Chicken
$2.24per plate
Prep
10 min
Chicken · Chicken Breast
Marry Me Chicken
Marry Me Chicken earned its name from a creamy sun-dried tomato and Parmesan pan sauce so good it supposedly prompts proposals, and it comes together in one skillet in about half an hour. Seared chicken breasts, halved into thin cutlets so they cook fast and stay juicy, simmer in a garlicky cream sauce studded with sun-dried tomatoes. It tastes like a restaurant dinner for a little over two dollars a plate, no reservation required. Serve it over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes, or with bread to mop up the sauce. Want it as a full pasta dinner instead? Try our Marry Me Chicken Pasta. Skip the pasta and the plate comes to 9g of carbs a serving, which is why it shows up in our low-carb dinner ideas.
$2.29per plate
Estimated recipe total
$9.16 · serves 4
Cook
25 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Recipe from Budget Plates · https://www.budgetplates.com/marry-me-chicken
Equipment
- Large skillet
Variations
- Use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts; they are cheaper and stay juicier, and may need a couple extra minutes to reach 165 F.
- Use half-and-half or whole milk with a little flour or cornstarch instead of heavy cream for a lighter, cheaper sauce.
- No sun-dried tomatoes, use tomato paste with a splash of oil, or chopped roasted red peppers.
- Stir in a couple handfuls of fresh spinach at the end to stretch the dish and add color.
1 How to make it
1
Season and dredge the chicken
Halve the breasts horizontally into thin cutlets so they cook quickly and evenly. Pat them dry, season with salt and pepper, and dust lightly with the flour, which helps them brown and lightly thickens the sauce. Shake off the excess.
2
Sear the chicken
Heat the oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering but not smoking; too hot and the flour coating burns before the inside cooks. Sear the cutlets 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and cooked through to 165 F. Work in batches so the pan is not crowded, then move the chicken to a plate.
3
Cook the garlic and tomatoes
Lower the heat to medium. Add the garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes and cook for a minute until fragrant, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom that hold the flavor.
4
Build the sauce
Pour in the chicken broth and Italian seasoning and simmer for two minutes to reduce slightly. Turn the heat to low, then stir in the cream and Parmesan. Keep it at a gentle simmer, never a hard boil; boiling is what makes a cream sauce break or turn grainy. Stir until smooth.
5
Return the chicken
Nestle the cutlets and any juices back into the sauce and spoon it over the top. Simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes, just to warm the chicken through and let it soak up flavor. Returning it at the end keeps it from overcooking and drying out.
6
Finish and serve
Stir in the red pepper flakes and taste for salt. Serve the chicken with plenty of sauce over pasta, rice, or potatoes, or with bread to mop up every bit.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Chicken thighs for breasts. Boneless skinless thighs are cheaper and stay juicier. They may need a couple of extra minutes to reach 165 F.
- Half-and-half or milk for the heavy cream. For a lighter, cheaper sauce, use half-and-half, or whole milk with a teaspoon of flour or cornstarch. It will be a little thinner but still creamy.
- No sun-dried tomatoes?. A few tablespoons of tomato paste with a splash of oil, or chopped roasted red peppers, give a similar sweet-tangy note for less.
- Stir in greens. A couple of handfuls of fresh spinach wilted into the sauce at the end stretch the dish and add color, if you have it on hand.
3 Budget tips
- Halving breasts into thin cutlets makes a pound and a half stretch to four plated portions and helps the chicken cook fast without drying.
- Sun-dried tomatoes are the priciest bit, so buy one jar and spread it across a few meals; a little brings a lot of flavor.
- A cup of cream and a handful of Parmesan make a richer sauce than any jar, for less, so skip the bottled alfredo.
- Serve it over cheap pasta, rice, or potatoes to turn four cutlets into a full dinner without adding much cost.
- See more recipes priced per serving in the Budget Plates Index.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate the chicken in its sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Keeping it in the sauce is what keeps it moist.
Freezer
The cream sauce can separate a little when frozen, but it freezes for up to 2 months. Cool completely, freeze in portions, and stir well as it reheats.
Reheating
Reheat gently, covered, on the stovetop or in the microwave at half power, stirring in a splash of broth or milk to bring the sauce back together. High heat will make it greasy or grainy.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
470
Protein
42g
Fat
30g
Carbs
9g
Estimates per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
Why is it called Marry Me Chicken?
The name comes from the idea that the creamy sun-dried tomato and Parmesan sauce is so good it could earn a marriage proposal. This is the original skillet version with seared chicken; for the pasta version, see our Marry Me Chicken Pasta.
How do I keep the chicken from drying out?
Halve the breasts into thin cutlets so they cook fast, sear just until they reach 165 F, and pull them out while you build the sauce. Returning them to the warm sauce for only a few minutes at the end keeps them juicy.
How do I stop the cream sauce from breaking?
Add the cream and Parmesan over low heat and keep the sauce at a gentle simmer, never a hard boil. Boiling is what makes a cream sauce split or turn grainy. If it gets too thick, loosen it with a splash of broth.
How is $2.29 a plate figured?
About $9.16 for the whole skillet, four servings, so roughly $2.29 each. The chicken, cream, Parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes are the main costs. Pasta, rice, or bread to serve are figured separately, and it is still a fraction of restaurant price.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
As an Amazon Associate, Budget Plates may earn from qualifying purchases.
- 12-inch nonstick skillet. A wide nonstick skillet browns ground meat, fries rice, and builds a one-pan sauce with less oil and easier cleanup. Best for everyday stovetop dinners like skillet meals, fried rice, pasta sauces, and patties.
- Cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat for a deep sear and moves from stovetop to oven, and it lasts for decades with basic care. Best for searing chops and chicken, and recipes that start on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
Cook next
All recipes Related recipes
From other tables
All recipes 
