Marry Me Chicken

Marry Me Chicken

This cozy dish, which went viral on TikTok with claims that if you prepare it for someone, you will end up getting married, features boneless chicken breasts nestled in a creamy, tomato-y sauce. With wedding bells in mind or not, this dish comes together fairly quickly and is just as great for entertaining as it is for a family meal. In this version, the addition of tomato paste adds a bright acidity to the rich cream sauce and complements the sun-dried tomatoes. Serve with crusty bread to sop up all the juices as well as tangy green salad to balance out the sauce’s richness. Or, try it over pasta, rice or polenta.

Yield: 4 servings

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 6 chicken cutlets (about 2¼ pounds total), patted dry

Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper

¼ cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

½ teaspoon dried oregano 

Red-pepper flakes, to taste  

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

½ to ¾ cup heavy cream

½ cup (1½ ounces) grated Parmesan

⅓ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil

Fresh basil, for serving

If using chicken breasts, start from the thickest end and slice each chicken breast in half horizontally so you end up with a total of 6 cutlets (see Tip). Season both sides of the chicken cutlets well with salt and pepper.

Scatter the flour on a large plate and coat the cutlets, shaking off the excess. Transfer the cutlets to a sheet pan or large plate in a single layer.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. As soon as it melts, add the cutlets and cook until golden on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook the other side until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Do this in batches, if needed, adding more oil, if needed. Transfer the cutlets to a plate or sheet pan.

Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring until the color deepens, about 2 minutes. Add the oregano and red-pepper flakes, to taste.

Increase the heat to medium, add the stock and bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.

Add ½ cup of the cream and warm through, stirring, until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Watch the cream closely, reducing the heat if necessary, to maintain a gentle simmer. Stir in the Parmesan and the sun-dried tomatoes. Add more cream, if you like, and season the sauce.

Place the chicken back in the pan to warm through, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and scatter basil on top.

Tip

To make it easier to slice into cutlets, place the chicken breasts in the freezer for 20 minutes.

Add a finely diced shallot when you add the garlic, you won’t regret it.

I have been making this for years. I pound my chicken cutlets and by the time it’s done they’re are falling apart tender. I add a lot more broth and thicken it with the flour from the chicken. I also add a half pound of cooked pasta and a lot of raw baby spinach at the end - it melts from the heat and makes this a true one pot meal. I always have enough for at least 2 nights!!

You don't need to use that much oil & butter to make this dish, 1/2 the amount is sufficient . You can also use milk, or coconut milk instead of cream

Sub the dairy for sour cream, add some onions, serve it with spaetzle or other dumpling and you’ve got chicken paprikash. Yes, my spouse we would remarry me for this.