Easy Marry Me Chicken
This creamy chicken skillet is built around sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and Parmesan, which give the sauce a concentrated savory-sweet flavor. The chicken is seared first for color, then finishes gently in the sauce so the pan juices become part of the final dish.
Keep the sauce at a low simmer after adding the cream and cheese. High heat can make it separate, while gentle cooking gives the Parmesan time to melt smoothly.
The Pan Sauce Is the Point of Marry Me Chicken
- Searing the chicken first leaves browned bits in the skillet that become part of the sauce.
- Sun-dried tomatoes add concentrated sweetness and acidity, so the cream sauce does not taste one-note.
- Chicken broth deglazes the pan before cream and Parmesan are added, carrying the browned flavor into the sauce.
- Spinach goes in last, just long enough to wilt without disappearing.
Easy Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes sliced
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet and sear chicken 4–5 minutes per side; transfer to a plate.
- Cook garlic and sun-dried tomatoes for 30 seconds, then add broth and scrape up browned bits.
- Stir in cream, Parmesan and red pepper flakes and simmer until slightly thickened.
- Return chicken to the skillet and simmer 6–8 minutes until 165°F / 74°C inside.
- Stir in spinach until wilted and serve.
Notes
Build Flavor From the Pan First
Searing the chicken creates browned bits on the skillet that become part of the sauce. After the chicken comes out, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes cook briefly in the same pan before broth loosens those browned bits.
Keep the Cream Sauce at a Gentle Simmer
Once cream and Parmesan are in the skillet, you only need enough heat to thicken the sauce slightly. A hard boil can make the sauce reduce too quickly before the chicken has time to finish cooking.
Add Spinach at the Very End
Baby spinach needs only a minute or two to wilt. Stir it in after the chicken is cooked through so it stays green and does not release unnecessary water into the sauce.
Best Sides for the Sauce
Choose something that can catch the sauce: pasta, mashed potatoes, rice or crusty bread all work. A simple green vegetable or salad adds contrast to the rich Parmesan and cream.
