🍗 Marry Me Chicken (Classic Method)

This method focuses on creating perfectly seared chicken breasts in a rich, creamy sauce.²

Table of Contents

Cut and Season: Slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts horizontally into thinner cutlets (or use already thin-sliced chicken).³
Dredge: Season the cutlets with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning, then lightly dredge them in all-purpose flour.⁴ This creates a nice crust and helps thicken the sauce later.⁵

Brown: Heat olive oil (or a mix of olive oil and butter) in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.⁷
Sear: Brown the chicken cutlets for about 4–5 minutes per side until golden.⁸ They may not be fully cooked through yet. Remove the chicken and set it aside on a plate.⁹

Aromatics: Reduce the heat and add garlic (and sometimes onion or shallot) to the same skillet.¹¹ Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant, scraping up any browned bits (the “fond”) from the bottom of the pan—this adds great flavor!¹²
Simmer: Stir in chicken broth (or sometimes white wine, then broth), heavy cream, and sun-dried tomatoes.¹³ Season with more Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes (optional). Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
Thicken and Enrich: Stir in grated Parmesan cheese until it melts and the sauce thickens slightly.¹⁴

Finish Cooking: Return the seared chicken cutlets to the sauce, nestling them in.¹⁵ Simmer gently for 5–10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of ¹⁶$165^\circ\text{F}$ or ¹⁷$74^\circ\text{C}$).¹⁸
Garnish: Stir in fresh basil leaves just before serving.¹⁹
Serve over: Mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice to soak up the creamy sauce.²⁰

🍝 “Marry Me” Chicken Orzo (One-Pan Method)

This is a simpler, one-pan dish where the orzo pasta cooks directly in the sauce.

Cut: Cut boneless, skinless chicken into 1-inch cubes (this ensures it cooks quickly).²² Season with salt and pepper.²³
Sauté: Heat oil in a large skillet or pot over medium-high heat.²⁴ Add the cubed chicken and cook for about 6–8 minutes until browned and cooked through.²⁵ Remove and set aside.

Aromatics: Reduce heat to medium.²⁶ Add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to the same pan and cook for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
Toast: Stir in the uncooked orzo pasta and cook for 1 minute to lightly toast it (this deepens the flavor).
Liquid: Pour in the chicken broth.²⁷ Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer.²⁸

Cook Orzo: Cover the pan and cook for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the orzo from sticking to the bottom.²⁹ The orzo will absorb the liquid and thicken the sauce.³⁰
Final Ingredients: Once the orzo is tender, stir in the heavy cream (or half-and-half) and grated Parmesan cheese.³¹ You can also stir in fresh spinach until it wilts.³²
Combine and Serve: Add the cooked chicken back to the pan and stir to warm through.³³ Garnish with fresh basil.³⁴