Marry Me Chicken

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Most marry me chicken recipes lean on heavy cream and butter so while they’re absolutely delicious, the macros are definitely not in your favor. This version holds up a bit better while still keeping that signature marry me chicken flavor. The sauce is blended from low fat cottage cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and parmesan, and it still comes out rich and savory. One skillet does the whole thing, and you get 50 grams of protein in each serving.

Why I Keep Making This

• This marry me chicken sauce recipe is the whole trick. Cottage cheese, chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and Dijon blend into a smooth, savory sauce without any heavy cream, and the result tastes closer to a restaurant version than you would expect.
• The onions and garlic cook down first, then the chicken sears in the same pan, so you build a layer of flavor in the skillet before the liquid ever goes in.
• 2 pounds of chicken breast plus a full cup of cottage cheese is what moves the protein to 50 grams per serving. The fat holds at 9 grams because nothing in the sauce carries real fat.
• You only need one skillet and a blender. Pull the onions and garlic out, sear the chicken, pour the sauce back in, and the whole dish finishes in that same pan.

Ingredients

• Low Fat Cottage Cheese. This is the backbone of the sauce and the reason the protein numbers are what they’re. One cup adds about 25 grams on its own, and I blend it completely smooth or the texture shows up in the finished dish.
• Low Sodium Chicken Broth. It thins the blended mixture to a pourable sauce, and the low sodium version keeps this out of the salty camp. The regular version would push it well past where you want it to be.
• Sun Dried Tomatoes. These do most of the work flavor wise. The concentrated, almost caramel like depth is what makes people call it marry me chicken.
• Grated Parmesan. It rounds out the cheese flavor next to the cottage cheese and melts into a glossy finish as the sauce heats.
• Dijon Mustard. One tablespoon is enough to add a clean, sharp tang that the sweet tomatoes could not hit on their own. Skip the yellow mustard here, because it tastes noticeably different in this sauce.
• White Onion. It cooks down until soft and sweet first, which gives the chicken a savory base to sear on top of.
• Minced Garlic. Fresh, not the jarred paste. It joins the onion for the last minute or two so it warms through without burning.
• Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast. The main protein in the dish. Pound the breasts to an even thickness if they’re uneven, because thinner pieces finish at the same time as thicker ones and sear more evenly.
• Italian Seasoning. The main herb flavor on the chicken. A full teaspoon is worth it, because this sauce is mild enough that it can actually use the herbs.
• Garlic Powder. It adds a background depth next to the fresh garlic, and the two play different roles in the seasoning blend.
• Onion Powder. A supporting note, not a star. Half a teaspoon is plenty alongside all the fresh onion in the pan.
• Salt. Half a teaspoon on the chicken is the only salt this recipe needs, thanks to the low sodium broth.
• Black Pepper. It balances the cheese and rounds out the seasoning rub on the chicken.
• Red Chili Flakes. A quarter teaspoon spreads across two pounds of chicken, so this is a background warmth rather than real heat.
• Fresh Spinach. It goes in at the very end and wilts for a minute or two. It adds color and keeps the plate from feeling like a wall of chicken and cheese.

Why This One Earns a Spot in Your Rotation

• 50 grams of protein per serving. The protein comes from two pounds of chicken breast and a cup of cottage cheese, so the dish stays filling long after a cream based version would wear off.
• It’s 330 calories, which makes this marry me chicken recipe healthy enough to make on a cut without rationing it. Pair it with a side of rice or potatoes on a maintenance day.
• It only takes one skillet. The onions, garlic, chicken, and sauce all move through the same pan, and the cleanup is a sponge, dish spray, and the blender jar.
• It holds up for meal prep. This is one of the creamy chicken dishes that actually stores well for about 4 days in the fridge, and the sauce loosens right back up when you reheat it.
• The cost works out to about $2.86 per serving, and the grocery list is the kind of thing a normal weekly shop already covers.

What Goes Well With This

• White rice (the sauce gets better spread across a scoop of it, and the carbs make the meal more filling)
• Roasted potatoes or potato wedges. They keep this feeling like a comfort food dinner instead of a lean one.
• Zucchini noodles, if you want to keep this on the lower carb side while still putting something on the plate.
• A simple side salad with a light vinaigrette. The dish is rich enough that it does not need another creamy side next to it.

Ways to Make This Yours

• Chicken thighs. A straight swap for the breasts. They stay juicier when the cook time runs a little long, though the fat and calories come up a bit.
• Dairy free. Swap the cottage cheese and parmesan for a cashew cream base and a dairy free hard cheese, and this comes together without dairy in it.
• Mushroom version. Sear a cup of sliced mushrooms in the skillet after the chicken comes out and finish them in the sauce. It adds a lot of body for very few calories.
• Stir in rice at the end. Pour the hot sauce over a pan of cooked rice and stir everything together right in the skillet. It turns the dish into a one pan creamy rice bowl.

Notes From Testing This

FAQs

Equipment Needed

• Large Nonstick Skillet
• High Speed Blender
• Large Mixing Bowl
• Wood Cutting Board
• Oil Spray

Recipe

Marry Me Chicken

This high protein marry me chicken builds its creamy sauce from low fat cottage cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan instead of heavy cream. Seasoned chicken breast sears in one skillet and finishes in the sauce with wilted spinach. Each of the 5 servings lands at 330 calories with 50 grams of protein for a weeknight dinner that still tastes indulgent.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings: 5 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Calories: 330

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

  

Chicken:

• 1 cup low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup white onion diced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 cup fresh spinach chopped

Garnish:

• Additional sun-dried tomatoes or spinach
• Parsley
• Grated parmesan cheese

Directions

 

1. Blend your cottage cheese, chicken broth, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, and Dijon mustard until smooth. Set it aside for now.
2. Take out 2 lbs of chicken breast, then season both sides with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, black pepper and red chili flakes.
3. Turn a burner on medium heat and place a large skillet on top of it. Give it a light spray of oil.
4. Add your diced onion to the skillet and cook for about 5 to 7 minutes until softened. Then add your minced garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from the skillet.
5. Add your chicken to the skillet and cook for 5 to 7 minutes per side until golden brown. This will depend on the size of your chicken breast.
6. Pour your blended sauce into the skillet and let it heat up for a few minutes. Add your back your cooked onion along with 1 cup of chopped spinach and let it wilt.
7. Garnish with additional spinach, grated parmesan cheese or sun-dried tomatoes. Serve.

Nutrition Facts