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This Whole30 marry me chicken recipe is a dairy free, soy free, totally Whole30-compliant version of our reader favorite marry me chicken. Tender chicken breasts in a rich dairy-free cream sauce with sweet-tart sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, and crushed red pepper flakes. This’ll be a staple in your Whole30/paleo meal rotation!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Recipe is So Good
- Our marry me chicken is a reader favorite, and it’s easy to see why! I mean, who doesn’t love perfectly cooked chicken in a rich, decadent sauce made with heavy cream, parmesan, and sun-dried tomatoes? Exactly. The downside to all that decadence, though? You can’t have it on Whole30. Until now, that is! I’ve adapted that super-popular creamy chicken recipe to be totally Whole30-compliant, dairy free, low carb, keto-friendly, and paleo-friendly. Dig in!
- Just like the traditional version, Whole30 marry me chicken pairs really well with a wide variety of sides. Mashed potatoes, asparagus, green beans, zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice… If you’re not paleo or on a Whole30 round, you could also serve it with pasta (like in our marry me chicken pasta) or a mushroom risotto.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 4 days, making this a great Whole30 meal prep option. It reheats well, too; just pop it in the microwave or warm it in a skillet until heated through.
What You Need to Know Before You Start
- There’s a lot of really nice flavors in this recipe as-is. If you’d like an extra flavor boost, trying adding in some sautéed mushrooms for another layer of delicious savoriness. You can also add some of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes to the skillet, rather than just using the tomatoes.
- We leave the chicken breasts whole here, but cutting them into cutlets first will shorten your cook time! Simply slice the chicken breasts in half from one side to the other (like a hamburger bun) and proceed with the recipe as written.
- You can cook the chicken to a food-safe internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit and serve it immediately, but I actually like to take it out of the oven when it’s around 160°-162° Fahrenheit inside and let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes or so while I finish up the sides. The chicken’ll continue to cook a little as it rests, so taking it out slightly early will ensure you don’t accidentally overcook it.
Recipe Variations
Switch Up the Protein: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work beautifully here and are even more forgiving if you accidentally overcook them. Pork chops or pork tenderloin are delicious alternatives – just adjust the cooking time based on thickness. For seafood lovers, salmon fillets or shrimp make this dish feel fancy and cook faster (about 12-15 minutes for salmon, 8-10 for shrimp).
Add More Vegetables: Sauté 8 ounces sliced mushrooms with the garlic for extra umami and texture. You can also stir in 2 to 3 cups fresh baby spinach during the last 2 minutes of oven time – it’ll wilt right into that gorgeous sauce. Roasted cherry tomatoes (halved and added with the sun-dried tomatoes) bring extra sweetness and color.
Adjust the Heat Level: If you’re spice-sensitive, reduce the red pepper flakes to ⅛ teaspoon or skip them entirely – the dish is still incredibly flavorful without the heat. For spice lovers, add 1 thinly sliced fresh jalapeño when you sauté the garlic, or bump the red pepper flakes up to ½ teaspoon.
Change Up the Herbs: Swap the Italian seasoning for 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves for a more earthy, French-inspired flavor. Fresh rosemary (about 1 teaspoon minced) also pairs beautifully with the sun-dried tomatoes. Just remember that fresh herbs are more delicate than dried, so add them toward the end of cooking for the best flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work beautifully in this recipe. They’ll be a bit richer and more forgiving if you accidentally overcook them. Just keep in mind they may take 5-10 minutes longer to reach 175℉, so start checking the internal temperature around the 30-minute mark.
No problem! Plain, unsweetened Nutpods work great as a substitute and won’t give you any coconut flavor. You can also use full-fat coconut cream (the thick part from a chilled can) for an even richer sauce.
If your sauce seems too thin, let it simmer uncovered on the stovetop for a few extra minutes after removing the chicken to reduce and thicken naturally. You can also add an extra tablespoon of nutritional yeast, which will thicken the sauce slightly while adding more of that savory, cheesy flavor.
You can prep the chicken (season it, even sear it) and make the sauce up to a day ahead, then store them separately in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, just combine everything in the skillet and finish cooking in the oven. Fully cooked leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days and reheat beautifully in the microwave or on the stovetop.
While cast-iron is ideal because it goes from stovetop to oven seamlessly, any oven-safe skillet will work. Just make sure the handle is oven-safe up to 375 degrees Fahrenheit – no plastic or rubber handles!
More Tasty Whole30 Recipes
- Breakfast Casserole with Sausage and Eggs
- Instant Pot Tomato Soup
- Whole30 Ketchup Recipe
- Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla-Less Soup (with Slow Cooker Option)
- Swedish Meatballs with Gravy (Paleo, Gluten Free)
- Easy Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy
- Delcious Breakfast Tacos
- Gyro Meatballs
- Buffalo Chicken Salad
- White Chicken Chili
- Savory Meatloaf
- Southern Fried Chicken Salad
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Whole30 Marry Me Chicken
Equipment
- Large cast-iron skillet or oven-safe skillet
- Meat pounder or rolling pin
- instant read thermometer
- Tongs
- Spoon for stirring
- Large plate
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts approximately 2 pounds
- salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
For the Whole30 Marry Me Sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh garlic approximately 3 large cloves
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened full-fat coconut milk at room temperature – or coconut cream, or plain Nutpods; see Notes
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes see Notes
- ½ to 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For Serving
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chiffonaded for garnish (see Notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉
- Place 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts on cutting board. Trim chicken as needed. If chicken breasts are unevenly sized or especially thick, pound chicken breasts with rolling pin or meat pounder as needed until all chicken breasts are equal in size and thickness.
- Season chicken breasts generously on all sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Set chicken aside.
- Place large cast-iron skillet on stovetop over medium heat. When pan is warm, add 2 tablespoons avocado oil and continue heating pan until oil is hot and shimmery.
- When oil is hot, place seasoned chicken breasts in skillet. Sear chicken 3 to 4 minutes or until opaque, then flip chicken over and sear on other side 3 minutes.
- Once chicken is opaque on both sides, transfer chicken to large plate and set aside. Return skillet to medium heat. Do not drain or wipe out skillet.
- Add 1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh garlic to pan. Stir to incorporate, then sauté garlic approximately 60 seconds or until fragrant.
- When garlic is fragrant, add ¼ cup chicken broth and stir to incorporate, scraping bottom of pan to loosen any bits of chicken or garlic that may have stuck to skillet.
- After deglazing pan, remove pan from heat and let cool slightly. Add 1 ½ cups full-fat coconut milk, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ to 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated, then return skillet to heat.
- Return seared chicken breasts to skillet, nestling them into sauce. Spoon some of sauce over top of chicken.
- Transfer skillet to preheated oven. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until chicken reaches internal temperature of 165℉ when checked with instant-read thermometer in thickest part of breast.
- Remove skillet from oven and let chicken rest in pan 5 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to serving plates. Spoon sauce from skillet over chicken as desired, then garnish with 2 tablespoons fresh basil and serve immediately with desired sides.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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I was searching for this exact recipe in a way that follows my health goals. This was sooo good! Thanks for saving me the work of figuring it out on my own. Definitely going in the permanent rotation.
We’re so glad it was just what you needed! Thanks for sharing, Danese! 😊
This is so delicious. I used coconut cream and served with butternut squash. Love it!
That sounds delish! Thanks for sharing, Chelsea!
Sooooo good! Will be making again and again. Served over cauliflower mashed “potatoes”.
Yumm, that sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, Christina!
When using the coconut cream, is it enough to just use the amount from one can or do you need to use a second can’s worth? And when using the cream, I’m supposing that you don’t add any of the thinner milk left in the can? My daughter is lactose intolerant as well as allergic to milk so this recipe sounds very promising. She does love thick, creamy sauces though.
Hi, Bette! Yes, the 1 cup measurement will be just one can! And only add the cream, not the thinner. Be sure to let us know how she liked it! 😊
I’m wondering if you have ever made this in the crockpot?
You can follow the instructions from our Crockpot Marry Me Chicken using the ingredients from this version if you need the dish to be Whole30-compatible! Here’s the Crockpot version: https://40aprons.com/crockpot-marry-me-chicken/
I’m wanting to make this in a slow cooker. I notice the Whole30 ingredient list does not include the thickener (cornstarch or arrowroot) listed in the regular crockpot recipe. Is the yeast supposed to replace that?
Hi, LL! No, the nutritional yeast gives the dish the cheesy flavor it needs, since cheese isn’t allowed on Whole30. You shouldn’t need an additional thickener with the Whole30 version because it uses 1 full cup of coconut milk or coconut cream, as opposed to ½ cup heavy cream in the non-Whole30 recipe.
We enjoyed this recipe! I served it on mashed cauliflower potatoes. I used boneless chicken thighs. This recipe could easily be adapted to make a lovely and savory soup!
Ooh, mashed cauliflower potatoes sound like a delicious addition! Thanks for sharing, Catherine! 😊
This was a fun recipe to try! I added this to my family’s rotation of meals.
Thank you for sharing your review, Taina!
So flavorful and easy to make, we followed the recipe exactly. Absolutely delicious, we are saving as a favorite.
Thank you so much, Cynthia! I’m so happy you loved this dish!
What can be used instead of yeast?
Do you need the recipe to be Whole30-compliant? Nutritional yeast gives the dish its cheesy flavor while keeping the recipe compatible with Whole30 guidelines. If you’re not on a Whole30 round and don’t need the dish to be dairy free, you can use the original recipe instead! https://40aprons.com/marry-me-chicken/
Hello thank you so much for this recipe it’s amazing!! Do you think I can replace the chicken breasts with chicken tenders? It’s what we have on hand. Have you ever tried using chicken tenders?
That should work just fine! Keep in mind that, since chicken tenders are smaller, they’ll cook faster. Just be careful not to overcook them either on the stove or in the oven!