Marry Me Chicken pairs tender, golden chicken cutlets with a creamy Parmesan sauce brightened by garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. As the cutlets finish cooking in the skillet, they pick up the sauce’s savory flavor, making each bite rich and satisfying.
The sauce is just as welcome over pasta, rice, or bread as it is spooned over the chicken. A few small choices while you cook help the cutlets brown evenly and keep the sauce smooth.
Build flavor with evenly cooked chicken
Slicing boneless, skinless chicken breasts horizontally creates cutlets that cook more evenly than whole breasts. If one area is thicker, pound it until the cutlet is fairly uniform. This helps the thinner edges stay tender while the center finishes cooking. Patting the chicken dry before seasoning also helps it develop a golden surface in the skillet.
Give the chicken room to sear, and let it brown before turning it. The goal is a flavorful golden exterior, not to cook it completely at this stage; the cutlets finish gently in the sauce. If the skillet feels crowded, the chicken may release moisture instead of browning well. Transfer seared cutlets to a plate so they can return to the pan later.
Keep the Parmesan sauce creamy
Garlic and oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes bring savory depth to the skillet. Drain the tomatoes before slicing so their oil does not overwhelm the sauce. Stir often as the garlic cooks; it should become fragrant without browning, which can give the finished sauce a bitter edge.
Chicken broth and heavy cream form the base, while Italian seasoning adds familiar herbal flavor. Red pepper flakes provide a little warmth, and finely grated Parmesan blends into the sauce more readily than larger shreds. After stirring in the cheese, keep the sauce at a gentle simmer rather than letting it boil hard. Stir until the Parmesan is incorporated and the sauce looks cohesive.
Finish gently and check each cutlet
Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the skillet so those flavorful juices join the sauce. A gentle simmer lets the cutlets finish cooking without roughing up the creamy sauce. Turn them once and spoon sauce over the tops as they cook.
Cutlets can vary slightly in thickness, so check the thickest part of each one rather than assuming they will all finish together. If one is ready before the others, move it to a clean plate while the remaining pieces finish. Once cooked, serve the sauce over the chicken and alongside pasta, rice, or bread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why pound the chicken cutlets before cooking?
Pounding thicker areas makes each cutlet more even in thickness, which helps it cook more consistently. Patting the cutlets dry before seasoning also supports better browning in the skillet.
How do you keep the Parmesan sauce smooth?
Use finely grated Parmesan and stir it into the broth and cream over a gentle simmer. Stir until the cheese is incorporated, and avoid letting the sauce boil hard.
What should you do if one cutlet finishes first?
Transfer the finished cutlet to a clean plate while the others continue simmering. Since cutlets can differ in thickness, check each one at its thickest part and return attention to the remaining pieces.
Marry Me Chicken
Course: Main CourseCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes15
minutes560
kcal30
minutesGolden chicken cutlets simmer in a creamy Parmesan sauce with garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Serve the sauce over the chicken with pasta, rice, or bread.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced horizontally into 4 cutlets
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup drained, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Directions
- Pound the thicker areas of the chicken cutlets to about 1/2 inch thick. Pat them dry and season both sides with the salt and black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for about 3 minutes per side, until golden. Transfer it to a plate; it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes to the skillet and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in the chicken broth, heavy cream, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes, stirring until the cheese is incorporated.
- Return the chicken and any juices to the skillet. Simmer gently for about 4 minutes, turning the cutlets once, until the thickest part of each reaches 165°F. Spoon the sauce over the chicken to serve.
Notes
- If a cutlet reaches 165°F before the others, transfer it to a clean plate while the remaining cutlets finish cooking.
