Sun-dried tomato is the Marry Me signature, and here it is present and visible — a third of a cup, softened with the garlic before the liquid goes in.
The thighs stay whole. Seared deeply, set aside while the sauce is built, then returned to finish in it until the thickest one reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the sauce coats a spoon.
Why This Recipe Works
- Searing thighs deeply before the sauce gives colour a simmer would never produce.
- Thirty seconds of garlic and sun-dried tomato in the pan draws their oil into the base.
- Broth alongside cream keeps the sauce from being too heavy to coat a whole thigh.
- Finishing the chicken in the sauce means the two come to their end point together.
Ingredient Notes
- Chicken thighs
- Four boneless and skinless, about a pound and a half. They stay whole from start to plate.
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- A third of a cup, chopped. Visible in the finished sauce, which is what makes this the Marry Me version.
- Parmesan
- Three-quarters of a cup, into the sauce. It thickens as much as it seasons.
How to Make It
Sear the thighs
Season chicken thighs and sear in oil over medium-high heat until deeply browned; transfer.
Garlic and sun-dried tomato
Lower heat, add garlic and sun-dried tomatoes for 30 seconds.
Build the sauce
Add broth, cream, Parmesan and Italian seasoning and simmer gently.
Finish to 165F
Return chicken and cook until the thickest thigh reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the sauce coats a spoon.
Serve whole
Serve whole browned thighs in the creamy Parmesan sauce with visible sun-dried tomato pieces and parsley.
Building the Marry Me Sauce
The sauce is made in the pan the thighs were seared in, and it is finished by cooking them in it - so the last stage belongs to both at once.
The fond
Deeply browned - not merely coloured.4 seasoned chicken thighs seared deeply in 1 tbsp olive oil, then removed
Browned residue that colours and flavours everything after it. The thighs come out so the pan can be worked without overcooking them.
The signature
Heat lowered first - searing fat would burn the garlic in seconds.3 garlic cloves and 1/3 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes, 30 seconds on lowered heat
The oil-packed tomato releases its oil into the pan here. This is the ingredient the dish is named for, and it goes in early enough to flavour the whole sauce rather than sit on top of it.
The body
A gentle simmer.3/4 cup broth, 3/4 cup heavy cream, 3/4 cup Parmesan, 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Broth as well as cream so the sauce stays a coating rather than a blanket, and the Parmesan thickens it without flour.
The finish, shared
The thighs returned to cook through in the sauce
Two end points reached together: the thickest thigh at 165F and a sauce that coats a spoon.
Then tasteServed whole in the sauce with the sun-dried tomato pieces visible and parsley over - plated, never shredded onto a bun.
Success Tips
- Sear deeply and resist turning the thighs early; that colour is the base of the dish.
- Lower the heat before the garlic goes in, or it burns in the searing fat.
- Judge two things at the end: 165 degrees Fahrenheit in the thickest thigh, and a sauce that coats a spoon.
Serving Ideas
Four servings, whole browned thighs plated in the creamy Parmesan sauce with the sun-dried tomato pieces visible and parsley over the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I shred the chicken?
No. The thighs stay whole here.
Is the sun-dried tomato essential?
Yes. It is visible in the finished dish and is what makes this the Marry Me signature.
How do I know when it is ready?
The thickest thigh reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit and the sauce coats a spoon.
