Marry Me Chicken stays juicy with savory glaze or seasoning—an easy anchor for dinner with simple sides.
Creamy Sun‑Dried Tomato Chicken for Hands‑Off Weeknights
A slow‑simmered, silky chicken dish that turns pantry staples into a saucy, comforting dinner with almost no fuss.
This is the kind of recipe that rescues a busy evening: boneless, skinless chicken thighs seared for a quick golden edge, then left to do their thing in a slow cooker with sun‑dried tomatoes and a trio of cream, cream cheese, and Parmesan. The result is juicy, fork‑tender chicken bathed in a glossy, tangy sauce that tastes far fancier than the effort suggests.
Why it works: browning the thighs first locks in flavor and gives the finished dish a deeper, caramelized note, while the slow, gentle heat lets the tomatoes soften and melt into the broth. The dairy—heavy cream, cream cheese, and grated Parmesan—rounds everything into a velvety glaze that clings to the meat, and a pinch of crushed red pepper keeps each bite lively rather than cloying.
This is wonderfully forgiving and very make‑ahead friendly. Nestle the cooked chicken over rice, polenta, mashed potatoes, or a bowl of pasta and spoon the sauce over the top; it thickens as it cools, so reheat gently with a splash of broth or cream if needed. Quick tips: drain oil from the sun‑dried tomatoes to avoid greasiness, trim excess fat from the thighs, and season simply—this dish shines because the flavors marry, not compete.
Ingredients
How to Make Marry Me Chicken
- Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and pat dry; season both sides with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the thighs 2–3 minutes per side until golden (they will finish in the slow cooker); transfer to a plate.
- Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the slow cooker insert along with the drained sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and the chicken broth; stir to combine.
- Nestle the browned chicken thighs into the tomato-broth mixture, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 hours (or HIGH 2–2½ hours) until chicken is very tender.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board, shred with two forks, and skim any excess fat from the surface of the slow cooker liquid; return the shredded chicken to the cooker.
- In a bowl whisk together heavy cream, softened cream cheese, and grated Parmesan until mostly smooth, then stir the mixture into the slow cooker; add the baby spinach and chopped basil and cook on LOW uncovered 10–15 minutes until the spinach wilts and the sauce is hot.
- Whisk cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry, stir into the slow cooker and simmer 3–5 minutes to thicken; finish with lemon juice, taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the Marry Me Chicken stew spooned over cooked pasta, rice, or with crusty bread, garnished with extra basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan if desired.
Recipe Card
Marry Me Chicken
Marry Me Chicken stays juicy with savory glaze or seasoning—an easy anchor for dinner with simple sides.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 4 hr
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and pat dry; season both sides with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the thighs 2–3 minutes per side until golden (they will finish in the slow cooker); transfer to a plate.
- Add chopped onion and minced garlic to the slow cooker insert along with the drained sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, crushed red pepper flakes, remaining 1/2 tsp kosher salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and the chicken broth; stir to combine.
- Nestle the browned chicken thighs into the tomato-broth mixture, cover, and cook on LOW for 4 hours (or HIGH 2–2½ hours) until chicken is very tender.
- Remove the chicken to a cutting board, shred with two forks, and skim any excess fat from the surface of the slow cooker liquid; return the shredded chicken to the cooker.
- In a bowl whisk together heavy cream, softened cream cheese, and grated Parmesan until mostly smooth, then stir the mixture into the slow cooker; add the baby spinach and chopped basil and cook on LOW uncovered 10–15 minutes until the spinach wilts and the sauce is hot.
- Whisk cornstarch with cold water to make a slurry, stir into the slow cooker and simmer 3–5 minutes to thicken; finish with lemon juice, taste and adjust salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the Marry Me Chicken stew spooned over cooked pasta, rice, or with crusty bread, garnished with extra basil and a sprinkle of Parmesan if desired.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 11
- Saturated Fat
- 25
- Sodium
- 1100
- Fiber
- 2.5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 36.3
- Protein
- 49
- Fat
- 61
- Cholesterol
- 300
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 796
- Sugar
- 3