Marry Me Chicken

This cozy dish, which went viral on TikTok with claims that if you prepare it for someone, you will end up getting married, features boneless chicken breasts nestled in a creamy, tomato-y sauce. With wedding bells in mind or not, this dish comes together fairly quickly and is just as great for entertaining as it is for a family meal. In this version, the addition of tomato paste adds a bright acidity to the rich cream sauce and complements the sun-dried tomatoes. Serve with crusty bread to sop up all the juices as well as tangy green salad to balance out the sauce’s richness. Or, try it over pasta, rice or polenta.

Ingredients

• chicken breast - 1000 gs (large boneless, skinless, or 6 chicken cutlets (about 2 1/4 pounds total), patted dry)
• salt and black pepper - (Preferably kosher)
• all-purpose flour - 0.25 cup
• extra-virgin olive oil - 3 tablespoons (plus more as needed)
• unsalted butter - 3 tablespoons
• garlic - 3 cloves (chopped)
• tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
• dried oregano - 0.5 teaspoon
• red pepper flakes - (to taste)
• low-sodium chicken stock - 1 cup
• heavy cream - 0.5 cup (to 3/4)
• Parmesan - 0.5 cup (40g, grated)
• sun-dried tomatoes - 0.333 cup (sliced, packed in oil)
• basil - (Fresh, for serving)

Instructions

1. If using chicken breasts, start from the thickest end and slice each chicken breast in half horizontally so you end up with a total of 6 cutlets (see Tip). Season both sides of the chicken cutlets well with salt and pepper.
2. Scatter the flour on a large plate and coat the cutlets, shaking off the excess. Transfer the cutlets to a sheet pan or large plate in a single layer.
3. Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high. Once hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. As soon as it melts, add the cutlets and cook until golden on one side, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook the other side until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Do this in batches, if needed, adding more oil, if needed. Transfer the cutlets to a plate or sheet pan.
4. Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, stirring until the color deepens, about 2 minutes. Add the oregano and red-pepper flakes, to taste.
5. Increase the heat to medium, add the stock and bring to a simmer, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
6. Add 1/2 cup of the cream and warm through, stirring, until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Watch the cream closely, reducing the heat if necessary, to maintain a gentle simmer. Stir in the Parmesan and the sun-dried tomatoes. Add more cream, if you like, and season the sauce.
7. Place the chicken back in the pan to warm through, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and scatter basil on top.