Marry Me Chicken & Shrimp

I’m going to make the famous Marry Me Chicken, but I’m kicking it up a notch by adding shrimp to it. Naturally, I’m calling it Marry Me Chicken and Shrimp.

The legend says if you make Marry Me Chicken for someone, they’ll want to marry you right away.

Why You’ll Love This

• The Flavor is Huge: We aren’t just seasoning the surface; we are doing a quick brine with bouillon, garlic, and onion powder so the flavor goes all the way through the meat.
• Lower Carb Option: The original recipe usually calls for flour to thicken the sauce. By skipping the flour and using a little cream cheese instead. It thickens the sauce beautifully without the carbs!
• One Pan Wonder: We’re doing this entire dish right on the stovetop.

What You’ll Need

Special Equipment

• Large skillet (cast iron or stainless steel works great)
• Meat mallet or heavy pan (for flattening chicken)
• Whisk (for smooth sauce)
• Grater (for garlic and parmesan)

The Proteins

• 2 large chicken breasts (butterflied and pounded thin to make 4 cutlets)
• 5–8 large shrimp (16–20 count per pound, peeled, deveined; washed with lime juice/water if desired)

The Seasonings

The Brine Mix:

• 1½ tbsp chicken bouillon powder
• 1½ tbsp garlic powder
• 1½ tbsp onion powder

The Chicken Rub:

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• ¼ tsp black pepper

The Shrimp Seasoning:

• Pinch each onion powder, black pepper, garlic powder
• ½ tsp chicken bouillon powder

The Aromatics & Sauce

• 2 tbsp olive oil + 1½ tbsp salted butter
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 large cloves garlic, grated
• 1 sprig each fresh thyme & fresh oregano
• ½ cup water + ½ tsp chicken bouillon powder (OR ½ cup chicken broth)
• ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed, drained)
• 1 oz (2 tbsp) cream cheese, softened
• ⅔ cup (160 ml) half-and-half
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Let’s Get Cooking!

1. Brine the Chicken (Flavor Step)

Mix the bouillon powder, garlic powder, and onion powder in a bowl. Toss the chicken cutlets in this mixture and let them sit for about 1 hour to absorb the flavor.

Why do this? Using the bouillon mix as a quick brine ensures the chicken is seasoned all the way through, not just on the outside.

After 1 hour: Rinse off the excess brine thoroughly under cold water and pat the chicken completely dry with paper towels. (This prevents over-salting.)

2. Season the Proteins

In a small bowl, mix the cayenne, paprika, and ¼ tsp black pepper. Rub this evenly over the dried chicken cutlets.

Separately, season the shrimp with the shrimp seasoning mix (bouillon, onion powder, garlic powder, pepper).

3. Sear the Chicken

Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken cutlets and cook for about 3 minutes per side until golden brown. Toss in the sprigs of thyme and oregano while searing to infuse the oil.

Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.

4. Sauté Aromatics

Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced shallot to the pan drippings and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the grated garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant (don’t let it brown).

5. Build the Liquid

Pour in the ½ cup water + ½ tsp bouillon (or chicken broth). Use a spoon or whisk to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the sun-dried tomatoes and simmer for 2 minutes.

6. Make it Creamy

Stir in the cream cheese and let it melt—this thickens the sauce slightly without flour. Pour in the ⅔ cup half-and-half and bring to a gentle simmer.

Stir in the parmesan cheese. Taste and adjust black pepper (the bouillon and cheese provide plenty of salt).

7. Simmer

Return the chicken to the pan. If the sauce looks too thick, add about ¼ cup extra water. Cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes.

8. Add Shrimp

Nestle the seasoned shrimp into the sauce. Cover and cook for another 3–5 minutes, just until the shrimp are pink, opaque, and curl slightly (internal temp 140°F/60°C).

9. Serve

Remove the herb sprigs. Serve hot!

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Marry Me Chicken and Shrimp (Creamy Stovetop Version)

Recipe by Sana ReiCourse: DinnerCuisine: Italian-American FusionDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

25

minutes

Calories

450

kcal

Brine Time

60

minutes

Total time

1

hour 

45

minutes

A creamy, romantic twist on the viral classic. Tender chicken breast cutlets and juicy shrimp simmered in a rich sun-dried tomato and parmesan sauce. Uses cream cheese for a luscious, lower-carb finish—all made on the stovetop.

Ingredients

• Equipment Needed

• Large skillet (cast iron or stainless steel)

• Meat mallet or heavy pan

• Whisk

• Grater

• Ingredients
• Proteins:

• 2 large chicken breasts, butterflied into 4 cutlets

• 5–8 large shrimp (16–20 count/lb, peeled, deveined)

• Brine Mix:

• 1½ tbsp chicken bouillon powder

• 1½ tbsp garlic powder

• 1½ tbsp onion powder

• Chicken Rub:

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• ¼ tsp black pepper

• Shrimp Seasoning:

• ½ tsp chicken bouillon powder

• Pinch each onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper

• Sauce:

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1½ tbsp salted butter

• 1 shallot, finely diced

• 2 large cloves garlic, grated

• 1 sprig fresh thyme

• 1 sprig fresh oregano

• ½ cup water + ½ tsp chicken bouillon powder (OR ½ cup chicken broth)

• ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed, drained)

• 1 oz (2 tbsp) cream cheese, softened

• ⅔ cup (160 ml) half-and-half

• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Directions

• Brine Chicken: Mix brine ingredients. Toss chicken cutlets in mixture for 1 hour. Rinse thoroughly and pat completely dry.
• Season: Rub chicken with cayenne/paprika/pepper mix. Season shrimp with shrimp seasoning.
• Sear Chicken: Heat oil + butter over medium-high. Sear chicken 3 min/side with herb sprigs. Remove to plate.
• Aromatics: Medium heat. Sauté shallot 2 min, garlic 1 min.
• Deglaze: Add water/bouillon (or broth). Scrape pan. Add sun-dried tomatoes, simmer 2 min.
• Creamy Sauce: Stir in cream cheese to melt/thicken. Add half-and-half, simmer. Stir in parmesan. Taste/adjust pepper.
• Simmer Chicken: Return chicken to pan + ¼ cup water if thick. Cover, low heat, 10 min (165°F/74°C).
• Add Shrimp: Nestle shrimp in sauce. Cover, cook 3–5 min until pink/opaque (140°F/60°C).
• Serve: Remove herbs. Serve hot.

Notes

• Lower Carb: Cream cheese thickens without flour.
  
  
• Brine: Rinse well to control saltiness.
  
  
• Sides: Broccoli, asparagus, zoodles (lower-carb) or pasta/potatoes.
  
  
• Shrimp: Wash with lime/water first if fishy smell concerns you.
  
• Safety: Use thermometer for doneness. Rinse brine thoroughly.