There is something strangely seductive about the combination of flavors and textures in this dish. The words intense and irresistible come to mind. Essentially, it is made up of tender sautéed chicken breast bathed in a silky cream sauce that is richly flavored with tangy sweet sun-dried tomatoes and fragrant fresh basil. This dish is a slight adaptation of a recipe I first encountered in Bon Appetit magazine back in the 90's called "chicken with sun-dried tomato cream sauce." But it has recently become more popularly known as "marry me chicken," and I'm sticking with this whimsical moniker because it certainly fits. I can't promise this dish will inspire any actual proposals, but marry me chicken is the total package.
Ingredients for Marry Me Chicken
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- all purpose flour
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- unsalted butter
- extra virgin olive oil
- sun-dried tomatoes (oil packed)
- shallots
- fresh basil
- dry white wine
- heavy whipping cream
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Begin by chopping the shallots, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. (Drain the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes before chopping them.)
In a medium bowl, combine the flour with the salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces to the seasoned flour and toss them to coat.
Place a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add half of the butter and half of the olive oil. When the butter is melted and the skillet is hot, saute the chicken in two batches until lightly browned and just cooked through. (Add the remaining butter and olive oil to the skillet in between batches.) This will take about 5 minutes per batch. Set the chicken aside.
Next add the finely chopped shallots to the skillet and saute for a couple of minutes, or until they are fragrant and becoming translucent.
Then add the white wine to the skillet and simmer for a minute or two, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add the heavy whipping cream, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and about half of the basil. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. This will take about 5 minutes.
Finally, return the chicken to the skillet. Stir everything together and simmer for a few minutes more, or until the chicken is heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve over cooked pasta (first tossed with a little olive oil) or a bed of basmati rice.
Hint: I have occasionally used the "dry" sort of sun-dried tomatoes that are packaged in bags instead of the oil packed variety from a jar, and as long as they're fresh and still reasonably pliable, they can also work just fine in this recipe.
Serving suggestions
- To Accompany - I like to serve this dish over pasta that can be comfortably eaten out of a bowl while curled up on the couch (perhaps with an old romantic movie). Penne, strozzapreti, or farfalle are all great choices. This chicken is also wonderful over basmati or wild rice.
- To Drink - Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or whatever dry white wine you used in the dish.
Equipment
I usually make this in an enameled cast iron braiser with a 3.5 quart capacity. (The one used here is by Le Creuset.) This recipe also works well in a 12 inch stainless steel skillet.
Storage
Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
📖 Recipe
Marry Me Chicken
Equipment
- 3.5 quart cast iron braiser or 12 inch skillet
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into about ½ inch strips and then into pieces (because trying to cut saucy chicken breasts into bite sized pieces over a bed of noodles isn't very romantic)
- ⅓ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes (oil packed) roughly chopped
- 2 small shallots finely chopped (about ½ cup)
- 3 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- ½ cup dry white wine (choose one you wouldn't mind drinking)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, mix the flour with the salt and pepper. Add the chicken pieces and toss them to coat.
- Place a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add half of the butter and half of the olive oil. When the butter is melted and the skillet is hot, saute the chicken in two batches until light brown and just cooked through. (Add the remaining butter and olive oil to the skillet in between batches.) This will take about 5 minutes per batch. Set the chicken aside.
- Add the finely chopped shallots to the skillet and saute for a couple minutes, or until fragrant and becoming translucent.
- Add the white wine to the skillet and simmer for a minute or two, stirring with a wooden spoon to loosen all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add the heavy whipping cream, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and about half of the basil. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally. This will take about 5 minutes.
- Return the chicken to the skillet. Stir everything together and simmer for a few minutes, or until the chicken is heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve over cooked pasta (first tossed with a little olive oil) or over a bed of basmati rice.
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