Creamy sun dried tomato chicken with spinach is one of our favorite easy dishes. Chicken breasts are pounded thin and cooked with spinach in a creamy sauce with basil, sun dried tomatoes, white wine, and garlic. This satisfying chicken dish can be on your table in about 35 minutes which means little effort for a lot of flavor.
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Editor’s Note: Originally published on December 30, 2021. Updated with expanded information.
I love a good chicken dish, especially ones that require little effort, and minimal ingredients; creamy sun dried tomato chicken is one of those.
I always have a jar of sun dried tomatoes in my pantry and they comes in handy for plenty of other easy recipes like creamy sun dried tomato pasta with shrimp, red pesto pasta, and sun dried tomato tapenade.
This creamy chicken with sun dried tomatoes (referred to by many as Marry Me Chicken, or even Tuscan Chicken) was borne out of trying to use up what’s on hand – a skill that was lovingly passed on to me from my grandma, and one that Italian-Americans are known for.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Chicken. I used whole chicken breasts and filleted them myself, but you can also buy cutlets that are thinly sliced.
- Sun dried tomatoes. I use the ones packed in oil as they have great flavor. Adding some of the oil from the jar when searing the chicken is great!
- White wine. Use a dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc, and if you can’t have wine feel free to omit it.
- Chicken stock. Use homemade chicken stock for best results, or a stock made from chicken base, such as Better Than Bouillon.
- Cream. Use full-fat heavy cream to prevent the sauce from breaking.
- Spinach. Fresh baby spinach is best with creamy sun-dried tomato chicken, but feel free to sub in other fresh greens if you’d like.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Begin by slicing a 1/2 cup of oil-packed sun dried tomatoes into strips. Also, slice 5 cloves of garlic. If using store-bought thin cutlets, skip to step 3. Begin by filleting the 2 chicken breasts and cutting those fillets into two more pieces each. You should have 8 total pieces from 2 chicken breasts. (Photo #1)
- Place one piece of chicken into a plastic bag and pound it out evenly to approximately 1/2 an inch thick. (Photo #2)
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper on both sides. Then, dredge the chicken in flour and shake off the excess. Place the dredged pieces on parchment paper or a plate off to the side. Note: The remaining flour should be discarded so only use a 1/2 cup or less for the dredging process. (Photo #3)
- Heat a stainless steel pan to medium heat and wait 3 minutes before adding the oil. Once the pan is hot, add 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved sun dried tomato oil and sear the chicken on both sides until browned and cooked through (should take about 3 minutes per side). Work in batches and do not crowd the pan! Place the seared chicken on a plate off to the side and tent with foil to keep warm. (Photo #4)
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the garlic. Add a bit more oil if the pan is dry. Once the garlic turns slightly golden add the sun dried tomatoes and cook for 30-60 seconds more. (Photo #5)
- Add a 1/2 cup of dry white wine and turn heat to high. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to remove the brown bits. Cook the wine out for 1-2 minutes until it reduces by about half. (Photo #6)
- Add a 1/2 cup of low-sodium chicken stock and bring the sauce to a simmer. (Photo #7)
- Once simmering turn the heat to medium and cook for 3 more minutes to reduce. (Photo #8)
- Add 3/4 cup heavy cream and a 1/2 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese and mix well. (Photo #9)
- Add the spinach and cook the sauce for 3-5 minutes until the cream is bubbly and starts to thicken. (Photo #10)
- Once the sauce has thickened (it should coat a spoon well and not drip off) add the chicken. Coat the chicken and cook for a couple of minutes until the chicken is hot. (Photo #11)
- Taste test the sauce and make final adjustments to salt and pepper. With the saltiness of the Pecorino and sun dried tomatoes you might not need any extra salt. Once satisfied with the taste, turn the heat off and add the basil. Hand tear a 1/4 cup of basil leaves and sprinkle on top. Serve the marry me chicken with crusty bread to mop up the extra sauce. (Photo #12)
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Top tips
- Heat your pan. I prefer to use stainless steel pans when making dishes like sun dried tomato chicken, and the trick is to allow your pan to heat for 3 minutes before adding the oil. This allows the oil to skate on the pan once added and prevent sticking.
- Chicken. You can save money by buying whole chicken breasts and filleting yourself. I strongly suggest pounding them thin to create an even and reduced cooking time.
- Use homemade stock. One way to amp up any dish that calls for stock, is to use homemade. Homemade chicken stock not only has better flavor but gives you control over sodium levels in your dish.
More go-to chicken recipes
As I mentioned above, I use chicken breasts all the time for their versatility. Here are just a few of my favorites.
- Chicken parmigiana – Perfectly fried chicken cutlets topped with tomato sauce, melted mozzarella, and plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Chicken pizzaiola – Seared chicken cutlets with bell peppers, mushrooms, garlic, oregano, and white wine.
- Spinach mushroom chicken – Chicken cutlets with spinach and mushrooms in a garlic white wine sauce.
If you’ve enjoyed this Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken (aka Marry Me Chicken) Recipe or any recipe on this site, give it a 5-star rating and tell us about it in the comments below.
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Sun Dried Tomato Chicken (Marry Me Chicken)
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets filleted and pounded to about 1/2" thick
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup flour for dredging
For the sauce
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes drained, cut into strips
- 3 tablespoons sun dried tomato oil
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 1/2 cup dry white wine sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio, chardonnay, etc
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 8 ounces baby spinach
- 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano grated
- 1/4 cup basil leaves packed, hand torn
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Season chicken cutlets with salt and pepper on both sides then dredge in flour and shake off the excess.
- Heat a stainless steel pan to medium heat, then add the reserved sun dried tomato oil. Cook the chicken cutlets for 3 minutes per side or until well browned and cooked through. Work in batches if required and do not crowd the pan. Place the cooked chicken onto a plate and tent with foil.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and add the garlic to the pan. Cook until fragrant and golden (about 1 minute). Next, add the sun dried tomatoes, cook for 30-60 seconds more, then add the wine and turn heat to high. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the pan to dislodge any brown bits.
- After 1-2 minutes and once the wine has reduced, add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the cream, spinach, and Pecorino and cook until the sauce begins to bubble and thicken (about 3-5 minutes).
- Add the chicken to the pan. Cook until the chicken is hot and the sauce thoroughly coats the chicken (about 2-3 minutes). Now is the time to taste test the sauce and make final adjustments to salt and pepper.
- Once satisfied with the taste, turn off the heat and hand tear the basil leaves on top. Serve with crusty bread to mop up the sauce. Enjoy!
Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be substituted. You will need to cook them longer (about 5-7 minutes per side) than thin-sliced cutlets.
- Use either store-bought thin chicken cutlets or fillet and pound them out to about 1/2″ thick. A thinly pounded cutlet will allow even cooking and will only take a few minutes per side to cook.
- Sun dried tomatoes are sold dry or in jars packed in oil. Either can be used, but the oiled-packed ones tend to have more flavor plus the oil can be used for searing the chicken.
- Parmigiano Reggiano can be subbed for the Pecorino Romano.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave or on a stovetop over medium heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on December 30, 2021. It was completely updated with expanded information on January 5, 2024.
I am planning to make this tomorrow night for company (4 of us). Can I make it ahead of time?
(Just an hour or so) I’m thinking of cooking the chicken and the sauce earlier. Then, reheating the sauce and adding the chicken back to heat through just before serving. What do you suggest?
Thank you
Hi Julie, yes, you can definitely do this ahead of time and reheat the sauce as you’ve mentioned. Hope you enjoy!
This dish did not disappoint! Very easy to make and flavorful! I will definitely make this again….
FABULOUS! 10/10
I absolutely love this recipe, it pairs well with anything! Using all fresh ingredients, the flavor was incredible! Thank you my entire family loves it
We’re so happy to hear that, Danielle!
This looks wonderful. Can I double recipe? If so, do any of the ingredients need to be adjusted? Thanks !
Hi Elaine, yes, you can double the recipe – you’d need to double most of the ingredients to have enough sauce for the double the amount of chicken.
Wonderful dish!! It came together pretty quickly for a weeknight meal and the flavor of the sun dried tomatoes in this recipe is fabulous! Best part…we have leftovers! Will be eating for lunch!
We’re so happy you enjoyed, Nicole!
This recipe is worth more than five stars! I followed it to the “t” and it came out absolutely delicious. I used only three small, boneless chicken breasts (only two of us) and sliced them into thin cutlets, then gave them a little pounding to be sure they would cook as recipe recommends. I used 4 cloves of sliced garlic but all the other ingredients I kept the same to have a good amount of sauce to lap up with some crusty ciabatta bread. Boy was that a good idea as that sauce is out of this world. So, my 3 chicken breasts became 6 cutlets and was enough for the two of us to pig out for 2 nights. We had to have this two nights in a row as we couldn’t wait any longer! Thank you for such a great recipe. Delizioso.
Thanks for the great comment, Felicia! We’re so happy you enjoyed it!
Oh my gosh!! Delish!!
This was truly outstanding. Every recipe of yours I have tried is a winner! Love the channel and your family, thanks for sharing your delicious creations with us.
We’re so happy to hear this and appreciate your comment!
Excellent
This is a great recipe, I scaled it up and doubled it, and it came out great, a real crowd, pleaser, very tasty and comes together quickly. Nice work, James!
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Jeff!
Great dish, comes together quickly, pretty foolproof, flavors play well with one another. Tired to post a photo of my finished dish but I guess that isn’t allowed here. As always, great job, James.
I made this last week for Sunday dinner and it was delicious. Your tip regarding preheating the pan was a revelation. Works like magic. Is the same technique applicable when using an enameled cast iron pan?
Your site has reignited my cooking. Thank you for the wonderful recipes, tips, and hints
Pam
Hi Pam, thanks for the comment! While you can do the same technique for the enamled cast iron, you don’t need to. We’re so happy you’ve been enjoying the recipes!
So creamy and flavorful. Easy to make too
Love all your recipes!
I can’t believe this is free!
Thank You so much !
I can’t wait to try them,
I usually order these in a restaurant, but now I’m going to try and make them myself and save some money.
Betty Chiffolo
I follow you, and enjoy your recipes. Made this last night. I am not a chicken lover, but this was Excellent!!! I will definitely make this again.
LOVE this recipe!!!!
Jim your recipes are so good
Made this tonight and it was delicious!
Made this for the first time last night and it was delicious! And super easy, too. I served it with some ziti and your cold broccoli salad as a side dish. The star of the sauce is definitely those sun dried tomatoes. I’ll definitely be making this one again!
We’re so happy you enjoyed this one, Crystal!
Made this last night for the first time and it was delicious. I didn’t have enough spinach so i blanched some fresh green beans and added those and it was so good. I’ll definitely be trying more of your recipes. I served it over bow tie pasta. Didn’t have any fresh basil on hand but will do that next time. It was good without it, though. Thanks for a great recipe!
This is one of our favorite dishes. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs in place of breasts and it turned out delicious. Great recipe!