By Naz Deravian
Updated Dec. 12, 2023
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 10 minutes
- Cook Time
- 50 minutes
- Rating
- 4(9,130)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This cozy dish, whichwent viral on TikTok with claims that if you prepare it for someone, you will end up getting married, features boneless chicken breasts nestled in a creamy, tomato-y sauce. With wedding bells in mind or not, this dish comes together fairly quickly and is just as great for entertaining as it is for a family meal. In this version, the addition of tomato paste adds a bright acidity to the rich cream sauce and complements the sun-dried tomatoes. Serve with crusty bread to sop up all the juices as well as tangy green salad to balance out the sauce’s richness. Or, try it over pasta,rice orpolenta.
Featured in: The Chicken That Might Put a Ring on It
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 3large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 6 chicken cutlets (about 2¼ pounds total), patted dry
- Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
- ¼cup all-purpose flour
- 3tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3garlic cloves, chopped
- 1tablespoon tomato paste
- ½teaspoon dried oregano
- Red-pepper flakes, to taste
- 1cup low-sodium chicken stock
- ½ to ¾cup heavy cream
- ½cup (1½ ounces) grated Parmesan
- ⅓cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
- Fresh basil, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Preparation
Step
1
If using chicken breasts, start from the thickest end and slice each chicken breast in half horizontally so you end up with a total of 6 cutlets (see Tip). Season both sides of the chicken cutlets well with salt and pepper.
Step
2
Scatter the flour on a large plate and coat the cutlets, shaking off the excess. Transfer the cutlets to a sheet pan or large plate in a single layer.
Step
3
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. As soon as it melts, add the cutlets and cook until golden on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook the other side until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Do this in batches, if needed, adding more oil, if needed. Transfer the cutlets to a plate or sheet pan.
Step
4
Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring until the color deepens, about 2 minutes. Add the oregano and red-pepper flakes, to taste. Increase the heat to medium, add the stock and bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Step
5
Add ½ cup of the cream and warm through, stirring, until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Watch the cream closely, reducing the heat if necessary, to maintain a gentle simmer. Stir in the Parmesan and the sun-dried tomatoes. Add more cream, if you like, and season the sauce. Place the chicken back in the pan to warm through, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and scatter basil on top.
Tip
- To make it easier to slice into cutlets, place the chicken breasts in the freezer for 20 minutes.
Ratings
4
out of 5
9,130
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Cooking Notes
cd1600
I have been making this for years. I pound my chicken cutlets and by the time it’s done they’re are falling apart tender. I add a lot more broth and thicken it with the flour from the chicken. I also add a half pound of cooked pasta and a lot of raw baby spinach at the end - it melts from the heat and makes this a true one pot meal. I always have enough for at least 2 nights!!
amanda v
Made this tonight. Didn’t have cream so used whole milk and some flour to thicken. We don’t like SDT so I used a can of petite diced tomatoes drained and it was delicious. Served it over rice. Was very good, easy and came together quickly. Marry me tho? Maybe not lol. Sleep with me, maybe haha.
Souad Sharabani
You don't need to use that much oil & butter to make this dish, 1/2 the amount is sufficient . You can also use milk, or coconut milk instead of cream
Ash
Add a finely diced shallot when you add the garlic, you won’t regret it.
Curt Conklin
In college we used to joke that every fella needed to know how to make a creamy chicken dish for serving a first-time dine-over date. It didn't matter the recipe, but we all called it Chicken Seducto. This qualifies!
Degustibus Dan
Deglaze with a shot (or two) of vodka after cooking the tomato paste (double that too) and the dish becomes pretty classic vodka sauce.
Donna
Wondering if you could use greek yogurt instead of heavy cream to cut back on the fat content?
Lindsay
Sub the dairy for sour cream, add some onions, serve it with spaetzle or other dumpling and you’ve got chicken paprikash. Yes, my spouse we would remarry me for this.
Stephanie T
This was really good, and the leftovers reheated well and made a great lunch! I did make some modifications based on some notes. After browning the chicken, I sautéed some mushrooms until nicely browned, removed from pan and then sautéed some finely diced shallots and garlic until soft. Added the tomato paste and after a few minutes deglazed with a splash of vodka. once that cooked off, I added the broth and followed the rest of recipe, adding the mushrooms along with the chicken in that step.
Katie
This recipe nearly caused a divorce in my household as my boyfriend got so mad at the amount of oil I had splattered everywhere. Also I used chicken thighs as it was the only thing I had in the fridge. Frankly the outcome was a little gross, between the fattiness of the thighs and the creaminess of the sauce. I know, none of this is the fault of the recipe, but I guess my advice is don't use thighs and get a boyfriend who doesn't hover over you while you cook.
Christina
As a newlywed, my first dish was this! I added extra red pepper flakes for more heat, and doubled the amount of sun dried tomatoes for extra tangy-ness. I also threw some basil into the sauce after removing the pan from heat, as well as extra for garnish. Came out great!
steve rayman
Threw some vermouth in to deglaze the pan.
JG in Florence
I made this as written. It was very tasty and the whole family enjoyed it, and I liked the overall technique in the recipe. The sauce was yummy mopped up with bread.That said, I doubt me or my partner would have been impressed by this kind of food. Butter, cream and parmesan on chicken is rich. It's good, but if we want to splurge, we'd rather do it on something else!
SophiaSprinkles
So if it’s like a curry but without spices and with sun dried tomatoes, it’s nothing like a curry. *shrugs*
beepboop
I always put toasted garlic breadcrumbs on top, with a little bit of cumin. It's my version of curry not curry!
Abby
I made this dish with a side of rice for my partner today and he loved it. I followed the instructions to the T, but replaced the tomato paste with tomato sauce since I didn't have any in the pantry. It still turned out delicious.
Steven E.
I pounded the chicken, added green beans and chopped broccoli, and served it over paella rice. It was a tasty and easy weeknight meal.
Louise
Partner said it was okay. Tasted like margherita pizza without the dough. I thought it tasted better before I added the parmegiano. Will likely make again without the chicken.
Amy
I made this, but vegan style. Used tofu (froze it first) instead of chicken, subbed vegan cream and part. It was delicious. Thank you!
TraceyF
So very easy and delicious! Very rich. I'll make this again for company.
Donna Brassard
Made it according to recipe and it was awesome, but I think there are many options you can add or change as the other commenters have noted. It’s a keeper!
Laura Gemery
yum altho not very healthy; I used half & half instead....but why not just go for it!?
Todd W
I used thighs, and since I was cooking for a large crowd, I doubled the recipe. I moved the pan fried thighs to a baking dish in a 350° oven since that step took so long. This made sure the thighs were cooked through and made them more tender with a little longer cooking time. The result was a hit although this was a lot more involved than I thought it would be, and it took me a lot longer than 1 hour. :)
Steven Yanas
Me and my new girlfriend have been curiously anxious about the new steps forward in our blossoming relationship. In this anxiety one of the biggest hurdles was our relatability in cuisines. Not anymore! Not only did this meal bring us closer but it perhaps sealed the deal (fingers crossed). Marry me chicken? ya right, more like Marry me Today Chicken!
Kathleen G.
Almost 48 years ago I made Aglio e Olio (spaghetti with oil and garlic) for man I'd met the day before at a road race. We've been together ever since. I made it last night and while it was good, I wouldn't put it in the Marry Me category. I did add more garlic-8 cloves (really, Naz, 3 cloves for almost 3 pounds of chicken), 2 TBS paste, 2 cups chicken stock and about a cup of my home grown sun dried tomatoes. I served it over spaghetti with a salad. Not sure if I would make again.
Jody
Served over jasmine rice. Boyfriend and I don’t plan on marrying, but this dish? It’s incredible just the way it is. Do nothing but enjoy it.
blaze
Make chicken thighs flat
blaze
Flatten thighs and use canned diced tomatoes instead of sundried
Katharine
I doubled the sauce and declined the pan with cognac. As someone suggested prior, I served it with a half pound of cooked pasta and a generous amount of fresh spinach. I sliced the chicken into bite-size pieces before heating in the sauce, and poured the chicken and sauce mixture over the pasta and spinach. It made a wonderful one pot meal that my family truly enjoyed. I’ll definitely make this again, probably adding a shallots as suggested. a shallot as other people have suggested.
Hannah
I made this with extra firm tofu, using two blocks cut into six slabs each. AND OH MY GOODNESS WAS IT DELICIOUS! The whole family flipped out over it and wants to eats it every day forever.
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