Marry Me Chicken Thighs
Developed and tested by Robyn Conley Downs
on Jul 20, 2026 
Juicy chicken thighs simmered in a creamy sun-dried tomato parmesan sauce, this marry me chicken thighs recipe comes together in one skillet in about 30 minutes. Perfect for date night, but easy enough for a busy weeknights!
Marry Me Chicken Skillet for Dinner Tonight!
This marry me chicken thighs recipe came out of my love for the viral classic and a frustration with how often the standard chicken-breast version came out dry. My goal was to keep all the swooning, sauce-dipping, fall-in-love appeal of the original while swapping in chicken thighs, which stay juicy (and forgiving even if dinner runs a few minutes long). The result is a one-skillet dinner that delivers alllllllllll the comfort and indulgence of the viral recipe.
In testing I found that searing the thighs in a tablespoon of the sun-dried tomato oil from the jar is a great little strategy here, and adds a ton of flavor with no extra work. A few more things to keep in mind… be sure to work in two batches if the skillet looks crowded, so the thighs brown deeply instead of steam.
Serve this marry me chicken over my one-pot mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or with crusty bread for soaking up the sauce. Leftovers reheat beautifully on the stovetop with a splash of broth or cream to loosen the sauce, and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. And for a hands-off slow cooker version, my crockpot marry me chicken is the next stop, or, when you want a pasta version, my marry me chicken pasta is a reader favorite!
Welcome to My Kitchen, Let’s Make Marry Me Chicken!
Robyn’s Testing Tips for Juicy Chicken Thighs
- Pat the thighs really dry with paper towels before seasoning. Surface moisture is what keeps chicken from browning properly, and even a quick dab is the difference between deeply caramelized thighs and thighs that release water and steam in the pan.
- Don’t drain off all the sun-dried tomato oil when measuring. The oil itself is packed with concentrated flavor, and keeping a little extra clinging to the chopped tomatoes adds depth to the sauce that the recipe quantities alone won’t reach.
- Let the chicken rest under loose foil while you build the sauce. Resting redistributes the juices so the thighs stay tender when they go back into the pan, and the accumulated juices on the plate are pure flavor. Pour them right into the sauce when you reunite everything.
Marry Me Chicken Thighs
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon sun-dried tomato oil (from the jar)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup freshly-grated Parmesan cheese
- ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and roughly chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
To Finish
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
Equipment
Instructions
- Season and Cook the Chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with ½ teaspoon of the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme.
- Heat the sun-dried tomato oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through (165°F internal temperature). Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil to rest.
- Make the Sauce: Reduce the heat to medium. To the same pan (no need to wash it first) add the garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant and just golden, scraping up the browned bits from the chicken as you go.
- Pour in the chicken broth and let it simmer for 2 minutes until slightly reduced.
- Finish the Sauce: Add the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2 minutes until slightly reduced. Turn off the heat and stir in the Parmesan until melted and smooth. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and red pepper flakes and stir to combine.
- Return the Chicken: Add the cooked chicken thighs back into the sauce along with any accumulated juices, spooning the sauce over the top of the chicken.
- Serve: Spoon the chicken and pan sauce generously over mashed potatoes or crusty bread, making sure to get plenty of sauce in every bowl! Top with freshly torn basil leaves.
