Marry me chicken pasta is what happens when you cook chicken in a creamy sun-dried tomato sauce with garlic, herbs, and parmesan, toss it with pasta, and supposedly make it so delicious that someone proposes to you after eating it. I made marry me chicken pasta after it went viral on TikTok expecting it to be overhyped internet nonsense. Turns out it’s genuinely that good – rich, flavorful, restaurant-quality, and shockingly easy to make. Nobody proposed, but people did ask for seconds.
Marry me chicken pasta features pan-seared chicken breasts in a luscious cream sauce loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Italian herbs, and freshly grated parmesan. The sun-dried tomatoes add concentrated sweetness and tang that balances the richness of the cream. Tossed with pasta, it becomes a complete one-pan meal that tastes like you spent hours on it but actually takes 30 minutes.
Why Marry Me Chicken Pasta Beats Other Creamy Pasta Dishes
Most creamy chicken pasta recipes are fine but forgettable – just chicken with alfredo sauce basically. Marry me chicken pasta brings actual flavor complexity from sun-dried tomatoes, fresh herbs, garlic, and sometimes red pepper flakes. The sauce isn’t just cream and cheese – it’s got layers of sweet, savory, tangy, and herbaceous flavors that make every bite interesting.
I made marry me chicken pasta for a friend who’s a food snob and usually criticizes my cooking. She cleaned her plate, scraped up every bit of sauce with bread, and admitted “okay I get why this went viral.” When you can impress someone who’s normally impossible to please, you know the recipe has something special going on.
Here’s why you need marry me chicken pasta:
- Actually lives up to the viral hype
- Sun-dried tomatoes add incredible flavor depth
- Looks and tastes like restaurant food
- One pan makes everything including the pasta
- Ready in 30 minutes start to finish
- The creamy sauce is genuinely addictive
Plus marry me chicken pasta works for people who claim viral recipes are “always disappointing.” This one isn’t. The combination of ingredients just works, and the method is solid. Sometimes the internet gets it right :/
What You Need for Marry Me Chicken Pasta
For the Chicken
Protein: Chicken breasts (2 large – about 1½ lbs, pounded to even ¾ inch thickness) Seasoning: Salt (1 teaspoon), black pepper (½ teaspoon), Italian seasoning (1 teaspoon), garlic powder (½ teaspoon) For Searing: Olive oil (2 tablespoons), butter (1 tablespoon)
For the Sauce
Aromatics: Butter (2 tablespoons), garlic (5 cloves minced), shallot (1 small minced – or ¼ cup minced onion) Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Sun-dried tomatoes (½ cup – oil-packed, drained and chopped) Liquid: Chicken broth (1 cup), heavy cream (1 cup), white wine (¼ cup – optional) Cheese: Parmesan cheese (¾ cup freshly grated – not the powdered stuff) Herbs and Spices: Fresh basil (¼ cup chopped – or 2 teaspoons dried), fresh thyme (1 teaspoon – or ½ teaspoon dried), Italian seasoning (1 teaspoon), red pepper flakes (¼ teaspoon – optional), salt and pepper to taste
For the Pasta
Pasta: Penne, rigatoni, or fettuccine (12 oz) Pasta Water: Reserved pasta cooking water (1 cup)
For Finishing
Fresh basil (for garnish), extra parmesan (for serving), cracked black pepper, crusty bread (for sauce-soaking)
How to Make Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Step 1: Cook the Pasta
Bring large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup pasta water. Drain pasta and set aside. This starchy water helps create silky sauce later.
Step 2: Prep and Season Chicken
Pound chicken breasts to even ¾ inch thickness between plastic wrap. Season both sides generously with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Let sit at room temperature while you heat the pan.
Step 3: Sear the Chicken
Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in large deep skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is shimmering, add chicken breasts. Don’t move them – let sear undisturbed 5-6 minutes until golden crust forms. Flip and cook another 5-6 minutes until cooked through (165°F internal temp). Transfer to plate and tent with foil.
Step 4: Build the Sauce Base
In same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tablespoons butter. When melted, add minced garlic and shallot. Cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant and softened, stirring constantly. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Cook 1 minute to release their flavor. If using wine, add it now. Let simmer 2 minutes to reduce by half, scraping up browned bits from chicken.
Step 5: Create the Cream Sauce
Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream. Stir to combine. Add Italian seasoning, fresh thyme, red pepper flakes if using, salt, and pepper. Bring to gentle simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly. Stir in grated parmesan gradually, whisking until melted and smooth. Add fresh basil and stir. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Step 6: Combine Everything
Add cooked pasta to the sauce. Toss with tongs to coat every piece. If sauce is too thick, add pasta water a splash at a time until it reaches desired consistency – it should coat pasta nicely but not be soupy. Slice chicken into strips. Return to pan, nestling into pasta and sauce. Spoon sauce over chicken. Let everything simmer together 2 minutes so flavors meld.
Step 7: Serve
Transfer marry me chicken pasta to serving platter or individual plates. Garnish with fresh basil, extra parmesan, and cracked black pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread for soaking up sauce. The combination of creamy sauce, tangy sun-dried tomatoes, and tender chicken is exactly why this recipe went viral.
Marry me chicken pasta keeps in fridge 3 days. Reheat gently on stovetop with splash of cream or broth to restore sauce consistency.
Creative Variations Worth Trying
Cajun Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Add 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning to chicken and sauce. Use andouille sausage with chicken. Spicy Louisiana twist.
Mushroom Marry Me Chicken
Add 8 oz sliced mushrooms with the garlic. They add earthy depth that complements cream and tomatoes beautifully.
Spinach Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Stir in 2 cups baby spinach at the end. It wilts into sauce and adds color and nutrition without changing flavor.
Marry Me Salmon Pasta
Replace chicken with salmon fillets. Cook gently so they don’t fall apart. The sun-dried tomato cream sauce is incredible with salmon.
Marry Me Chicken Pasta
Equipment
- Large skillet deep enough for sauce and pasta
- Large Pot for cooking pasta
- Meat mallet for pounding chicken
- Tongs to toss pasta in sauce
- Cutting board & knife for slicing chicken and herbs
- Measuring Cups for liquids and cheese
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts (pounded to ¾-inch thickness)
- 1 tsp salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning (for chicken)
- 0.5 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil (for searing)
- 1 tbsp butter (for searing)
- 2 tbsp butter (for sauce)
- 5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 small shallot (minced) or ¼ cup minced onion
- 0.5 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed, drained & chopped)
- 0.25 cup white wine (optional)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 0.75 cup parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 0.25 cup fresh basil (chopped) or 2 tsp dried
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning (for sauce)
- 1 tsp fresh thyme (or ½ tsp dried)
- 0.25 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 12 oz pasta (penne, rigatoni, or fettuccine)
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- fresh basil (for garnish)
- extra parmesan (for serving)
- cracked black pepper
- crusty bread (for serving)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain and set pasta aside.
- Pound chicken breasts to even thickness. Season both sides with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and garlic powder. Let sit while heating pan.
- Heat olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken 5–6 mins per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to plate and tent with foil.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tbsp butter. Sauté garlic and shallot 1–2 mins. Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and cook 1 min. Add wine (if using), simmer 2 mins.
- Stir in chicken broth and heavy cream. Add Italian seasoning, thyme, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Simmer 5–7 mins. Stir in parmesan until melted. Add basil and taste sauce.
- Add cooked pasta to the sauce and toss to coat. Use pasta water as needed to loosen sauce. Slice chicken and return to pan. Let simmer 2 mins to blend flavors.
- Serve hot topped with extra basil, parmesan, and black pepper. Enjoy with crusty bread to soak up sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
My sauce is too thin – how do I thicken it? Simmer longer uncovered to reduce, or add more parmesan. The starch from pasta water also helps thicken.
The chicken is dry – what happened? Overcooked. Pull at exactly 165°F. Pounding to even thickness helps it cook evenly.
Can I use sun-dried tomatoes not in oil? Yes but rehydrate them in hot water 10 minutes first, then drain and chop.
The sauce broke and looks curdled – why? Heat too high or added cold cheese to hot cream. Keep at gentle simmer and use room temperature cheese.
