Marry Me Chicken (Lightened Up)

This lightened up marry me chicken has all the creamy, sun-dried tomato goodness of the original but uses light cream cheese instead of heavy cream so it’s a little easier on you. ♡

If you’ve been looking for a healthy marry me chicken recipe that doesn’t sacrifice flavor, this is it. The original version calls for heavy cream, butter, and a mountain of cheese. This low calorie marry me chicken swaps in light cream cheese which melts smooth into the broth and honestly, you cannot tell the difference. You save about 200 calories per serving without losing any of that rich, creamy sauce. The sauce still comes together in the same pan you seared the chicken in, which means all those golden brown bits get scraped up and stirred into something ridiculously good.

Sear, sauce, and bake. Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

Marry Me Chicken (Lightened Up)

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 oz light cream cheese (1/3 less fat)
• 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Fresh basil for topping
• Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make Marry Me Chicken (Lightened Up)

1. Sear. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Heat olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply golden. Remove and set aside.
2. Build. In the same skillet, add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
3. Melt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the light cream cheese until it melts completely into the broth, about 2 minutes. Add the sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and red pepper flakes. Stir until smooth.
4. Bake. Place the seared chicken back into the sauce. Transfer the skillet to a 400F oven and bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the chicken reaches 165F internally.
5. Finish. Top with fresh basil and serve straight from the skillet. Spoon extra sauce over each piece.

Tips

• Sear the chicken until properly golden before moving on. The brown crust is where the flavor lives, and it’s what gives the sauce all its depth.
• Scrape up the brown bits when you add the broth. They dissolve right into the sauce and that’s the secret flavor.
• Use an oven-safe skillet so you can go straight from stovetop to oven without extra dishes.
• Light cream cheese melts best when the broth is warm but not boiling. Medium-low heat is key.
• Pound thick chicken breasts to even thickness so they cook at the same rate. This prevents dry edges and raw centers.
• This recipe works with bone-in thighs too. Add 5 extra minutes of bake time.

Variations

• Add spinach: Stir a few handfuls of baby spinach into the sauce before adding the chicken back in.
• Chicken thighs: Use boneless thighs instead for even juicier results. Great for meal prep.
• Slow cooker version: Sear the chicken first, then add everything to a slow cooker on low for 4 hours.
• Cottage cheese hack: Swap the light cream cheese for blended cottage cheese for an even higher protein version.
• Serve with: This is incredible over creamy tuscan orzo, rice, or with crusty bread to mop up the sauce.
• Make it dairy-free: Use cashew cream cheese and nutritional yeast instead of parmesan.

Love one-pan chicken dinners? Try our oven baked chicken parmesan or pesto chicken quesadillas next. For a lighter side, pair it with Korean cucumber salad.

Marry Me Chicken (Lightened Up)

Creamy, garlicky skillet chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan made lighter with light cream cheese.

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Servings: 4

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Calories: 500

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• - 4 oz light cream cheese 1/3 less fat
• - 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• - 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes chopped
• - 3 cloves garlic minced
• - 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
• - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• - 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• - 1 tablespoon olive oil
• - Fresh basil for topping
• - Salt and pepper to taste

Method

 

1. **Sear.** Season chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Sear in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden. Remove and set aside.
2. **Build.** Cook garlic for 30 seconds in the same skillet. Add broth and scrape up the brown bits.
3. **Melt.** Stir in light cream cheese until smooth. Add sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and red pepper flakes.
4. **Bake.** Return chicken to the skillet and bake at 400°F for 15 to 18 minutes until cooked through.
5. **Finish.** Top with fresh basil and spoon extra sauce over each piece.

Notes

- Sear the chicken until properly golden for the best sauce flavor.
- Use an oven-safe skillet to go from stovetop to oven without extra dishes.
- Scrape up the brown bits from the pan when adding broth for maximum flavor.

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