Marry Me Chicken
Updated February 2, 2025
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 6 chicken cutlets (about 2 ¼ 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 (1 ½ ounces) grated Parmesan
⅓ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
Fresh basil, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
15 grams carbs; 260 milligrams cholesterol; 715 calories; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 43 grams fat; 2 grams fiber; 967 milligrams sodium; 66 grams protein; 4 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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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
Great dish for the whole family. After several trial goes making the recipe over the past 6+ months, tried adding a few garden grown crushed plum tomatoes, half a diced yellow onion, and a handful of spinach (optional). Added a ton of great flavor and utilized the garden. Definitely pound and cube the chicken breasts before mixing in the flour if you have young kids (easier for them to eat). Best pasta with this dish is bucatini (al dente and tossed into the sauce at the end). Let sit covered on the stove in the pot for 20-30 minutes after it’s done. No complaints, everybody happy and well fed!
Perfect as is. Immediately going into our family’s dinner rotation. Served ours with jasmine rice!
I’ve been scrolling past this viral recipe for years and decided to finally try it out. Delicious. We enjoyed it with linguine. I am glad I took the advice to halve the oil and butter. I just used the oil from the jar of sun-dried tomatoes which resulted in just the right amount of oil slick. The real star is the chicken, which becomes meltingly tender and flavourful. We will enjoy the leftovers and definitely make this again.