Marry Me Chicken
Updated Feb. 2, 2025
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 3large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 6 chicken cutlets (about 2¼ pounds total), patted dry
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- ¼cup all-purpose flour
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3garlic cloves, chopped
- 1tablespoon tomato paste
- ½teaspoon dried oregano
- Red-pepper flakes, to taste
- 1cup low-sodium chicken stock
- ½ to ¾cup heavy cream
- ½cup (1½ ounces) grated Parmesan
- ⅓cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
- Fresh basil, for serving
Preparation
- Step 1
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.
- Step 2
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.
- Step 3
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.
- Step 4
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.
- Step 5
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.
- Step 6
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.
- Step 7
Place the chicken back in the pan to warm through, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and scatter basil on top.
- To make it easier to slice into cutlets, place the chicken breasts in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Private Notes
Comments
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!!
This recipe nearly caused a divorce in my household as my boyfriend got so mad at the amount of oil I had splattered everywhere. Also I used chicken thighs as it was the only thing I had in the fridge. Frankly the outcome was a little gross, between the fattiness of the thighs and the creaminess of the sauce. I know, none of this is the fault of the recipe, but I guess my advice is don't use thighs and get a boyfriend who doesn't hover over you while you cook.
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
Popular with all the family even the picky eater
Also, Better than Bullion Veggie stock and I served it over a long grain rice.
He said he'd marry me again so I'll say this is a WWCD for sure. It's savory and memorable as it should be. Here are my subs/variations based upon availability and my leftover situation: 1/4 cup sour cream for cream 1/2 cup whole milk for cream 1/8 cup Rao's Marinara for tomato paste Romano instead of Parmesan less oil, just enough to cover the bottom of my Le Creuset pan. I let the finished cutlets rest in the oven at 375 while I cooked the sauce and returned them to the pan only for the last 5 minutes. Fabulous dish.