Best Low Carb Marry Me Chicken

This easy dinner is so good it might just earn you a marriage proposal. My gluten-free, best low carb Marry Me Chicken comes together in just 25 minutes, with juicy chicken simmered in a creamy sauce packed with fresh garlic, herbs and sweet sun-dried tomatoes.

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MY BEST RECIPE

James and I have a fun little story about the proposal. He proposed to me while I was enjoying a plate of Italian chicken. I have to say, I didn’t make that chicken myself. It was during a date at our go-to Italian place. It’s a fun story, but for context, we’ve been married for over 20years, so that proposal was during a time when I had little to no cooking skills.

Of course, I didn’t have cooking skills to woo him back in the day, but these days he very much enjoys my cooking, especially chicken, which we both love to eat at home and at restaurants.

So, to summarize, I will marry myself for my Marry Me Chicken. It really is a delicious meal, and incredibly easy to cook! The chicken is so tender, and the creamy sauce is so rich and filled with flavors. It is one of the great pleasures in life to eat this dish.

Imagine a rich sauce with tons of garlic and sundried tomatoes. Great dish to enjoy and fulfill your life.

HOW I MADE IT KETO + MORE TWEAKS

The dish has a few tweaks. I enjoy my dish to have more sauce and more garlic, so the recipe has way more cream and garlic than you’d usually use in a chicken recipe.

There’s also less than normal sun dried tomatoes. This is because I want my Marry Me Chicken Recipe to qualify as low carb and keto.

Finally, I switched up the cooking method, so the recipe is all done on the stove rather than in the oven. It made it a lot smoother because I only had to use the stove.

INGREDIENTS

You only need a few simple ingredients:

Chicken breast. I had two giant boneless skinless breasts that, due to their size, split into four portions. I cut them into cutlets, so they would cook faster. I aim to have 5oz of chicken per serving.
Olive oil. Needed for chicken searing. My favorite hack is to buy sundried tomatoes packed in olive oil and use that oil. It adds way more flavor.

Garlic. In a pinch, I would accept garlic powder. However, I would recommend a clove or two of fresh garlic and mincing it.

For the sauce, we are using chicken broth (stock cube works too) and heavy cream (double cream).

Parmesan cheese. It is a must for too many reasons. It thickens the sauce, adds flavor, and is just so good. It is also better to grate it, using a fresh block of parmesan, than to buy it pre-grated.

Seasonings. For this we have to use paprika and oregano, and perhaps a bit of thyme. I would also like to add that you can use smoked paprika for a different flavor.

Sundried tomatoes. are the secret in this recipe. They taste so good and carry a flavor that is smokey, sweet, and tangy.

Check the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and exact measurements.

INSTRUCTIONS

Here’s a simple overview of how to make Keto Tuscan Chicken, also known as Marry Me Chicken

Scroll down to the recipe card for full step-by-step instructions, exact measurements, cooking times, and nutrition details.

STEP 1:  On both sides of the chicken, sprinkle salt and pepper.

STEP 2:  On medium heat, pour the sundried tomato oil on a large skillet. Sear the chicken breasts on both sides until golden brown and cooked through. Put the chicken aside.

STEP 3:  Add the oil-garlic mixture to the pan and sauté until the mixture smells good.

STEP 4:  Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a spatula to get any bits up. Add chicken stock to the pan to deglaze it.

STEP 5:  Add the remaining ingredients: heavy cream, parmesan cheese, paprika, thyme, and oregano.  Stir to thicken the sauce.

STEP 6: Add the sundried chopped tomatoes and the chicken to the sauce. Let the sauce simmer and thicken for a few more minutes. Spoon some of the sauce to coat over the chicken. To garnish, add some fresh chopped basil leaves and serve.

TOP TIPS

When chicken breasts get cut into cutlets, just press the meat down with one hand and try to slice in half lengthwise with a very sharp knife.

You can also buy pre-sliced chicken cutlets from supermarkets or butchers. Mini chicken fillets are a good alternative too.

There is no issue with whole chicken breasts, however please note that they, even the small ones, take longer to fully cook than other cutlets. In that case, please just simmer in the sauce for longer.

I suggest getting a lid for the pan and then cooking the chicken until and ensuring that the internal temperature is 75C or 165F. You can check that with a thermometer by probing the center of the meat. If you do not have a thermometer, you can cut into the chicken to check that it is not pink in the center.

VARIATIONS

This recipe is quick, easy, and full of flavor just the way it is, but here are a few simple ideas to change things up if you’d like:

Bacon: Bacon lardons fried until golden add a delicious crunch and extra flavor to the dish.

White wine: Swap out half of the chicken stock for a dry white wine.

Make it spicy: Sprinkle in chili flakes if you like a little spice.

Lemon boost: Stir in some fresh lemon zest or finish with a squeeze of lemon juice before serving.

Vegetables: Spinach is a wonderful ingredient to add, as well as soft mushrooms that have been fried alongside the garlic for a few minutes. You should add the mushrooms eariler, and then the spinach in the last minute of cooking, so that the spinach fries until wilted.  

You can also add a sauce with a finely chopped onion.  You should fry for 5 minutes, then add the garlic, and the mix should then be used in the sauce.

SERVING SUGGESTION

When served with cauliflower rice or with creamy mash, Merry Me Chicken is a divine experience. It can also be paired with steamed green beans or broccoli.

If carbs aren’t an issue, serve it with pasta, rice, quinoa or potatoes. My daughter says Marry Me Chicken Pasta is absolutely heavenly.

STORAGE AND MEAL PLANNING

Meal Prep: There is a generous amount of sauce, so you can easily add more chicken and expand it to 6 servings. Just make sure you don’t overcrowd the pan when you are searing the chicken. Sear the cutlets in batches so there is enough space between the pieces.

Storage: Should you be so lucky to have a spare portion, you can store it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 4 days.

RECIPE FAQS

Can I use Regular Tomatoes?

Most people will say no. But, I would recommend finding sweet cherry tomatoes and sundrying them yourself. Also, if you fry them soft before adding to the sauce that would help them to melt into the sauce better, and help the overall taste more rich.

How Can I Reduce the Calories?

You could use creme fraiche instead of the recommended heavy cream. Yes, it’s a bit more sour than the recipe would have normally called for but it works.

Is it possible to make Marry Me Chicken without dairy?

Dairy free cream and parm work perfectly. My son who is also dairy free, loves the meals we make with the Violife for the dairy free parm.

Can this sauce be used with other meats or proteins?

Of course. Chicken thighs, pork chops, and other fish are also great. The salmon and prawns work well. Just know the cooking times will be different.

Who Invented Marry Me Chicken?

It is not a surprise, the Italians! Marry Me Chicken was most likely invented by a wonderful Mamma in Tuscany. I say this because this recipe was formerly called Tuscan chicken, and was very popular in Italy for a long time.