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.
Kendyl says
I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious!!! This was my first time ever using my instant pot, and thanks to all the details and info provided in the recipe my first instant pot adventure was a great success. I used boneless chicken thighs because it is what I had and the cooking time was still perfect. Also since I have had my gall bladder removed I generally have to be careful with heavier/higher fat meals, so I used reduced fat cream cheese and left out the heavy cream to lighten it up a bit. It was still incredible! I served it with Banza chickpea rice and broccoli. My husband loved it too. Will definitely be making it again! Thanks Brandi!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Nicole S says
This turned out really well but for some reason burned at the bottom of my instantpot during the pressure cooking step. Any tips?
staysnatched says
Give it a stir before pressure cooking. You can also try more liquid.
Stacey Jo Rabiger says
Delicious and so easy! I was exhausted after a long day of work and was not looking forward to cooking dinner, I was surprised how quick and easy it was. I added the juice of a half lemon to mine for a little bit of acidity. So yummy, will definitely make again!
staysnatched says
I love the lemon idea!
Marsha L says
Tried this recipe because I wanted to tty something different with chicken thighs and this definitely did not disappoint!!! So flavorful- amazing.
staysnatched says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed it.
Ericka Ulbán says
I absolutely love this recipe!! It was amazing!!!
I don’t live in the US and I couldn’t find sundried tomatoes and Better Than Bouillon Chicken Seasoning, but that didn’t stop me from creating the most delicious Creamy Garlic Tuscan Chicken Thighs, and I’m glad I could follow along!!!
staysnatched says
Yay! So glad you got it to work.
Caitlin says
I breaded and baked the chicken thighs in the oven because I prefer them a little crispy, but I cooked the sauce on the stovetop with the same ingredients listed here and it all came together beautifully. My husband (who normally hates spinach) loved this recipe and was fine with just chicken, veg, and sauce. No need for a pasta or rice side like he normally wants.
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Teresa says
Made this yesterday!!! It was SO good!! I will definitely make it again! I cooked the chicken in the crockpot and made the sauce on the stove (my man swears instant pot chicken is drier - insert eye roll - so I tried it in crockpot this first time). I also forgot to add the cream cheese (face palm) and used heavy whipping cream only since I saw other reviewers have some issues with regular cow's milk. Served it over rice. It was delish! 5 stars!!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Colleen says
Holy moly. AMAZING. This sauce was incredible. I ddidnt have almond milk or heavy cream on hand, so just subbed whole milk in lieu of almond and skipped the cream. Still soooo good, creamy and rich. I know the whole milk increases fat and calories, etc but was working with what I had on hand. Makes lots of extra sauce, as recipe mentions, which is stellar over veggies (or egg noodles). I had enough left over for lunch the next day to pour over some pulled rotisserie chicken I had in the fridge. Thank you for a new recipe to add into rotation!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Elyse Connolly says
I’m new to the instant pot life and I am so thankful for your recipes! This was so easy to follow and totally delicious. My family loved it!
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm o glad it was easy to follow.
Elyse Connolly says
Sorry for sending a second comment, I realized the first time I skipped the star rating 🤦🏻♀️ Lol. I’m new to the instant pot life and I am so thankful for your recipes! This was so easy to follow and totally delicious. My family loved it!
staysnatched says
No worries! Thank you for doing it!
Shawna says
This recipe was seriously AMAZING. I’m so glad the sauce made extra because I want to put it on everything. Thank you for another bomb recipe!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoy the sauce!
Kathryn says
This was so easy and so good! We served over mashed potatoes and the leftovers were even better. Thanks for sharing this one! Can’t wait to try more of your recipes soon!
staysnatched says
That sounds like a great combination!
Marsha Patrick says
Ok, I just have to say that I haven't made a recipe on this site or in Brandi's air fryer book that I haven't absolutely LOVED! I'm low carb but the family is not and they don't even know the difference with the amazing options Brandi provides. The chicken is amazing but the sauce is next level! I doubled the recipe because I was making more thighs but I didn't need to because there is plenty of sauce. Brandi calls it out that there is extra sauce but I missed it. The upside is I am going to make her air fryer salmon and slather on some of this deliciousness called sauce all over it! Another hit out the ballpark! Thank you Brandi
staysnatched says
This pairs wonderfully with salmon! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Mary Ann says
Another simple and easy to follow recipe with great results! It was so flavorful and the chicken was so tender and juicy! My husband absolutely loves this and so do I! Thank you!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you both enjoyed it!
Mari says
Oh my goodness! I have tried other tuscan chicken recipes, but this is the best! We loved it! Chicken is juicy and creamy sauce is so flavorful. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe.
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Jennifer says
This recipe is delicious! I will definitely make this on a regular basis. Thanks Brandi!!!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Kayla says
I don’t use my instapot much but when I saw this recipe I knew I needed to. Made it for myself and three people who don’t care about carbs and they loved it so much. I just had leftovers. The sauce I could drink straight lol. Comes out perfect!
staysnatched says
Yay! I'm so glad you think so.
JOY ADAMS says
Made this last night and husband loved it. Thanks for another hit!
staysnatched says
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it.
Kristi R Fultz-Butts says
Made this delicious, quick and easy recipe last night!!! It was a hit with my family of 5 and I'll make it again soon. Please keep more recipes coming, thanks!! I don't have an Instant Pot. This cooked perfectly in my cast iron Dutch oven, though!
staysnatched says
Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
Lauren says
Blown away at how delicious this sauce is! Easy to follow instructions. Will make again and might add a little more chicken because I ran out of leftovers too quickly!
staysnatched says
The sauce is truly the best part!
MaryAnn says
I just made this tonight. It was amazing. The chicken was tender and the sauce really flavorful. I’ll definitely make this again - it’s very easy and will be a great summer dish as I don’t need to use the oven.
staysnatched says
YAS! Perfect when you don't want to use the oven.
Melissa says
Brandi does it again! This was so full of flavor and easy to make. This may be my favorite recipe so far, but I think I say that every time I make a new one of Brandi’s.
staysnatched says
haha I love to hear it!
Kandice says
If you’ve been thinking about breaking out or buying an instant pot, now is the time!! Do it for this chicken recipe. You won’t regret it
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Arlisa says
This dish is absolutely amazing! I’ve made it several times since receiving my instant pot for Christmas! The recipe is perfect, no modifications needed. It’s stores well for a few days so it’s perfect for leftovers and lunch. Also had some extra sauce and it was amazing over salmon.
staysnatched says
That sounds so good!
Cara (@caraphrased) says
Made this tonight. OMG!!! Used 4 breasts because it’s what we had - I went with Brandi’s recommendation of 10 min in IP plus 10 min natural release (found in another comment). I shredded the chicken once done and put it all back in the sauce.
I was also impatient and didn’t wait the full length (~10 min) for the sauce to fully thicken but it was still incredible. We had it over Israeli pearl couscous with broccoli on the side. There was really only enough left over for one person to have it for lunch tomorrow - AND ITS MINE! Can’t wait! Thanks Brandi for another HIT!
staysnatched says
I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Christy says
This is an easy to prepare dish that I have made several times. This recipe gives you the rich, creamy sauce you crave without the guilt.
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Shannon says
Made this recipe again!! I haven’t had it in so long I forgot how easy it was to make. So yummy!
staysnatched says
I'm so glad you enjoy it!
Carrie says
Found it- so sorry!!!
staysnatched says
I’m glad you found it.
Melissa says
So easy to make and tons of flavor! I’m not living that low carb life so I had it over rice - delicious!
staysnatched says
That sounds so good!
Kyra says
This dish is AMAZING! I doubled the recipe and subbed 2% milk for the almond milk. Since my pressure cooker is small, I browned the thighs on my stovetop in a large dutch oven, and then baked them with the chicken broth. The cream sauce was made on the stovetop as well in the same pot. Yummy yummy yummy!
staysnatched says
So glad to hear this!
Kate W says
Spectacular! Soooo yummy! Every recipe I have tried on this website has been 1. Tasty 2. Yummy 3. Simple, and 4. Healthy. This is no exception. The sauce is so delicious.
I used frozen pork chops and cooked for 5 mins + 10 natural release.
Thank you!
staysnatched says
Awesome! I'm so glad you enjoyed these.
Danielle says
Just made this - SO GOOD. That creamy sauce is literally the best. I added gnocchi and it was seriously perfect. You have to make this!!
staysnatched says
Yes! The cream sauce is wonderful. Glad you enjoyed it!
Crystal Romine says
I froze the left over sauce, do you think it will taste good with zoodles tonight? My husband is grilling.
staysnatched says
Yes, but there will be separation when you thaw.
Simonè Dumas says
I usually only eat fried chicken… but the sauce on this chicken made me only want to cook it this way forever! I added extra bouillon because I love the flavor. My husband tore this chicken up!
staysnatched says
I'm so glad to hear it!
T says
Oh, how I wish I had read the directions all they way to the end! I will have to try it again.:(
staysnatched says
I agree. Reading all of the directions is important.
KARAWAN S BROOKS says
I had this over egg noodles and it was delicious. Leftovers reheated well. Will definitely make this again.
staysnatched says
Glad to hear you will make it again!
Kelsee says
This dish was incredible. I wish I could give it 10 stars! I used my crockpot and it was a cinch, yet so flavorful! I shredded the chicken and served over baked spaghetti squash. It was divine!
staysnatched says
haha! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Laura Montgomery says
I think this is at least the second time I have reviewed this recipe….if not the third. ❤️ This is just a “make you feel good after a hard day” recipe for this school administrator! Enjoying it with a glass of wine!!
staysnatched says
Thank you for the review!
Tori says
Every time we make this for dinner, everyone absolute raves about it. The recipe is perfection as written, but we've also had to swap some ingredients with stuff we've had on hand and it never disappoints. We especially love the generous amount of sauce the recipe makes -- no skimping on flavor here!
staysnatched says
I'm so glad to hear that!
Kristen says
These were SO good! I used boneless thighs and subbed in mushrooms for the spinach (didn’t have any in the fridge). Absolutely delicious. I also heated up a piece of naan bread to dunk in the sauce 🤤 😋
staysnatched says
YUM! That sounds so good.
Lindsey says
Creamy and full of flavor! I made this and served it with gnocchi and it was splendid. Another one to add to my regular rotation!
staysnatched says
That sounds so good!
nutrabursts says
Great recipe!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it!
Anonymous says
Thank you for this amazing recipe! I've made it twice now and it never disappoints.
staysnatched says
Wonderful! I'm so glad to hear it.
Danita says
Just made this. By mistake I put the almond milk and the broth in while they cooked. Didn't make a difference and came out DELICIOUS! I didn't add the cheese because I'm in a weight loss mode, no cheese. I'm glad that I found this recipe. Thanks!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Rochelle says
This was so good! I’m glad there’s extra sauce. I put it over everything! I just got an instant pot and this is my second time using it. The instructions were clear and easy to follow. Your recipes are a hit in our home. Thank you.
staysnatched says
You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Nancy says
Can I use unflavored soy milk? I have to limit my sodium and calcium intake and the WestSoy brand meets those requirements. I just reread the instructions and it seems that any problems with curdling could be addressed by finishing the sauce over a low heat in a pan on the stove top.
staysnatched says
I've never used soy milk, but I assume so.
Camron says
Made this yesterday, and it was awesome! I didn't use the cornstarch or the xanthan gum, but I used heave cream instead of milk and added extra cream cheese, and I was very pleased with the outcome. Definitely a keeper recipe!
staysnatched says
Glad to hear it's a keeper!
Sarah says
Hi Brandi! I absolutely love this recipe, but my ridiculous husband has decided he's not a fan (oh well, his loss). I know you design most of your recipes to be freezer friendly - anything I should be aware of with this one? Going to throw it in SouperCubes after I get my portion together!
staysnatched says
I'm glad you enjoyed it! Any time you freeze dairy you can expect separation when you reheat it.
Sydney says
So good! Love how easy this recipe is. Very falvorful
staysnatched says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Ashley says
This recipe is fantastic, easy, and makes great leftovers. I am challenged in the kitchen, and Brandi's tips & tricks make things simple 🙂 We love this Tuscan Chicken with the Instant Pot Southern Green Beans.
staysnatched says
Wonderful, I'm glad you enjoyed it.