Marry Me Chicken At A Glance
Prep
10 min
COOK
20 min
Total
30 min
Serves
2-3
Pan
10-12″ skillet
This recipe will be on my household on repeat! Even my fussiest eater loved it
Weekly rotation, here we come!
It’s a big “YES” from us!
Lisa
How This Dish Got Its Unique Name
The legend says the sauce of the “Marry Me Chicken” dish is so good it will make someone propose. I cannot promise that… but I can tell you Greg and I got married this summer, and this is what we ate to celebrate. After all these years together (18+) we finally made it official, and instead of a fancy dinner, we cooked our own. Of course we did. The classic recipe is called Marry Me Chicken, so once the rings were on I started calling mine He Married Me Chicken, and it stuck.
If you’d like to learn more about our wedding, scroll down below the recipe. Or keep reading to learn how I made this absolutely delicious meal.
I had been testing and re-testing this one for weeks before the wedding, which is the only reason I trusted it for an occasion that mattered. Nearly everything in the sauce came from the garden Greg and I planted together: the thyme, parsley, oregano, and basil, the garlic we had just pulled and hung to cure, and even the tomatoes, which I slow-dried in my own oven. I thought that was fitting for our first significant dinner together as a married couple with our history of making things together.
Let’s dig in!
Tips and Notes Before You Start
- Store-bought jarred sun-dried tomatoes are the easiest, and the oil in that jar is free flavor.
- The sauce finishes spoonable, not gravy-thick, so serve it over something that will catch it.
- Mashed potatoes are our usual, and my red skin mashed potatoes need no peeling.
- The Parmesan goes in off the heat.
- There’s a lactose-free swap for the cream further down.
- Best eaten fresh. Cream sauces and the freezer are not friends.
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Table of contents
What You’ll Need (and What I Learned Testing It)
The ingredient list is short and forgiving, but a couple of these choices really do change how the final sauce tastes. Here is what I reach for and why.
Chicken breasts. I use two boneless, skinless breasts, about 6 to 8 ounces each. If yours are thick, you’ll want to butterfly them or pound them to an even thickness first. This helps because an even piece cooks through at the same rate all the way across, so you don’t end up with a dry, overcooked edge just to get the middle done.
Sun-dried tomatoes. Get the kind packed in oil if you can. They’re softer, sweeter, and that jar of tomato-y oil is a little bonus… I use a spoonful of it to sear the chicken instead of plain oil.
Garlic. Any garlic works here. But if you happen to be cooking with freshly harvested garlic like I was that week, it’s worth knowing it behaves a little differently than the cured heads at the store. New garlic is juicier, milder, and noticeably sweeter, so 3 cloves of it lands softer than 3 cloves of the older stuff. I usually go with a generous 3, sometimes 4, and taste as I go.
Heavy cream. Heavy cream (or heavy whipping cream) is what gives you that glossy sauce that clings to the chicken. Milk can break or turn thin when it simmers with the Parmesan, so this is one place I’d stay with the cream.
Parmesan. Grate it yourself from a block if you have five extra minutes. The pre-shredded kind is coated so it doesn’t clump in the bag, and that same coating can make your sauce a little grainy instead of smooth. Not the end of the world, just something to know.
The fresh herbs. Thyme, parsley, oregano, and basil. Fresh really is worth it in this one, and if you have a pot of basil on a windowsill you are already set. Mine come from our garden, and stirring them in at the very end keeps them bright and green instead of dark and tired. If all you have is dried, use about a third as much and add them earlier with the garlic.
The seasonings. Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning on the chicken itself, before it ever hits the pan. I use my homemade Italian seasoning because I always have a jar of it mixed up, but the store blend is completely fine here. If your family likes a little warmth, a small pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic is lovely. We keep ours mild because I’m a supertaster and spicy food and I don’t get along, but it’s your kitchen.
Can I make This Lactose Free?
Mostly, yes, and I think it’s worth doing if it means you get to eat this again. Two of the three dairy items here are easier than you’d expect. Butter is naturally very low in lactose, and hard Parmesan aged past about ten months has almost none left in it, so those two are often fine. The heavy cream is the piece that needs a real swap.
Lactose-free heavy cream is still hard to find, but lactose-free half-and-half is now a regular grocery item from Lactaid, Land O’Lakes, and Organic Valley. It substitutes cup for cup with no other change to the recipe. The thing to know is that half-and-half has less fat than heavy cream, so keep the heat gentle and give it an extra minute or two to reduce. It also tastes slightly sweeter, because the lactose is already split into simpler sugars, so a little extra salt at the end evens it out.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken
I know people can be intimated by “fancy” meals like this, so I’m excited to show you how to do it … it’s not as hard of scary as it may seem at first. I’ll walk you through it.
Step 1: Season and sear the chicken
Pat the chicken dry, then season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Drying the surface first helps because a dry piece of chicken browns instead of steams, and that golden color is real flavor. Heat your oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high, then lay the chicken in and let it sear about 4 to 5 minutes per side, until it’s deeply golden and cooked to 165°F in the thickest part. Don’t worry if it looks like it’s stuck at first… it will release on its own once it’s properly browned, so resist the urge to move it around. Take the chicken out and let it rest on a plate while we make the sauce.
Step 2: Build the creamy sauce
Turn the heat down to medium. Add the minced garlic and the chopped sun-dried tomatoes to the same pan and cook for about a minute, just until the garlic smells wonderful. Be careful not to let the garlic get past golden, because burnt garlic turns bitter fast and there’s no fixing it once it does. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up all those browned bits stuck to the bottom, then let it bubble and reduce for a couple of minutes. Now stir in the heavy cream and let it simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes.
Here is the part I want to set your expectations on, because a lot of recipes out there promise something unrealistic. This sauce thickens, but it does not turn into gravy. It stays glossy and pourable, and it pools around the chicken rather than clinging to it in a thick coat. That is what it looks like in my pan every time, and it’s right. A loose sauce is the whole reason this dish is so good over rice or potatoes.
Step 3: Add the Parmesan and herbs, then bring it home
Take the pan off the heat (or turn it as low as it goes) before you add the Parmesan, then stir it in until the sauce is smooth. This is the little trick that matters most: adding cheese off the heat keeps the sauce silky instead of grainy. Stir in the fresh thyme and parsley, then slide the chicken and any juices from the plate back into the pan. Spoon that sauce over the top and let everything warm together for 2 minutes. Finish with the fresh basil right at the end, plus a little more torn over the top for serving. That’s it.
My sauce looks separated. Can I save it?
Usually, yes. A cream sauce splits when it gets too hot too fast, so pull the pan off the burner, let it sit for a minute, and stir it steadily as it cools. That alone brings most of them back together. A splash of warm broth stirred in can help it come back too. Next time, keep it at a lazy simmer with just a few bubbles breaking the surface, and add the Parmesan with the pan off the heat.
Can I use chicken thighs instead?
Absolutely, and honestly they’re the more forgiving choice. Thighs carry more fat and connective tissue than breasts, so they stay juicy even if you leave them in the sauce a few minutes longer than you meant to. Boneless, skinless thighs need a few extra minutes in the sear; bone-in will take closer to double, so give them a head start in the pan before the sauce goes in. Either way, cook them to 165°F.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, warm it gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of broth or cream stirred in, since cream sauces thicken as they chill and a little liquid loosens them right back up. I don’t recommend freezing this one, because cream-based sauces tend to separate and turn grainy after thawing.
He Married Me Chicken Recipe (Marry Me Chicken)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces chicken breasts boneless and skinless
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (or oil from the sun-dried tomato jar)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes ,chopped and preferably oil-packed (or a generous 1/3 cup homemade oven-dried tomatoes, see notes)
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese , finely grated
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1/3 teaspoon dried)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley , chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 2 teaspoons fresh oregano , chopped (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil , chopped, plus more for serving (or 2 teaspoons dried, added with the garlic)
- salt and black pepper to taste
- a pinch of red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Butterfly or pound the chicken to an even thickness, then pat it dry. Season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning.
- Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken about 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden and cooked to 165°F. Remove to a plate and let it rest.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes (and the red pepper flakes, if using) and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant. Don’t let the garlic brown past golden.
- Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Stir in the heavy cream and simmer gently 3 to 4 minutes. The sauce will thicken some but stays glossy and pourable rather than gravy-thick.
- Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the Parmesan until smooth, then stir in the thyme, oregano, and parsley.
- Return the chicken and its juices to the pan, spoon the sauce over, and warm together 2 minutes. Stir in the fresh basil and tear more over the top to serve.
Nutrition
Notes
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work beautifully; add a few extra minutes to cook through.
- Spoon it over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice to catch the sauce.
- Store leftovers up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of broth or cream. Freezing isn’t recommended for cream sauces.
Our Wedding Story
After 18 years together, Greg and I finally got married on July 9, 2026. We kept it very simple and small so we could focus on the important part: one another. We put on our best clothes, I picked wildflowers from our cottage garden to make a floral crown, and we just went down the road to a neighboring farm where folks get married … and got married!
Afterward, we hopped back in the pickup, drove back down the road to our farm, then snapped a few more shots with my phone while we were still in our wedding clothes.
I got Greg to carry me over the threshold, right under the sign on our porch that reads “and so together we craft a life we love.” That sign has been our motto for a long time now, and standing under it as his wife felt like the whole point of everything we have built out here.
Then we got out of the fancy clothes, cleaned up, made a winner winner chicken dinner, and celebrated our milestone at sunset in the cottage garden we built together. Nothing fancy, just enjoying the moment with our pets. I’d set up my phone behind the flowers to record a little video while we ate, just so I could remember this moment later. Life can be this simple, and we love it this way.
Here’s the beautiful vintage-inspired white-gold wedding set I am proud to wear now.
So that’s the story of He Married Me Chicken, and we’ll always remember this each time we make this recipe.
If you make this dish, I would love to hear about it, and if it happens to inspire anyone in your house to get down on one knee, well, you’ll have to tell me all about that too. If you liked this sauce, my easy chicken alfredo is built on the same off-the-heat Parmesan trick, and honey garlic chicken is another one-skillet chicken dinner for when you have 20 minutes.
Happy cooking!
Love,
Jennifer
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Meet Jennifer
Jennifer cooks and experiments in the kitchen at Maker Farm, where she focuses on simple pantry cooking, homemade staples, and practical recipes that make everyday meals easier. Over the years she has tested many ways to make cooking simpler and more dependable, and shares the methods that work best in her own kitchen, occasionally showing them on her Heart to Home at Maker Farm vlog.
Congratulations Jennifer and Greg. We tried this recipe for our 47th anniversary. It is definitely our kind of recipe, quick and easy but good and wholesome. Just like our marriage. It’s definitely a keeper, as is he.
Hooray! Happy to hear you liked the recipe, Norma!
Congratulations Jennifer & Greg, this is beautiful news.
I can’t stop smiling. Best wishes for your future from Adelaide, South Australia.
Regards,
Heather
Jennifer and Greg,
Congratulations. It looks like it was a beautiful setting and a very intimate wedding. You inspire me so much. I’m planning to try this recipe on my anniversary, October 22nd. I might have to call it “I finally married him chicken” lol. I wish you many years of love, laughter, happiness, and of course crafting together.
Sherri
Conrats! on your wedding. Thanks for all the beautiful pictures and your wonderful story. My hubby and I just had our 49th Anniversary. We are going to have to try your marry me chicken.
I’ve made this recipe. Love it, I’ve even sprinkled a bit of Emeril Legasi’s cajon spice in it for more pizzazz. Yummy 😋
WOW
what a beautiful couple about time never too late i married my angel in 2003 i’m 74 she is the woman i fall in love with all these years later
hope you have many yuears together in your own little paradise you have created
Oh.My.Goodness!! Made this scrumptious chicken dish last night, and after 44 years of marriage, my husband said he’d marry me all over again!! We both loved everything about this recipe. The ease of prepping and preparing, along with being able to make a “fancy” meal from things we usually have on hand, have made this a recipe we will certainly add to our monthly meal plan. The marriage of flavors in this recipe really complement each other perfectly…as do you and Greg! I wish you every happiness and blessing in your marriage! Thank you for infusing my life with creativity…from the kitchen to the craft room and beyond! You’re a beautiful inspiration and blessing, Jennifer!
Congratulations Greg and Jennifer! May you continue to share many happy years together now as husband and wife.
Blessings,
Debbie Schreck
Congratulations Jennifer and Greg !!! You both look so happy. Wonderul pictures, thank you for sharing. I will have to try the recipe.
Congratulations Greg and Jennifer.
My husband and I just celebrated out 40th anniversary – I will have to try this recipe for him!
Congratulations to you and Greg on your marriage! You both look so happy.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures.
Jennifer, this news made me happy, I’m so glad to hear my two favorite makers finally got hitched. You both look so happy, congratulations!!!
Congratulations. What a beautiful bride and handsome groom. May your love bloom into the heavens. So happy for you!!! Can’t wait to make that chicken!
Congratulations on your wedding. Beautiful pictures & memories of your wedding day and spectacular homestead to look back on over the years. Your Marry Me chicken looks delious. will have to give it a try.
Congratulations to both of you. May you have many more happy and creative years together!
My husband and I celebrated 58 years of marriage in August.
Dear Jennifer and Greg,
I only know you from your crafting, Cricut, and farm stories, but
I have gained so much knowledge from you! I thought you looked
so serene and beautiful on you gorgeous wedding day. I wish you both many years of good health, happiness and forever love.💕
Sincerely,
Joan Stewart Sawchuk
Congrats to you and Greg ! Can’t wait to try the He Married Me Chicken and the Brownies for dessert ! I know they both will be great !
Jennifer you are so beautiful – inside and out! And Greg – what a handsome groom! You guys are just awesome! Congratulations and God bless.
This recipe sounds delicious!
I will have to try it soon.
I just wanted to stop in and say CONGRATS! 🥳
Finally hey? 😆 🫶
I waited 16 yrs to get married. In June we celebrated our 25th anniversary! 🎉
What you 2 have is special.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful pictures of your amazing day!
🪻🌺💚🪷🌻
Remember the 3 Cs
Communication, Compromising
Caring!
Take care & enjoy!
First and foremost, CONGRATULATIONS to you and Greg! Thank you so much for sharing your photos (they are beautiful) and I absolutely love the simplicity of your wedding. So meaningful, memorable and perfect. My husband and I were married on a mountain in Banff National Park near the Hoodoos in Alberta Canada. We hiked up the trail (yes, I did it in heels, a long dress and him in a suit) and the photos are stunning. It was meaningful, memorable and just plain perfect! Simplicity is so precious. Then there is this recipe…simplicity at it’s best. Made it for supper tonight and told my husband for us it is ‘He Already Married Me Chicken Dinner’, and shared your story. He sends his congratulations to you and Greg. Thank you for sharing your story, your photos and your recipe! We wish you years of laughter, love, joy, good health and memories beyond life itself!
Thank you so much, Heather!! And please thank your husband for us. <3
I love that you got married on a mountain!!
Congratulations on your marriage. Thank you for sharing this special day with us. May you be blessed with many love-filled years together.
Jennifer
Congratulations to you and Greg! May you have many years together as husband and wife. A few years ago, my brother also married his long time partner after 18 years together.
I was married at 19 years old. We have supported each other through the great times and the difficult times. In two months we will have been married for 56 year.
My husband, Andrew, is a photographer of birds. You often talk about the birds at Marker Farm, I thought you might like to see some of his photos at https://www.manda.com.au/
Maureen
Wow, he’s a wonderful photographer — love the platypus!
Congratulations Jennifer & Greg! I am so happy for you two! Enjoy it to the fullest!
I will definitely have to try this dish.
I am so happy for you Jennifer and Greg. Thank you for sharing your joy in this new chapter in your life. You have been such an inspiration to me. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
Congratulations to you and Greg on your wedding, I am so happy for you both. The wedding pictures are beautiful, you both look so happy. I might make it for dinner on our anniversary which is on the 6th of October, we will be married 56 yrs. I hope you both have many more years to come.
Congratulations! I will be trying this new recipe soon! Just moved into a home with a gas convection oven/stove, and needed a good recipe to try it out!
Congratulation Jennifer and Greg! The dish looks delicious.
Just had our 55th anniversary and don’t want to wait a year to make this so will just be a Married Me Chicken Dinner. And – will have to end it with your homemade brownies. Thanks for sharing – Congratulations – and keep up your love of crafting! I’ve learned so much from you!
Congratulations Jennifer and Greg!
So happy for the two of you. Wishing you a long life of crafting and cooking and doing all that you love.
Thank you for all you do for all of us in the meantime.
Tears in the eyes while typing this! It was just like watching the events unfold from afar!! What a wonderful, inspirational, lovely story to go along with a yummy chicken recipe. Best to you and Greg (and Alexa, of course!).
P.S. love the pose that Chloe struck. She looks like a seasoned pro near a camera!
I have not made this version, but I have made a few and adding some penne pasta in the mix and shredding or cubing the chicken is my most favorite version! No doubt this one is just as good as the one I make. It’s similar, but a few slight differences. Congrats on the wedding!
Congratulations! I’m so very happy for both of you! You both looked beautiful!
🥂 🥂 🥂 🥂 🥂 🥂 🥂 🥂 🥂
Best wishes for a beautiful life together.
❤️ ❤️ 💕 💕 ❤️ ❤️ 💕 💕
Congratulations! Looks like it was a beautiful day! May the Lord bless you both with many happy years ahead. This recipe looks delicious and I’m adding it to my list of things to make!
Congratulations Jennifer and Greg! What a great way to get married – keeping it simple.
I can’t wait to try the recipe – it looks good! Wishing you all the best.
Your wedding pics were very touching yet inspiring. Love them all simplicity at its best. Greg you stole the ceremony, you two looked so beautiful. A heartfelt wedding. May God continue to bless you both as you continue your journey in life, being there and looking out for one another. It brought tears to my eyes. I always wondered how you were not married but related so well with each other in all that you do. Love you both.
Congratulations a little late. Your garden and the whole wedding thing, is so beautiful. I so envy you having a wonderful man that shares your love of crafting.
Love my man, but there is not one iota of crafting in that mans body.
I love all you do and post.
Thank you
Congratulations on your beautiful new chapter! 💕💍 Wishing you both a lifetime filled with love, laughter, happiness, and so many wonderful memories together. You’ve always inspired us to “Craft the Life We Love,” and now you get to craft an amazing life together. ❤️✨ Cheers to love, happiness, and forever! 🥂 Cant wait to try the chicken Dinner!!
Congratulations Jennifer and Greg! So happy for you both! May you have many more enjoyable years together as husband and wife. Your special day sounds so wonderful. My husband and I were married in my best friend’s backyard right on Lake Erie and as the ceremony ended 2 Eagles flew by. We knew the deal was sealed. Lol. 🥰💖❤️. Many blessings to you both. I can’t wait to try out your recipes.
Nance’
I think this will be on our plates this week… it looks amazing! (We’re already married, but I think he’ll be happy with this dinner anyway!)
Congratulations to you both! Jennifer is glowing and looks so beautiful in her dress, and you both look so happy. What a wonderful way to celebrate your big day.
Congratulations on your BEAUTIFUL wedding!!
Many Blessings, Kathy McCulley!!💕🤗
Congratulations! Sounds like it was the perfect day!
CONGRATULATIONS!! Woohoo!! 🎉 Very happy for you both.
Congratulations to you and Greg on your Marriage.
So simple and a country setting on a beautiful summer day with all of Gods creation and blessings a bloom all around you on your special day. May the good Lord bless you both many happy years together.
P.S….my youngest son and a granddaughter have birthdays on this day.
Congratulations again!
God Bless.
Congratulations to you and your husband! May you have many years together as husband and wife. My husband and I celebrated 34 years in June.
Congratulations!!! May God bless you with many years of happiness. Thank you for sharing all of your many talents through the years. I’ll be making your, “He Married Me Chicken” recipe in the near future to celebrate our 52 years of “crafting” a life together.
Congratulations! It sounds like a perfect day. May all your days be filled with happiness and love.
Thank you for sharing!
Congratulations to you and Greg and cheers to doing it your way!
This is absolutely delicious. This is definitely a winner winner chicken dinner! Your story brought tears to my eyes!! And I’m so happy you enjoyed it “off camera” truly making it intimate and touching. Congratulations you two!! Also…. I’m going to forward this to my daughter who is getting married in 10 days!!!
This recipe looks so good. I’ll have to try it for myself and invite company. My hubby will soon be 93 and eats no spices. Just plain meat and potato man. Love him anyway. We’ve been married 65 years so think I’ll keep him. I loved that you shared the awesome pics of your wedding. You looked beautiful and Greg looked quite handsome. I wish much happiness for the both of you. I love all that you do and follow you faithfully. Been moving so have been out of touch. In process of fixing up my new craft room and looking forward to getting busy. I don’t do it for a business but for my enjoyment and to share with others and for a place of quietness for awhile. I’ll soon be 87. May God bless the both of you, your daughter and your business. You are SO real. Thanks for all you do.