can use red onion instead. Garlic adds a vital flavour to the final sauce.
Tomato purée (paste in the US):
Double concentrate tomato purée is what you're after. Turns the sauce darker in colour and also adds richness to the sauce.
Sun-dried tomatoes:
Sun-dried tomatoes add a big tomato flavour and sweetness to any dish.
Chicken stock:
Stock is a base for the sauce which when the other ingredients are added is so good you will want more!
Double (heavy) cream:
Will thicken up the whole sauce and make it truly delicious and of course creamy.
Parmigiano Reggiano:
This hard, Italian cheese will add the finishing touch that only comes from aged cheese. You can use regular Parmesan but it isn't aged as long and isn't as flavorful.
Equipment needed
So, how do we make it?
Full details in the printable recipe card below 😉
Put the flour onto a plate and press the chicken into the flour to coat on both sides.
Heat the butter and oil over medium heat in a large frying pan and add the chicken.
Cook for 5 minutes, turn, and cook for 5 minutes (the chicken will not be cooked through at this stage).
Remove the chicken and put it onto a plate.
Turn the heat low. Add the shallot and garlic and cook while stirring.
Add the tomato puree, paprika, oregano and chilli flakes, stir and cook for a minute and add the sun-dried tomatoes.
Pour in the stock and add the cream and parmesan. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Put the chicken back into the sauce, put a lid on the pan, and cook for 6 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
Check that the chicken is cooked through. Using a digital meat thermometer, the chicken should be 74°C (165°F) at its thickest part.
Add the spinach (if using) for just a minute or so to wilt. Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle over the basil leaves and serve right away.
What to serve with Marry Me Chicken
- rice
- tenderstem broccoli
- mashed potatoes
- pasta
- crusty bread for dipping and mopping that delicious sauce!
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating in the recipe card below!
Marry Me Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 skinless chicken breast fillets
- 3 tablespoons plain flour (all purpose)
- 30g unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 1 large Escalon (banana) shallot - chopped into small dice
- 2 fat garlic cloves - peeled and minced
- 100g sun-dried tomatoes in oil - drained well
- 1 tablespoon of tomato puree (paste in the US)
- 1½ teaspoons sweet paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 150ml chicken stock - ½ a Knorr stock cube dissolved in boiling water
- 150ml double (heavy) cream
- 35g Parmigiano Reggiano - grated
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- a small handful of spinach
- a few fresh basil leaves - torn
Instructions
- Start by making the stock and leave it to cool, otherwise it will curdle the cream when you add it to the dish later on.
- Put the flour onto a plate and press the chicken into the flour to coat on both sides.
- Heat the butter and oil over medium heat in a large frying pan. When it's nice and hot, add the chicken breasts. Cook for 5 minutes, turn, and cook for 5 minutes (the chicken will not be cooked through at this stage).
- Remove the chicken and put it onto a plate.
- Turn the heat low. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for 5 minutes while stirring. Then add the tomato puree, paprika, oregano and chilli flakes, stir and cook for a minute, add the sun-dried tomatoes and continue to cook for 2 minutes.
- Pour in the stock and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Then add the cream and parmesan. Stir, have a taste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Put the chicken back into the sauce, put a lid on the pan, and cook for 6 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
- Check that the chicken is cooked through. Using a digital meat thermometer, the chicken should be 74°C (165°F) at its thickest part.
- Add the spinach for just a minute or so to wilt. Remove the pan from the heat. Sprinkle over the basil leaves and serve right away.
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