comment icon 47 more comments It took some encouragement to try it, but the first time my 3-year-old daughter took a bite of the chicken coated in a bit of sauce, she opened her hands, tipped her head to the sky, and closed her eyes in bliss. Me too, girl. Me too. Marry Me Chicken has been around for a while, but this month has been my first time trying it. The original version pan fries the chicken in the same pan as the sauce – and this makes sense in theory, but you guys, I just love the air fryer chicken. It tastes better. It’s more consistent and reliable. It’s juicy and it’s got great flavor, exterior texture, and color. It’s hands-off. It’s just about the only way that I make chicken now. I’m willing to wash one extra dish (the air fryer basket) in favor of having my favorite juicy chicken with the golden crust on the outside. The other difference here is that original Marry Me Chicken also has sun-dried tomatoes, but I don’t LOVE-love sun-drieds, so I went with a jar of DeLallo marinated bruschetta-style tomatoes which are fresher and juicier (similar to juicy petite diced canned or fresh tomatoes), and boom! It was divine. I’m writing the recipe to use a can of petite diced tomatoes because it’s the most widely available (and delicious). But if you can get your hands on those DeLallo bruschetta tomatoes, you will enjoy those in this recipe. This is a recipe to make when you feel like you just need a little just-because joy, or something extra special, or, obviously, want someone to marry you. I love this chicken with mashed potatoes and a simple green salad. We pull out the candles and the placemats for this one. And we’re never not lingering at the table to lick up every last drop of sauce. If you’re air frying the chicken, like I do, you can start that now while the sauce cooks.
3 More Of My Favorite Chicken Recipes
4.2 from 23 reviews
2 tablespoons butter 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (note 1) 1 tablespoon tomato paste (note 2) 1 cup heavy cream 1 cup chicken broth a few sprigs of thyme 1 14.5–ounce jar petite diced tomatoes, drained thoroughly (note 3) salt to taste (note 4)
Chicken:
a batch of air fryer chicken (note 5)
Note 2 on Tomato Paste: I use the DeLallo tomato paste in a tube which is “double concentrated”, but that is not necessary. Regular tomato paste would also work. Note 3 on Petite Diced Tomatoes: I highly recommend petite diced tomatoes vs. regular canned diced tomatoes. The size of the petite dice is much more pleasant in the sauce. I also love this with the DeLallo bruschetta tomatoes which are marinated in olive oil, garlic, and basil. I drain off the oil and just add the tomatoes to the sauce. It’s VERY good, but petite diced canned tomatoes are easier to find which is why I listed them here. Note 4 on Salt: I use 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt for the sauce, but how much salt you use should be dependent on how salty your broth is as every broth is different and some have reduced sodium. If you’re not sure, start by adding 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, taste and see what you think, and go up from there. Note 5 on Chicken: If you don’t have an air fryer or prefer to make it on the stovetop, you’ll just pan-fry a pound of thinly sliced chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins in the same skillet before you start the sauce. Season your chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, maybe a bit of paprika for color. Many Marry Me Chicken recipes recommend coating the chicken in a tablespoon of flour as well to give it a lightly breaded feel. Pan fry it in a bit of butter or olive oil. Once the chicken is golden and cooked through, remove it, set aside, and then add the chicken back into the finished sauce.
