Marry Me Chicken has earned its place as an internet favourite, but with so many versions out there, we wanted to give ours an i4C twist. The answer is black garlic.
Sweet, mellow and deeply savoury, black garlic melts into the familiar creamy Parmesan and sun-dried tomato sauce, adding a wonderful depth of flavour without overpowering the dish. Add golden chicken, plenty of Parmesan and fresh basil, and you've got a Marry Me Chicken recipe that feels familiar but tastes noticeably different.
Serve it straight from the pan with crusty sourdough for mopping up every last bit of sauce, or spoon it over creamy mashed potatoes for a proper comfort-food dinner.
At Infusions4chefs, we love finding simple ways to use ingredients that might otherwise sit unexplored in the cupboard. Black garlic is one of our favourites for exactly that reason – a couple of cloves can completely transform a sauce without making the recipe complicated.
Why This Recipe Works
Black garlic is particularly good in creamy sauces because its mellow, savoury character adds depth without the sharpness of raw garlic.
- Black garlic brings rich umami and subtle sweetness to the sauce.
- Sun-dried tomatoes provide acidity and concentrated tomato flavour.
- Parmesan brings saltiness and helps create a beautifully savoury sauce.
- Double cream balances the stronger flavours and gives the sauce its signature silky texture.
- Searing the chicken first creates golden caramelisation and leaves plenty of flavour behind in the pan.
- Fresh basil provides a welcome contrast to the rich sauce.
- Everything comes together in one pan, making it an impressive dinner without an equally impressive pile of washing up.
Marry Me Chicken with Black Garlic Recipe
Serves 4 | Prep Time 10 minutes | Cook Time 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 small skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 20g butter
- Sea salt
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 black garlic cloves
- 1 fresh garlic clove, finely chopped
- 100g sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp chilli flakes
- 150ml chicken stock
- 200ml double cream
- 60g Parmesan, finely grated
- Small handful fresh basil
- Extra Parmesan, to finish
Method
- Season the chicken breasts generously with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for around 4–5 minutes on each side until deeply golden. Remove from the pan and set aside. The chicken will finish cooking in the sauce later.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter.
- Mash the black garlic cloves into a smooth paste using the back of a fork. Add them to the pan with the fresh garlic and cook gently for around 30 seconds.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes, oregano and chilli flakes. Stir everything together and cook for another minute.
- Pour in the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the caramelised pieces from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Pour in the double cream and stir thoroughly so the black garlic becomes incorporated throughout the sauce.
- Reduce the heat and gradually stir through the Parmesan until melted and the sauce is smooth.
- Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over the top. Simmer gently for around 8–10 minutes, or until the chicken is completely cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning before finishing with torn fresh basil, extra Parmesan and plenty of freshly cracked black pepper.
What Does Black Garlic Add?
Black garlic isn't simply regular garlic with a stronger flavour.
During its production, garlic is carefully aged under controlled heat and humidity. The cloves become dark, soft and almost sticky, while their sharp raw-garlic character develops into something considerably more mellow.
Its flavour is often described as sweet, savoury and umami-rich, with notes reminiscent of balsamic vinegar, molasses and caramelised garlic.
In this recipe, those flavours sit particularly well alongside Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes. The black garlic disappears into the cream sauce, leaving behind a deeper, more rounded flavour rather than obvious pieces of garlic.
What to Serve with Black Garlic Marry Me Chicken
A sauce this good deserves something for soaking it up.
Serve the chicken with creamy mashed potatoes, roasted baby potatoes or crusty sourdough. Steamed rice also works particularly well if you want something simple that allows the sauce to remain the star.
For vegetables, try tenderstem broccoli, roasted green beans or wilted spinach. A sharply dressed green salad also provides a fresh contrast to the rich Parmesan cream sauce.
Ways to Make It Your Own
- Use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts for a richer result.
- Add baby spinach during the final few minutes of cooking.
- Stir through sautéed mushrooms to complement the earthy black garlic.
- Add extra chilli flakes for more heat.
- Swap the basil for fresh thyme for a more autumnal version.
- Add roasted cherry tomatoes alongside the sun-dried tomatoes for bursts of freshness.
- Serve with crispy Parmesan potatoes when you want to make the dish particularly indulgent.
What Else Can You Make with Black Garlic?
Once you've discovered black garlic, there's no reason to leave the rest of the bulb sitting in the cupboard.
Mash it into butter and melt over steak or roasted mushrooms. Blend it into mayonnaise for burgers and sandwiches. Stir it into mushroom risotto, pasta sauces and gravy, or whisk a small amount into vinaigrettes.
It also works particularly well with roasted vegetables, beef, mushrooms, Parmesan, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
FAQs
Why is it called Marry Me Chicken?
The playful name comes from the idea that the creamy chicken dish is good enough to inspire a marriage proposal. The recipe became hugely popular online, leading to numerous versions of the original creamy chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan.
Does black garlic taste strongly of garlic?
Black garlic is considerably mellower than fresh raw garlic. Ageing changes its sharpness into a softer combination of sweet, savoury and umami flavours, so it adds depth to a dish rather than an aggressive garlic hit.
Why use both fresh garlic and black garlic?
They perform different jobs. Fresh garlic provides the familiar aromatic garlic flavour, while black garlic contributes sweetness and savoury depth. Using a little of each creates a more layered sauce.
How do you stop the Parmesan cream sauce from splitting?
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer rather than boiling it aggressively. Reduce the heat before gradually stirring in finely grated Parmesan so the cheese has time to melt smoothly into the sauce.
How can you tell when the chicken is cooked?
Check the thickest part of the chicken with a digital food thermometer. It should reach an internal temperature of 75°C before serving.