This irresistible Marry Me Chicken recipe features tender chicken thighs bathed in a luscious creamy sauce infused with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan cheese. This dish is a flavorful celebration perfect for any occasion. Everyone will fall in love with each bite of this savory goodness.
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Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Rich Flavor Profile: Marry Me Chicken is known for its rich and indulgent flavor profile. The combination of garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, herbs, and Parmesan cheese creates a savory and satisfying dish that appeals to many taste preferences.
- Easy to Prepare: Despite its gourmet flavor, it's relatively easy to prepare. It involves simple ingredients and straightforward cooking techniques.
- Impressive Presentation: With its creamy sauce and vibrant colors from the sun-dried tomatoes and herbs, it looks beautiful on the plate.
- Versatile: This dish can be served with various side dishes such as pasta, rice, or roasted vegetables. It can also be customized with additional ingredients or spices to suit individual tastes.
What Type of Chicken to Use
You can use bone-in chicken thighs, boneless chicken thighs, or even chicken breasts. Chicken thighs tend to be more moist and flavorful compared to chicken breasts, which will enhance the overall taste of the dish.
Key Ingredients for the Sauce
- Milk
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Parmesan Reggiano Cheese
- Cream Cheese
- Garlic
- Italian Seasoning
How to Make Marry Me Chicken
Detailed measurements and full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Slow cook or pressure cook the chicken.
- Once the chicken has cooked, add milk, sundried tomatoes, cream cheese, whipping cream, parmesan reggiano, garlic, and spinach to the pot/slow cooker. Place the Instant Pot on the saute function. If using a slow cooker, ensure it's warm.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until the cheese has melted and the spinach has wilted.
- Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir. Add it to the pot. This will thicken up the cream sauce.
- Serve.
How to Use a Slow Cooker or Crock Pot
Cook the chicken for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.
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How to Substitute Milk
I actually use almond milk. Just about any milk will work in this recipe. If you are looking for a thick cream sauce, heavy whipping cream or half and half will produce a thicker sauce than milk. I've only tested almond milk, but other plant based milk may work as well. Just keep in mind, plant based milks are thin. If you omit the heavy cream and/or cream cheese, it will alter the texture of the sauce.
Substitutions and Add-ins
- Bacon
- Mushrooms
- Artichokes
- Broccoli
- Asparagus
- Bell Peppers
- Basil
- Thyme
- Oregano
- Cajun Seasoning
How to Store
You can store the dish tightly covered and sealed for 3-4 days.
How to Reheat
My favorite way is to reheat it on the stove until warm. You can also use the air fryer or standard oven and reheat at 350 degrees until warm.
If using the microwave, heat on high power in 1-minute increments, checking and stirring between each interval. Continue to heat until warm.
Freezer Tips
You can freeze the dish tightly covered and sealed for 2-3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Pair With These Recipes
Southern Soul Food Green Beans with Bacon
Fried Potatoes and Onions
Fried Corn
Candied Carrots
Quick Sauteed Collard Greens
More Chicken Dinners
Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast
Smothered Chicken Wings
Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken Breast
Jerk Chicken Thighs
Marry Me Chicken Thighs (Tuscan Chicken)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 16-20 oz bone-in chicken thighs This was 4 chicken thighs for me. Fat trimmed if desired
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning Divided
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 oz cream cheese
- ¾ cup milk I used unsweetened almond milk.
- 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup sundried tomatoes
- ¼ cup grated parmesan reggiano cheese
- 3 garlic cloves Minced
- 2 ½ cups fresh spinach
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
Instant Pot
- Drizzle the olive oil into the Instant Pot. Place the Instant Pot on the Saute function.
- Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of the Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper to taste. Place the chicken in the Instant Pot and brown both sides of the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Add the chicken broth and remaining Italian Seasoning to the pot. Close the Instant Pot and Seal. Cook on Manual/High-Pressure Cooking for 14 minutes.
- When the pot indicates it has finished, quick release the steam. Open the pot and remove the chicken.
Slow Cooker
- Optional Sear: Follow the instructions above for searing the chicken, but use a pan on the stove.
- Add the chicken, chicken broth and 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning to the slow cooker (I used 7quart).
- Cook for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low.
Cream Sauce Instructions
- Once the chicken has cooked, add the milk, sundried tomatoes, cream cheese, whipping cream, parmesan reggiano, garlic, and spinach to the pot/slow cooker. Place the Instant Pot on the saute function. If using a slow cooker, ensure it's warm.
- Cook for 3-4 minutes until the cheese has melted and the spinach has wilted.
- Combine the cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Stir. Add it to the pot. This will thicken up the cream sauce. If your sauce isn't thick enough add an additional teaspoon of cornstarch with an additional teaspoon of water. Allow the sauce to continue to cook until it has reached your desired thickness. Stir repeatedly to ensure the sauce does not burn. It will take about 10 minutes to fully thicken.
- Either add the chicken back to the pot with the cream sauce or place the chicken in a serving dish and drizzle the sauce throughout.
Notes
- When using cornstarch to thicken the sauce ensure you aren't using old, expired cornstarch. It needs to be fresh, otherwise you will notice clumps in the cream sauce.
- Ensure the water and cornstarch are fully combined and stirred before adding it to the sauce. This will prevent clumping.
- This dish is prepared with additional cream sauce than what is necessary for 4 pieces of chicken. This is my preferred way to prepare the dish, as I use the sauce to compliment side dishes like broccoli and cauliflower mash. It also helps tremendously with reheating leftovers. No dry chicken!
- If you desire less cream sauce, reduce the almond milk to ⅓rd or ½ a cup. The serving sizes of the remaining ingredients will stay the same.
Rick C. says
I love the idea of using thighs, however, I happen to have 6 chicken breast that I need to cook and would like to use them in this recipe. Do I still pressure cook the breasts for 14 minutes or do I need to adjust the time? Thanks.
staysnatched says
I do 10 minutes of pressure cooking followed by 10 minutes of natural release for chicken breasts.
Karen says
This looks so good. Can i use arrowroot instead of cornstarch?
staysnatched says
I've heard great things about it, but I haven't tried it myself. I'm sure you can.
Katie says
I loved this recipe! I had to make some tweaks because I didn't have almond milk and pressure cooking dairy usually ends up with curdling. So if you're planning on using traditional dairy in the recipe for the milk (instead of the almond milk listed in the ingredients), here is what I did. Also note this will change the macros.
I opted for using heavy cream instead of milk (just my personal preference), added at the end. So the cooking liquid for the chicken that I used was 1.5 cups of chicken broth. After cooking, when I added the cream cheese, tomatoes, and spinach, I added a half cup of heavy cream. It was honestly so dang good and will absolutely be in our rotation.
Just wanted to drop a comment for the users who said their liquid curdled, as it was likely due to using cow's milk prior to pressure cooking. I'm excited to make the recipe again when I have almond milk. I just misread the ingredients the first go-around. 🙂
staysnatched says
Thanks for providing your tips!
Katie says
Absolutely! Thank you so much for posting this awesome recipe!
Kaylee Corrado says
I LOVE this recipe. I've made it 4 or 5 times and it's always great! But it's so hard for me to follow the way you have the ingredients listed. Is it easy to switch those around to be in order of how they are used?
Jen says
@Katie,
Hi!! Just wanted to tell you the milk goes in after the pressure cooking already happens so no curdling. 🙂
Dawn Hinz says
I have made this at least a dozen times! People- this is company worthy. I used boneless and skinless chicken thighs from Costco. I used two pouches (the chicken from Costco come in separate pouches) There is just the right amount of sauce If you want to put it over zucchini or pasta for the kids. Everyone loves this recipe and asks for the recipe! It's a winner for sure.
staysnatched says
I love your Costco tips! So glad you guys enjoy it!
Shirley says
Using tenderloins?
Arna says
I have made this several times. Absolutely delicious!
Deb says
Made this tonight! Used 6 thighs with bone. The sauce is to die for! I am thinking of cooking a little pasta, but we are trying to do low carb. Making green beans to go with it. Yummy!
staysnatched says
Green beans will pair wonderfully!
Tricia says
For boneless thighs is the cook time still 14
Minutes, that seems like a lot?
staysnatched says
The cook time is accurate. If you scroll through the remaining comments you will see others have made the recipe with success.
Rhonda says
I want to make this tonight but don't have the better than bouillon chicken. Can I use something in it's place?
staysnatched says
A bouillon cube or you can omit it, it will likely have less flavor.
Jessica says
Holy Yum!
I had to tweak it a bit based on what I had on hand (boneless skinless chicken tenderloins rather than thighs, grassmilk half and half rather than almond milk and heavy cream, and Trader Joes condensed chicken broth packet rather than bullion, and I added a scoop of ancient naturals bone broth protein savory herb flavor powder because I am always trying to get more bone broth into my diet ) It was still delicious!
This recipe is easy (if I can make it, its easy) and delicious. Its also one of few that you can tweak as needed and it still ends up good! I hate to admit it but it is rarely the case that I make a recipe I find online, have to tweak it, and it still ends up as good as I had hoped.
staysnatched says
Thanks for sharing all of this. So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Victoria Gutzman says
My daughter shared this recipe with me, raving about how good it turn out. So I made it too and let me tell you, it's fantastic! Thank you for the best recipe I've tried in a long time. Btw, I used frozen boneless chicken thighs, 14 minutes. Perfect!
staysnatched says
Wonderful news! So glad you enjoyed it.
Jessica says
I made this dish last night and it’s by far one of the BEST recipes I have ever made. I used 8 boneless skinless thighs and I followed the recipe exactly except for using 3 chicken bouillon in place of the better than chicken bouillon. There was plenty of sauce as well. I will be making this again very soon.
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it! The cream sauce is so good!
Hoping for an InstantPot says
Have you made this in a regular slow-cooker? If so, what are the tweaks?
staysnatched says
Cook the chicken thighs for 4 hours on High or 8 hours on Low. Still, add the cream sauce at the end.
Laura says
Hi! Can I use 1% milk? No dietary restrictions here, just what I have in the fridge!
staysnatched says
I've never tried that but I assume it would work fine.
Vanessa says
Made this tonight for dinner. It was awesome. Hubby has no salt diet so I tweaked it to fit his diet. It is a great recipe. If you haven’t made this, do so. It totally is worth it,
staysnatched says
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and were able to tweak it to fit your needs.
Neal G says
First go at this one and it turned out fantastic! Didn't have the spinach or sun dried, so it just turned into a nice thick garlic parm sauce. I subbed half water/half heavy cream for the milk, and it didn't curdle despite pressure. Also I made the chicken stock with better than bullion (so used that twice). and 2 tsp xanthum gum and 2 tsp water at the end. lots of heat via saute mode and steady whisking after chicken is out and final stuff is in, and voila! thick heavenly sauce. oh, i also went close to double the parmesan! ???
staysnatched says
I love your subsitutions!
Nancy says
@Vanessa, I'm interested in knowing how you tweaked this recipe to be low or no sodium. I'm on the same restrictions plus I have to limit my calcium intake and I'm watching carbs.
Tammy howard says
Does the parmesan need to be fresh or can it be the dry shaker kind?
staysnatched says
I don’t buy the dry shaker kind. It’s processed. It’s up to you if you would like to use that.
william says
Hello. Looks delicious! Is there a difference in cooking time for frozen boneless thighs (Costco). It's so convenient to not have to thaw things out, especially since we don't need to, with the Instant Pot.
staysnatched says
I don't cook frozen meat. I've read that some people use the same cook time and it takes longer to come to pressure.
Keri says
Made these tonight! SO GOOD! I used skinless and boneless and the cook time was perfect (from frozen) I have tons of sauce left which I love because it’s delicious and it’ll be going on whatever vegetable we make tomorrow for dinner. Thank you!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! So glad you enjoyed it!
Ken says
A fellow Kansas Citian here...GO CHIEFS!!!!! Anyway, I do the cooking in my house since my wife is disabled. Made this tonight, and this was awesome! I followed one of the other suggestions in here, and used 1/2 cup of cream, added at the end, instead of milk. Also, I forgot to get chicken broth while I was shopping, so I improvised and used 1 1/2 cups water and doubled the Better than Buillon. This worked out pretty well, although it turned out just a little saltier than I would have liked. I'll make sure to get the low sodium broth next time. Also, I opted for whole boneless chicken breast (fresh) instead of thighs, and cooked it at high pressure for 10 minutes followed by 10 minutes of natural release before doing quick release. Anyway, aside from those few changes (and adding a little extra spinach, because we love spinach), I followed everything else in the recipe. The chicken was nice and juicy, and the sauce was just awesome. This is definitely going into regular rotation for my family!!! Thank you!!
staysnatched says
Thanks for sharing your changes. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Beth says
This is one of the best recipes I have even gotten off the internet. I make exactly as instructed, but add 8 oz of sliced mushrooms when cooking the chicken. Sort of defeats the keto but so good with gnocchi.
staysnatched says
Yum! So glad you enjoyed it.
Sheila says
This was absolutely delicious! I will be making this on a regular basis.
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Jessica says
Oh. My. Gosh. This was so good, The flavors were perfect and I loved the sauce. Thank you for making a recipe with extra sauce... nothing is worse than reheating leftovers and they are dry because there was NOT ENOUGH SAUCE!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! That's exactly why I make it this way.
Lisa says
Made this tonight but used chicken meatballs and put it over low carb (carba-nada) pasta. It was soooooooo delicious! I didn’t have heavy cream so I just omitted it and it came out great.
staysnatched says
YUM! That sounds amazing.
Cass Hernandez says
I assume I will love Tuscan themed anything and this was no exception. However, my husband is not usually a fan. But THIS. Mr. Picky tried it and immediately said it was BOMB and halfway through said I need to make it again. He loved it so much he woke up and asked if he could pack the leftovers for lunch. And that's when the fight started. Just kidding... but we did have to split it.
staysnatched says
haha! Now this has me laughing.
Lisa says
Amazing recipe!! I had to cook everything in a pan and didn’t change anything at all. So good with potatoes or garlic bread!!! Thank you for this recipe! My husband loved it too! Xoxo
staysnatched says
I love that pairing! Sounds so good!
Mom of Four Grown Son and Wife says
Once again. The room was silent. Smacking is all I heard. Served with broccoli and rice.This was quick and very flavorful. I will get a picture one day. Thanks for feeding my family well.
staysnatched says
haha! I love to hear that!
Allyson says
This was SO good, after finishing (and wishing we had leftovers) my husband threw down his fork and declared “10 out of 10” and asked to make sure I save this. Prep was so quick and easy and yet there was SO much flavor. The sauce is amazing. Can’t wait to make this again.
staysnatched says
haha! I love that response!
Danita says
Made this last night with 4 chicken thighs. I used an entire 6 oz package of organic spinach from Trader Joes as we love spinach and it really cooks down. It makes a lot of sauce so I would increase the number of chicken thighs next time for leftovers. Very good recipe, perfect for company. . I served with mashed cauliflower.
staysnatched says
Yes! The leftover sauce is the best part.
Coby says
Well there's a reason this has so many rave reviews- 'cause it's delicious! That sauce!!! I served it over your garlic cauliflower mash and it was the perfect pairing! Great recipe!
staysnatched says
Yes! I love this with cauliflower mash!
Shauna says
Quick, easy, and delicious. I did half breasts and half thighs in the IP for the stated cooking time and it all turned out great!
staysnatched says
Gotta love a quick recipe. I'm glad both thighs and breasts worked well.
Derek Lemler says
My fiancé says she would drink the sauce with a straw for dinner. We both loved this recipe! I used the entire 8oz block of the cream cheese, doubled the parmesan cheese and added the entire pint of heavy cream and it turned out awesome. Its super good to use the leftover sauce and put it over meatballs like swedish meatballs.
staysnatched says
The sauce is very drinkable! Definitely the best part.
Janis Booker says
Made This last night for dinner and it was delicious. I skipped the better than bouillon and used low sodium chicken broth because I'm watching my sodium intake and it was still really flavorful. I had one extra chicken thigh and there was still more than enough sauce leftover. I'm looking for it to using this extra sauce on top of pasta chicken breast and even fish. This is my first state snatch recipe and it will definitely be in my rotation
staysnatched says
I can't wait for you to try more recipes!
Cassie says
I really wanted to make this recipe so bad, but I do not have an insta pot! So I followed the recipe but just baked the chicken in the broth covered with foil. Made the sauce in the same pan. The sauce is very yummy, perfect over pasta if you're not on Keto. The recipe is a win all around, Don't let not having a pressure cooker deter you!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Anonymous says
Made this last night. Sooo easy and so delicious!! Will definitely be making this again. Thanks Brandi!
staysnatched says
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Anonymous says
This was amazing! I accidentally added a little too much thickener but it made the sauce thick like gravy. Was perfect to go on top of my mashed potatoes. Will definitely be making this again!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! So glad you enjoyed it!
Goldie says
Two words...phenomenal and easy! This was so flavorful. And since I love Parmesan cheese this was definitely a winner! You gotta love Instant Pot meals. That sauté function is a game changer. I roasted broccoli to have as a side and the flavors complemented each other very well. Next time I need to try Brandi’s air fryer broccoli recipe. I will be making this again for sure!
staysnatched says
Those are two great words! So glad you enjoyed it!
Shannon says
I normally don’t eat chicken thighs, but this is definitely gives me a reason to get them in my butcher box. This recipe is so good!!! I forgot the garlic, I can’t believe I did because I love it, but it was still tasty!!
staysnatched says
haha! You would be surprised. So good!
CC says
Brandi another bangin recipe THANK YOU! So honestly I'm not a newbie with the air fryer because air fry ALL the things! But this was my FIRST Instant Pot recipe besides pressure cooking water to test ? lol. So I will say those waiting to bust out the Instant Pot DO IT! I read and re-read the directions then watched the video, checked the tips and the notes, and boom amazing recipe. Even an IP newbie like me could pull this meal off! Now truth be told I had boneless skinless chicken thighs and they didn't look as pretty as her elegant pictures but they were still fire! I also had to use milk because I thought my almond milk was plain nope it was vanilla. Still had no issues with curdling or any of that craziness that I read in comments. Maybe beginners luck but I think its more the thought and detail that Brandi puts in her recipes, thank you again.
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Laura Montgomery says
Made this tonight and it was AMAZING. Simple and delicious!!
staysnatched says
Simple it is! Glad you enjoyed it.
Karen says
Made this for dinner tonight (along with the air fryer green beans) and it was delicious! I made it in the crockpot and used tenderloins because that is what I had on hand. On top of tasting so good, it looks so appealing! I love how pretty the sauce is 🙂
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Chastidy Burns says
This is delicious, I wanted to bathe in this sauce!! Two notes - bring your cream cheese to room temp first to make the melting process easier, and consider popping the chicken thighs under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp after removing them from the instant pot. 5 stars!
staysnatched says
I'm with you! That's the best part!
Aja says
We made this with chicken thighs and boneless chicken breasts. Both cuts of chicken were delicious. We even used the left over sauce for dipping the following day.
staysnatched says
It pairs wonderfully with any chicken!
Shannon says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS!! Served it over cauliflower rice.
Used boneless/skinless chicken thighs and added sliced mushrooms. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
staysnatched says
Yum that sounds like a great pairing!
Natalie ODonnell says
THIS WAS THE BOMB! Made this for lunch today and my hubby and I both loved it. We also made the air fryer broccoli--EASY AND AMAZING! I used chicken breasts because it's what I had on hand and it turned out just as delicious! Proud of myself for using my kitchen appliances--love that Brandi has done all of the hard work and makes it easy!
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Ana says
I’ve been eyeing this recipe for a while and it is WORTH THE HYPE!
That sauce is soo flavorful and absolutely incredible. We ate it over rice but I’m thinking zucchini noddles, palm noodles, literally anything would be delicious. I’ve yet to try a recipe of yours that isn’t phenomenal!
staysnatched says
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
Lindsey says
This was so damn good! I was impatient with the Xanthan gum, added more, and it was pretty thick. But that’s my bad and it was still so delicious! I dropped leftovers off to a sick coworker and she raved about it too! It’s so rich and yummy!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Erin says
This recipe is soooo good! So flavorful and so easy to make! Thank you again for a knockout meal!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Sarah Sewchek says
I have been eyeing this recipe for months now and I finally had all of the ingredients in my fridge. This chicken was so easy and so delicious. I will be making this again and again!
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Alex says
So I do not have an Instant Pot but I was dying to try this recipe. I simply baked the chicken thighs at 400 degrees for 35 minutes and then made the sauce in a saute pan... Wow it was so delicious! Don't let the lack of Instant Pot deter you.
I could also seeing it making for a great pasta sauce. Thank you!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Chloe Frew says
This was (as usual) full of flavor, phenomenal, and easy as hell. I left out the parmesan and heavy whipping cream because both upset my stomach. I was stressed it wouldn’t be good still but with a little extra cornstarch it was amazing! There’s so much flavor in this I can’t believe it (why am I still shocked by Brandi killing it).
That’s something I love about Brandi’s recipes... you can tailor them to what is right for your body and it’s not going to ruin the whole meal!
It was an easy meal to get me through one of the most stressful days of my life (election). Thank you!!!
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you were able to tailor it to fit your needs!