Description
Marry Me Chicken is a creamy, garlicky, sun-dried-tomato skillet chicken so good it supposedly makes people propose. Bold claim. But I’ll say this – it’s rich, it’s easy, and it checks every box for those of us eating clean without wanting to eat sad. And the best part? It’s keto, low-carb, and gluten-free. No sad-diet substitutions required.
Ingredients
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3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 4 large)
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Salt & pepper
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2-3 tbsp olive oil
Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce:
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2 tbsp minced garlic
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¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
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½ cup heavy cream (room temp)
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½ cup grated fresh parmesan (room temp)
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1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, oil-packed (optional — omit for lower carb)
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1 tsp dried oregano
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½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Sear (optional, but worth it). Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden. It doesn’t need to cook through. This step adds a lot of flavor, but you can skip it on busy days.
- Add everything to the crockpot except the dairy. Place the chicken in the crockpot. Add the garlic, chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Cook. Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours or HIGH for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
- Add the cream and parmesan. Remove the chicken to a plate. Stir the heavy cream and parmesan into the sauce until smooth.
- Thicken the sauce. Turn the crockpot to HIGH and cook with the lid off for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens.
- Finish and serve. Return the chicken to the crockpot (slice or shred it if you like) and spoon the sauce over the top. Stir in a handful of fresh spinach at the end if you want to add greens.
Notes
Why add the cream at the end? Dairy can curdle or separate when it cooks for hours, so adding it at the end keeps the sauce smooth and creamy.
Tip: chicken breasts can dry out in the slow cooker, so start checking at the low end of the cook time.
Oven method: Sear the seasoned chicken in olive oil, then remove it. Sauté the garlic, add the broth, cream, parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes and spices, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and bake at 375°F for 13 to 15 minutes, until it reaches 165°F.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 4 hours + 20 minutes on low
- Category: dinner
- Method: slow cooker
- Cuisine: Italian-American
