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This marry me chicken pasta will take you no time at all to make! The whole family will love this easy, creamy pasta dinner with sun-dried tomatoes, basil and juicy chicken.
I think there may be a bit of debate on the web right now about the origin of the famous “marry me chicken”! I THINK (and I could be wrong) that this dish is actually a loved classic from years gone by. While I’m hesitant to throw my hat into the controversial “marry me” ring, I was pretty excited about the idea of trying a marry me chicken pasta!
This pasta dish contains all of the same components of the original, including sun-dried tomatoes, cream, parmesan and of course garlic! This recipe simple combines all of that with pasta to make an easy weeknight meal, or special dinner, if that’s what you’re looking for!
What Is Marry Me Chicken?
While there are a few different explanations floating around, I found this article from mashed did a good job of laying it all out for me.
The name “Marry Me Chicken” comes from the idea that this chicken dish is so good it will make the recipient of this meal want to put a ring on it! I’d be curious to know if this happy scenario was ever the result of enjoying this dish, but I can attest to how delicious this meal is!
Ingredients for Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Keeping to the original, this marry me chicken pasta contains many of the same ingredients as the (alleged) true original:
- olive oil
- flour
- unsalted butter
- chicken breasts
- garlic
- salt and pepper
- dried oregano
- chicken broth
- sun-dried tomatoes
- heavy cream
- parmesan
- basil, for serving
Chicken breasts: I am a big fan of chicken thighs for many of my dinners, such as these lemon pepper chicken thighs; however, I find the chicken breasts work better in this recipe. Feel free to substitute the same amount of boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead!
Oregano: Most of the dishes you’ll find online contain dried or fresh thyme. I used oregano instead the first time I made this and liked the results! Feel free to substitute with the same amount of dried thyme instead.
Recipe Directions
This marry me chicken pasta will only take 30 minutes to make, which makes it an even more exciting date night dinner idea!
1. Begin by dicing the chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Add the flour to a large resealable bag, followed by the chicken. Seal up the bag and give everything a good shake!
2. In a large frying pan on the stove, heat 1 tablespoon of oil up over medium heat. Once warmed (about a minute), add the chicken in a single layer and cook until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes, 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate while you prepare the sauce.
3. Before preparing the sauce, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove over high heat. Once bubbling, salt the water generously and add the pasta, reducing the heat to low and stirring every minute to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick.
4. While the pasta is cooking, heat the frying pan up on the stove on medium heat, adding the unsalted butter. Once the butter is melted, add the minced garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring with a wooden spatula. Add in the dried oregano, paprika and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Stir together for a minute before slowly pouring in the chicken stock and cream, whisking continuously. Add in the parmesan cheese and whisk until the cheese is melted.
5. Once the pasta is done cooking, drain the water out and then add the pasta to the finished sauce, followed by the cooked chicken. Stir everything together until the sauce completely covers the pasta and chicken. Top with bits of fresh basil and shredded Parmesan. Serve!
This marry me chicken pasta dish will serve 3-4 adults or a small family! You can definitely double the recipe if you think you’ll need more.
Recipe Tips For Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- I prefer to use a short-cut pasta such as rotini or penne for this recipe. You can use your favourite short-cut pasta or even substitute with spaghetti or fettuccine noodles!
- For a thick and creamy pasta dish you can use heavy whipped cream for the recipe. For a lighter version use half and half cream.
- Use chicken thighs in place of chicken breasts
Other Favourite 30 Minute Meals From The Blog
If you like the sounds of this chicken pasta dish you’ll love these other recipes from the blog!
- chicken and broccoli pasta bake
- chicken pot pie pasta
- veggie and sausage pasta skillet
- shrimp and sausage pasta
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This marry me chicken pasta will take you no time at all to make! The whole family will love this easy, creamy pasta dinner with sun-dried tomatoes, basil and juicy chicken.
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 8 oz short-cut pasta
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup cream*
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh basil
Instructions
- Begin by dicing the chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Add the flour to a large resealable bag, followed by the chicken. Seal up the bag and give everything a good shake!
- In a large frying pan on the stove, heat 1 tablespoon of oil up over medium heat. Once warmed (about a minute), add the chicken in a single layer and cook until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes, 5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate while you prepare the sauce.
- Before preparing the sauce, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil on the stove over high heat. Once bubbling, salt the water generously and add the pasta, reducing the heat to low and stirring every minute to ensure the pasta doesn’t stick.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat the frying pan up on the stove on medium heat, adding the unsalted butter. Once the butter is melted, add the minced garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, stirring with a wooden spatula. Add in the dried oregano, paprika and chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Stir together for a minute before slowly pouring in the chicken stock and cream, whisking continuously. Add in the parmesan cheese and whisk until the cheese is melted.
- Once the pasta is done cooking, drain the water out and then add the pasta to the finished sauce, followed by the cooked chicken. Stir everything together until the sauce completely covers the pasta and chicken. Top with bits of fresh basil and shredded Parmesan. Serve!
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 3-4 days.
Notes
*Use half and half cream for a lighter sauce and heavy whipping cream for a thick and creamy sauce.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: american
I sounds really good. I’m assuming sweet paprika and not smoked? Both would be good!
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