Marry Me Chicken
Thin chicken cutlets seared golden, then finished in a creamy pan sauce with garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, chilli flakes and fresh basil. One skillet, about 35 minutes.
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts 700 g / 1 ½ lb total, halved into thin cutlets, or 6–8 boneless thighs
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 30 g plain flour ¼ cup, for dusting, optional
- 1 tbsp olive oil or oil from the sun-dried tomato jar 15 ml
- 1 tbsp butter 15 g
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 small shallot finely chopped, optional
- 1 tbsp tomato paste 16 g
- ¼–½ tsp chilli flakes
- 240 ml low-sodium chicken stock 1 cup
- 240 ml heavy cream (35–36% fat) 1 cup
- 70 g oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes ½ cup, drained and sliced
- 50 g finely grated Parmesan ½ cup, plus extra to serve
- 15 g fresh basil ½ oz, torn
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and season with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Dust lightly with flour, if using.
- Heat the oil and butter in a 30 cm (12 in) skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken 3–4 minutes until deep golden, turn and cook 2–3 minutes more. Set aside; it will finish in the sauce.
- Lower the heat to medium. Cook the shallot 2 minutes, the garlic 30–60 seconds, then the tomato paste and chilli flakes 1 minute.
- Add the stock, scrape up the browned bits, and simmer 3–4 minutes until reduced by about a third.
- Stir in the cream and sun-dried tomatoes and simmer gently 2 minutes.
- Turn the heat to low and stir in the Parmesan a handful at a time until melted.
- Return the chicken and its juices. Simmer gently, uncovered, 5–7 minutes until it reaches 74°C (165°F) and the sauce coats a spoon.
- Adjust the seasoning, scatter with basil and extra Parmesan, and serve.
Notes
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer once the cheese is in; boiling can make it split. If it starts to separate, whisk in 2–3 tbsp cream or stock off the heat.
Lighter: replace half the cream with whole milk mixed with 1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch).
Dairy-free: use full-fat coconut milk and 2 tbsp nutritional yeast instead of cream and Parmesan.
Storage: fridge up to 3 days. Reheat gently, covered, with a splash of stock until hot through (74°C / 165°F). Not recommended for freezing.