Marry Me Chicken Pasta

I have to be honest, I’m not always a fan of the viral recipes that go around on TikTok and other social media platforms. So many of them are more hype than substance. But marry me chicken—and this marry me chicken pasta I created—is an exception. It’s so worth making!

This is not some weird concoction made with cottage cheese, or like painstakingly creating your own sprinkles from scratch. This is a legitimately delicious dinner that pairs tender chicken with pasta, a rich cream sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and lots of Parmesan cheese. It’s got date-night-in potential but it’s also a family-friendly meal. Creamy pasta is always a win, right?

The Best Marry Me Chicken Pasta

A delectable cream sauce. Yes, this marry me chicken pasta recipe is rich but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s worth the splurge and the cream sauce isn’t just rich, it’s also super flavorful with lots of garlic, sweet chewy sun-dried tomatoes, and cheese.

One pot pasta dinner. Everything for this recipe cooks in a single skillet, including the pasta. That means you don’t have to wash a separate pasta cooking pot and colander, so hurray for that! I like to keep any sides simple so they don’t detract from the marry me pasta (keep reading for some ideas).

Simple to make. Like most pasta dinners (also see my vodka pasta and chicken marsala pasta), marry me chicken pasta is easy to make. Once you put the pasta into the skillet, the cooking time is largely hands-off so you can prep a side, or pour yourself a glass of wine and unwind from the day.

Ingredient Notes

• Olive oil: I like to use olive oil for browning the chicken and cooking the aromatics (onions and garlic).
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Boneless skinless chicken is so convenient and easy to use. For this recipe, I cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Be sure to cut the cubes into even sizes so they all finish cooking at the same time. If you prefer chicken thighs, you can use those instead as long as they’re also boneless and skinless.
• Seasonings: Simple salt and pepper are used to season the chicken, along with dried oregano for that Italian flavor, and optional red pepper flakes if you want a little kick.
• Onion and garlic: I use a yellow onion; dice it very finely so it incorporates into the sauce. You want the onion to infuse the sauce with flavor and a fine dice accomplishes this best.
• Sun-dried tomatoes: I recommend using dry packed sun-dried tomatoes but you can also use the kind that comes in a jar of oil if you have them on hand. Just be sure to pat the excess oil off first (I use paper towels).
• Chicken broth: Using broth instead of water helps build a more flavorful sauce.
• Heavy cream: You’ll also find cream labeled as heavy whipping cream at the grocery store. Let it come to room temperature before you start cooking.
• Pasta: Penne or rotini work nicely for holding onto that rich, creamy sauce. 
• Parmesan cheese: I like to grate my own cheese for this recipe because it melts more smoothly into the sauce but I’ve also used shelf-stable Parmesan cheese and it works fine, too.
• Basil: Use fresh, not dried! The flavor of fresh is very different; it’s much more vibrant and herbaceous. I add chopped basil to the sauce and then use a generous amount for garnish.

How to Make Marry Me Chicken Pasta

Cook the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium-high. Add the cubed chicken breast and season with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until it’s browned on all sides, stirring occasionally—this should take 6 or 7 minutes. The chicken should be fully cooked. Transfer the chicken to a plate and drain off any liquid from the pan.

Cook the aromatics and tomatoes. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and reduce the heat to medium. Sweat the onions for 2 to 3 minutes and once they’re softened, stir in the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes. Cook until they’re fragrant, another minute or so.

Simmer. Pour the broth into the pan, then stir in the pasta, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender. You may need to add more broth, but probably not. Most of the liquid should be absorbed after 15 minutes.

Finish. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the cream and Parmesan, along with the chicken, and simmer until the sauce thickens a bit. Stir in the basil, then season to taste. Serve with additional basil and cheese.

Recipe Variations

• Make it meatless. Marry me… chickpeas? Yep, you can omit the chicken and use drained and rinsed chickpeas or cannellini beans instead. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
• Use leftover chicken. Skip cooking the chicken breast and simply fold in leftovers from the night before, whether it’s grilled chicken thighs or air fryer chicken breasts. Rotisserie chicken would also work!
• Add a crispy topping. In a small skillet, melt a pat of butter over medium-high heat and toast a handful of panko with a bit of salt and pepper added for seasoning. Sprinkle the toasted bread crumbs over the pasta once you plate it. The little crunchy bits contrast so nicely with the pasta. It gives you baked pasta vibes without the work of baking it!

Serving Ideas

Refrigerator: Transfer leftover marry me chicken pasta to an airtight or covered container and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

Freezer: Freezing pasta made with a cream-based sauce is dicey; there’s a chance it could separate or the texture could become grainy. In addition, freezing pasta often yields bloated, mushy noodles after thawing and reheating. If you’re willing to take the risk, place the pasta in a freezer bag and press out as much excess air as possible; freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

To reheat: Warm the pasta in a skillet over medium-low heat or in the microwave. If needed, you can add a splash of cream or broth to loosen up the sauce a bit.

• Take the heavy cream out of the refrigerator so it can come to room temperature while you’re prepping the meal.

• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet (with lid available) over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the chicken in a single layer, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook for 6 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside. Discard any accumulated juices.

  3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized cubes, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

• In the same pan over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil; add the chopped onions and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.

  ½ cup finely diced onion, 3 cloves garlic, minced, ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

• Add the chicken broth to the pan. Stir in the uncooked pasta, oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium.

  3 cups chicken broth, 8 oz. uncooked pasta, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• Cover the skillet and continue to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until the pasta is tender. Add more broth or water as needed. The majority of the liquid should be absorbed by the time the pasta has finished cooking.

• Once the pasta is cooked, reduce heat to low, and stir in the cream and Parmesan cheese. Return the chicken to the pan; simmer over low heat until sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in basil.

  1 cup heavy cream, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil, additional for garnish

• Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if desired. Garnish with additional fresh basil and additional Parmesan, if desired.

• Sun-dried tomatoes: For this recipe, we prefer using sun-dried tomatoes that are not packed in oil. However, we tested it with tomatoes that are packed in oil and the recipe still works well. Using paper towels, pat the excess oil from the tomatoes before chopping them. If desired, you can use the oil from the jar instead of the olive oil in the recipe.
• Using already cooked chicken: If you happen to have leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, skip Step 2; proceed with recipe as directed, adding the cooked chicken to the pan with the cream.
• Storage: Leftover chicken pasta can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a skillet or microwave until warmed through. Overheating can cause the sauce to separate. This creamy pasta does not freeze well.

Serving: 2cups, Calories: 829kcal, Carbohydrates: 58g, Protein: 55g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 16g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 187mg, Sodium: 798mg, Potassium: 1509mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 1227IU, Vitamin C: 10mg, Calcium: 211mg, Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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