Healthy Marry Me Chicken

5 from 1 vote

This Healthy Marry Me Chicken is a lighter take on the classic creamy chicken dish. Juicy chicken breasts are cooked in a rich sundried tomato and cream cheese sauce, making it a balanced and flavorful meal.

Prep Time5

Cook Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: healthy marry me chicken, marry me chicken

Servings:

Calories: 543kcal

Author: Maria Lucey RD

Equipment

non-stick pan I love my Always Pan, its free of PTFEs and PFOAs

Ingredients

For the marry me chicken

2 skinless chicken breasts
2 teaspoon vegetable or olive oil
1 shallot finely diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon sundried tomato puree
1 tablespoon tomato puree
100 mls cold water
150 g 5oz low-fat cream cheese
Pinch of chilli flakes optional
6 basil leaves

For the side of baby potatoes and green beans

300 g about 10 oz baby potatoes, halved
200 g 7 oz green beans, trimmed
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Prepare the potatoes and green beans:

Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss the halved baby potatoes and trimmed green beans with a little olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread both the potatoes and green beans on a baking tray in a single layer.
Roast the potatoes and green beans in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden and tender, and the green beans are cooked to your liking. If the green beans cook faster, feel free to remove them from the tray early and set them aside.

Prepare the chicken:

Place the chicken breasts inside a plastic bag and bash them with a rolling pin until they are about 1cm thick. Season with salt and pepper.
While the potatoes and green beans are roasting, heat the vegetable oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced shallot and garlic and cook for about 3-4 minutes, until softened. Remove the shallots and garlic from the pan and set aside.
Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until browned. Avoid overcooking to prevent the chicken from drying out. We allow the chicken to finish cooking in the sauce in the next step.

Make the sauce:

Add the cooked garlic and shallots back to the pan with the chicken. Add the sundried tomato puree, tomato puree, and 100ml of cold water to the pan with the chicken. Stir in the low-fat cream cheese and optional chilli flakes. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and let it cook for about 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Cooked chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) to be safe to eat. Use a meat thermometer to check the thickest part of the chicken.

Finish the dish:

Add more water to thin the sauce if desired.
Tear the basil leaves and stir them into the sauce just before serving.
Plate the chicken with the creamy sauce, and serve alongside the roasted baby potatoes and green beans. Enjoy your Healthy Marry Me Chicken!

Notes

Storage:

Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Freeze portions for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Make ahead: Prepare the sauce in advance and refrigerate. When ready to serve, cook the chicken fresh and combine with the sauce.

Dietitian Tip: Need to adapt this recipe to your unique needs? E.g., gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan. Details on how to do this can be found in the full blog post.

Additional Nutrition Information

From a nutritional perspective, this is a balanced meal combining protein, fat, veggies and starchy carbs - all with under 550 calories. While healthy means something different to everyone, this is a great dinner option for many of us.

I’ve included an estimated nutrition breakdown for this recipe below. Remember, though, that a recipe is much more than its nutritional content, and these numbers shouldn't solely dictate your food choices.

The potatoes and green beans are included in this nutritional calculation.

For more nutrition information and tips, visit www.marialuceydietitian.com and come say hi on Instagram and YouTube I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 😊

The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.

Nutrition