I’ve been sharing creamy skillet dinners and pasta recipes long before Marry Me Chicken went viral, and I’ve learned what separates a recipe that just looks good online from one that actually delivers at the table. I don’t do bland and I don’t do dry. The chicken cooks without drying out, and the pasta absorbs enough sauce to make every bite taste amazing.
There are a lot of “Marry Me” recipes floating around the internet right now, but I wanted to give you one that’s been tested properly, seasoned correctly.
You will also love my Marry Me Meatballs, Marry Me Chicken and Rice, Marry Me Salmon and Marry Me Chicken Soup recipes.
Marry Me Chicken Pasta Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts or Thighs: The best type of chicken to use is boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs. Both work well. I use chicken thighs because they have more flavor. You can also use fully cooked rotisserie chicken. Chicken breasts are leaner and cook quickly, which is ideal if you're aiming for a lighter dish.
- Pasta: I’m using malfaldine/mafaldini, it’s that long ribbon pasta with the cute ruffled edges. Think fettuccine but with more personality. The ruffles grab onto sauce so every bite tastes intentional, which is exactly what you want for creamy or chunky pasta recipes. You can also use fettuccine, pappardelle, penne, rigatoni, or tagliatelle.
- Garlic- Brandi's Tip: Grab pre-peeled garlic in the grocery store.
- Spinach
- Sundried Tomatoes
- Broth
- Cream
- Parmesan Cheese
- Italian Seasoning
- Smoked Paprika and Onion Powder
Why It's Called Marry Me
Marry Me Chicken got its name because the flavors are so good, so creamy, and so irresistible that people joked it could seal the deal on a proposal. It’s a total showstopper, juicy chicken in a rich, garlicky cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and herbs. When you turn it into a chicken and rice situation, it becomes even more of a cozy, decadent one-pan meal that feels fancy without trying, and yes… the hype makes sense.
How to Make Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Place a pan or pot on the stove at medium heat. Add olive oil, diced chicken, onion powder, smoked paprika, Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes until the chicken has seared on both sides. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
- Adjust the heat on the pan/pot to medium-high and add broth, heavy cream, garlic, sundried tomatoes, Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper to the pot.
- Once the mixture begins to boil and bubble add in the pasta.
- Once the pasta has wilted and is fully covered in the sauce, adjust the heat to low and cover the pot.
- Simmer until the pasta is al dente.
- Sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese and spinach. Fold to combine and toss in the chicken.
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Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Want to save this recipe for later?
I'll email it to you, so you can come back to it later! You will also grab your FREE ebook with my best 30-minute one-pot meals! Dinner stress stops here.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 ½ pounds skinless chicken breasts or thighs Diced into ½-1 inch chunks.
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
Marry Me Tuscan-Style Cream Sauce
- 2-3 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3-4 garlic cloves Minced.
- ¼ cup diced sundried tomatoes
- ½-1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 oz pasta I used Malfaldine. Fettuccine and spaghetti also work well.
- 1 ½ cups grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
- 3-4 cups fresh spinach
Instructions
- Place a skillet, pot, or Dutch oven on the stove at medium heat. Add the olive oil, diced chicken, onion powder, smoked paprika, Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.1 teaspoon olive oil, 1 ½ pounds skinless chicken breasts or thighs, ½ teaspoon onion powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper to taste
- Stir and cook for 4-5 minutes until the chicken has seared on both sides. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
- Adjust the heat on the pan/pot to medium-high and add the broth, heavy cream, garlic, sundried tomatoes, Italian Seasoning, salt, and pepper to the pot. Start with 2 cups of broth. Taste the sauce repeatedly and add salt and additional spices as necessary to suit your taste.2-3 cups chicken broth, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 3-4 garlic cloves, ¼ cup diced sundried tomatoes, ½-1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper to taste
- Once the mixture begins to boil and bubble add in the pasta. The pasta should wilt down without the need to break it.
- Once the pasta has wilted and is fully covered in the sauce, adjust the heat to low and cover the pot. If the pasta isn’t completely submerged in sauce, add additional broth as needed.8 oz pasta
- Simmer the pasta for 10-15 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese and spinach. Fold to combine and toss in the chicken.1 ½ cups grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese, 3-4 cups fresh spinach
- Serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Data
Macros are provided as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. This information is calculated using MyFitnessPal.com. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Frequently Asked Questions and Recipe Pro Tips
For the best flavor, use Parmigiano-Reggiano, it's the real deal in block form that you grate yourself. It melts smoother, tastes richer, and brings that nutty, salty depth you just don’t get from the pre-grated stuff. It’s aged longer, made with stricter standards, and it shows. If you want the sauce to taste restaurant-level and actually get creamy instead of chalky, use the block.
You don't need to. It will shrink down as it cooks. Long strands of pasta are so much better than short ones. I wouldn't break it.
You are going to love this method in this recipe! Feel free to boil your pasta first if that’s what you would like to do. This method allows me to cook the pasta directly in the Tuscan-style sauce.
The method I use in this recipe results in just the need for one pot to accomplish it all. You will combine the pasta sauce ingredients in your pan or pot and then add in your pasta and allow your pasta and sauce to simmer until the pasta is tender.
This method allows to sauce to penetrate the pasta as it cooks and also results in immense flavor.
To keep this a one-pot recipe, you'll want to use a versatile pot or pan that can handle multiple cooking tasks like searing and simmering. It also needs to be large enough to hold all of the ingredients. I used a 12-inch cast iron skillet with a lid.
You can also use a large deep skillet or saute pan with lid or a Dutch oven. Dutch ovens are great for one-pot recipes because they retain heat evenly and have high sides for holding liquid. You can easily sear the chicken, then simmer the sauce and cook the pasta all in the same pot.
Leftovers can be stored tightly covered and sealed in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheating the sauce can be challenging because it may break or become clumpy if it’s not reheated properly. The cream sauce thickens as it cools, especially depending on the type of pasta you use. If you want a creamy texture for your leftovers you will need to add broth, cream, or milk to adjust the consistency when reheating.
I use broth because that won't add many calories or much fat to the already prepared dish. If you know you like it super creamy, reheat it with cream or milk.
Heat the leftovers gently while stirring, and gradually add a small amount of cream to bring it back to the desired consistency. Continue to stir until it’s smooth.
The best way to reheat is on the stove at medium-high heat. Constantly stir until warm.
Substitutions and Add-Ins Ideas
- Shrimp
- Crab
- Lobster
- Bacon
- Salmon
- Mushrooms
- Roasted Red Peppers
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Zucchini
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Capers
- Olives
- Basil
- Parsley
- White Wine
More Chicken Recipes
Chicken Caesar Pasta Salad
Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast
Chicken Mac and Cheese
Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast
White Lasagna Soup
Karyn says
EXCELLENT recipe! I have made it twice in 3 weeks. Dont change anything!! My family loved it and argued over the leftovers!
staysnatched says
Yay! So happy to hear it.
Lea says
so good and creamy, sauce is perfect
staysnatched says
That's definitely the best part!