What is Marry Me Chicken?
Marry Me Chicken is also known as Sicilian Chicken, and it gets its name from the popular opinion that it’s good enough to prompt a marriage proposal! This super easy Marry Me Chicken recipe has proven to be a viral recipe on Tik Tok.
With succulent skinless chicken breasts cooked until tender in sun-dried tomato cream sauce, it’s easy to believe this is true! This truly is an amazing chicken dinner recipe that is going to be a HUGE HIT at home!
Related Chicken Dinner Ideas: Tandoori Chicken / Keto Chicken Enchiladas
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Delicious! – there really isn’t a better reason to love a recipe than this!
Quick and easy – the best chicken recipe has minimal ingredients but makes a filling and delicious main meal.
Simple ingredients – all of the ingredients are basic, regular pantry and fridge items.
Low carb – at only 4g net carbs per serve, this is an ideal low-carb main meal.
Family-friendly! – This is a keto meal that will be enjoyed by the whole family.
Various cooking methods – I have given instructions for cooking this on the stove as well as in your Thermomix or Magimix.
The Ingredients
Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the quantity of each ingredient used and the full detailed recipe for this delicious low-carb Marry Me Chicken recipe! Keep reading for more details on the ingredients, substitutes and step-by-step instructions on how to make it.
Chicken breasts – I have cooked this with boneless skinless chicken, which requires minimal preparation! You can substitute skinless chicken thighs or chicken with the bone in if preferred.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) – is the least processed and my preferred variant of olive oil to cook with.
Garlic – I like to buy Australian Garlic whenever possible, as the flavour from freshly minced garlic cloves is much better than from jars of minced garlic.
Chicken Broth – A good quality chicken broth or stock makes all the difference when it comes to having the best flavour. (Recipe says that there is a stock recipe on the page – I couldn’t find one!)
Fresh Thyme – If you can’t source fresh thyme, you can substitute dried thyme. As dried will have a more intense flavour than fresh, you will only need about 1/4 teaspoon of dried.
Smoked Paprika or Chilli Flakes – Smoked paprika is a staple spice in many cuisines, but if you don’t have any, you can substitute chilli flakes. Chilli flakes do not add a lot of heat but are good to have for the flavour!
Sun Dried Tomatoes – Sun dried tomatoes are available in all supermarkets. They are completely dried and have a lot of flavour. You can also buy semi-dried tomatoes, but their flavour is not as intense. For a more intense and flavourful Marry Me Chicken without sun-dried tomatoes with my Pesto Rosso instead!
Thickened cream – This is a basic keto ingredient that you are sure to have in your fridge! Whipping cream is too thin, so choose a heavy cream to substitute if you need to.
Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese – grating your parmesan is best to avoid the anti-caking agents in store-bought grated cheeses.
FAQs and Tips
You can just as easily make this recipe in the Instant Pot. To do this do steps 1 and 2 in the Pot but omit the cream and parmesan at this stage. Cook on Pressure/High/3 min/Natural Release 10 min. Add the cream and parmesan and cook on saute function until the sauce thickens.
The rule of thumb with chicken leftovers is that they are best used within 2-3 days of being cooked and reheated thoroughly.
Yes, you can. It is best to freeze it in portions in an airtight container. Defrost in the fridge overnight and stir the sauce together if it splits during reheating.
The dairy can be replaced with coconut cream. Omit the Parmesan and add 1-2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast to add a cheesy flavour.
How To Make It
Step 1: Sear the chicken breasts in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Step 2: Sauté the garlic. Deglaze the pan with the broth. Add the remaining sauce ingredients to the pan and cook for a few minutes.
Step 3: Return the chicken breasts to the pan and cook through, turning them over in the sauce a few times during cooking. Serve with chopped fresh basil, baby spinach, and a sprinkling of red pepper flakes.
What To Serve it With
Try Marry Me Chicken with pasta. It’s a hit with family members who are not following a keto diet PLUS you can serve it with our keto pasta recipe.
A great keto-friendly option is to serve it with cauliflower mash or a low carb bread roll to mop up the delicious sauce.
This delicious creamy pesto chicken with fresh basil, red pepper flakes or Aleppo pepper.
More Recipes To Try
I have lots of dinner ideas for recipes with chicken on the website as well as in my cookbooks. Some of the most popular keto chicken recipes that you might like to try are:
- Keto Butter Chicken Recipe
- Lemon Pepper Wings
- Saffron Chicken Korma
- Keto Teriyaki Chicken Recipe
- Thai Panang Chicken Curry
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Marry Me Chicken
Equipment
- Thermomix® optional
- Magimix optional
- Skillet optional
Ingredients
- 600 g chicken breast fillets cut in 3 x 200g (7oz) serves (if needed)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic finely sliced
- ½ cup Chicken Broth or chicken stock, recipe on page
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or chilli flakes
- Salt flakes and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons Pesto Rosso or sundried tomatoes, chopped
- 1/2 cup thickened cream 120g, or heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- fresh parsley finely chopped for garnish
Instructions
CONVENTIONAL METHOD
- Heat a griddle plate over medium-high heat. Brush chicken breast with oil and sear until golden, 4-5 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate.
- In same pan over medium heat add garlic, and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Deglaze pan with broth scraping any bits from bottom into sauce. Add thyme, paprika, salt, pepper, pesto, and cream; cook stirring for 4-5 minutes. Add chicken and parmesan; stir through.
- Continue to cook until the sauce is thick and glossy. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley and your favorite sides.
THERMAL METHOD
- Heat a griddle plate over medium-high heat. Brush chicken breast with oil and sear until golden, 4-5 minutes on each side. Transfer to the mixer.
- In the same pan over medium heat add garlic, and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Deglaze pan with broth scraping any bits from the bottom into sauce. Transfer to the mixer.
- Add thyme, paprika, salt, pepper, pesto, and cream; cook 20 min/120°C/reverse/stir. Check chicken is cooked through and extend cooking time before the next step.
- Remove chicken, cover to keep warm. Cook sauce for a further 10 min/120°C/reverse/speed 1/cap off or until reduced to a thick creamy sauce. Stir through parmesan. and pour over chicken. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of fresh chopped parsley and your favorite sides.
Video
this chicken recipe turned out really creamy love the use of fresh herbs too, it makes great dinner and the leftover I brought to work, lol.
Enjoy!
This chicken is amazing! The thing that makes it so good is that amazing sauce on the top.
Yay!
I made this chicken for a little date night at home, and my husband raved about it! That cream sauce is so decadent and really makes it something special.
So happy to hear date night went well Amanda.
Absolutely delicious 😋
Used sundried tomatoes and dried parsley in place of the thyme & pesto. Both my toddlers smashed it!
Yay! Love hearing it when the kids love the dish too. You are the best mum.
This recipe is absolutely one of my favourites. Cooked it for fam and everyone loved it. It is so simple and easy to make but flavours are without a doubt pn top of the world, one of the best. Just love love love it ! ❤️❤️❤️
So happy everyone loved it Nina. Thanks for testing it.
A winner in our home and so quick to prepare! My bf loved it so much that he’s talking about marrying the chicken instead of me! Lol
Yay! Although he needs to get on one knee!
This is one of my go to dinners for during the week. Absolutely love this recipe!!!! The flavours are out of this world.
I am so glad you love it Emma
It’s amazing this recipe is free. Flavour is bang on, it’s easy to make and we loved it. Another winner in our house!
Yay! So happy you enjoyed it Rachel.
Marry me Chicken….so tasty I could marry it. A delicious easy dish the whole family loved. It’s beautiful and creamy and I love the taste of sun dried tomatoes. A 5 star.
5 stars from me too Lucy. Thanks for your feedback too.
I made this today and it was absolutely amazing. I had friends around and they all loved it. Nothing but clean plates all round. Thanks Megan.
That was quick Kate. Thanks for giving the recipe a try and I am so happy you enjoyed it.