Married Me Chicken
(The Chef’s take on Marry Me Chicken)
Leave the Marry Me Chicken to the amateurs
What is Married Me Chicken?
The Chef’s take on the famous Marry Me Chicken. The original is supposed to be so good, it might inspire a marriage proposal. This version Married Me Chicken is not about a big proposal gesture, but it is about juicy roast chicken in a creamy sauce. We can’t guarantee a ring but we can guarantee it will become a favourite!
How is the recipe different from Marry Me Chicken?
Marry Me Chicken uses chicken breasts seared in the pan with a thinner sauce made of sun dried tomatoes, cream and parmesan. This, the chef’s recipe for Married Me Chicken uses chicken legs which are oven roasted until tender and juicy. The sauce is thicker and uses pan roasted cherry tomatoes, cream and herbs.
You’ll love it if...
… you want juicy, fall-off-the-bone roast chicken in a creamy, sweet and savoury tomato based sauce. Try serving it with these amazing Honey Butter Chips.
In every 90s-2000s rom-com you watch (and trust me, I’ve watched nearly all of them) the story line is pretty similar. As Storieo puts it : “Person A, an adorably clumsy lead meets Person B, a red herring love interest in a comical and erratic circumstance called a “meet cute” followed by a dramatic misunderstanding”… and of course, a happy ending where they both fall in love.
But falling in love is the easy part. Staying in love and consistently behaving in loving ways to your partner is where it’s at.
This is not Marry Me Chicken. It’s not designed to impress someone when you’re still putting your best face on. Married Me Chicken is a bit more grown up – it’s made for being cooked and shared with love. It’s a bit rougher around the edges, a bit more real than Marry Me Chicken. And we think it’s all the better for it. Kind of like you are, when you stop trying to impress people.
Married me chicken has a creamy, chunky, sweet and tangy tomato sauce made with pan roasted cherry tomatoes for extra sweetness and flavour. The roasted chicken has the perfect crispy skin and is super tender – to the point where it just falls off the bone. Make it for your partner, make it for your mum and dad, make it for your sibling, cousins or friends. Make it for anyone and everyone you love, there’s plenty of love and chicken to go around.
Gather the Ingredients
Roast the Chicken
Mix the dry rub ingredients together (you can use 1/2 a teaspoon of any cooking oil to combine) and rub on the skin of the chicken, coating the chicken completely.
Roast the chicken in an oven set to 160°C (320°F) for 45 mins
Turn the oven up to 200°C (392°F). Roast for an additional 10 mins until the skin is crispy.
Make the Married Me Chicken Sauce
Chargrill the cherry tomatoes in a pan until the skin is blistered. Set aside.
Cook chopped onions, bell peppers and garlic in a pan with butter. Add chilli powder and fresh rosemary and thyme.
Put the roasted tomatoes back in and pour in some stock. Add in heavy cream and a little sugar and cook until the sauce thickens.
Serve and Enjoy!
Adjust seasoning to taste and finish with fresh parsley & ground nutmeg.
Serve the roast chicken on a bed of the Married Me Sauce and dig in. Bon Appetit!
- When marinating the chicken, score the underside of the chicken to the bone using a sharp knife so that the dry rub flavours can penetrate deeper.
- You can pan fry skinless chicken breast instead of oven roasting chicken thighs
Married Me Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 whole chicken leg with skin on
For the Chicken Dry Rub
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon cooking oil, any variety
For the Married Me Chicken Sauce
- 200 grams cherry tomatoes
- ¼ cup garlic finely chopped
- ½ cup onion finely chopped
- ⅓ cup red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika powder
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- 1 tablespoon parsley fresh
- ¼ cup any stock
- 1 tablespoon sugar any variety
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Roast the chicken
- Mix 1 teaspoon each of smoked paprika and garlic powder together with ½ a teaspoon of pepper and ½ a teaspoon of salt (you can use a ½ teaspoon of any cooking oil to combine) and rub on the skin of the chicken, coating the chicken completely.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F)
- Roast for 45 mins
- Turn the oven up to 200°C (390°F)
- Roast for an additional 10 mins until the skin is crispy.
- Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool
For the sauce
- In a hot pan, chargrill 200 grams of cherry tomatoes until the skin is charred and blistered. Keep aside
- Sauté ¼ cup finely chopped garlic, ½ cup chopped onion, ⅓ cup chopped red bell peppers, 1 teaspoon red chilli powder and 1 teaspoon each of fresh rosemary and thyme in 3 tablespoons butter. Cook until translucent and soft cooked through
- Add the blistered tomatoes back into the pan and pour in ½ a cup of stock.
- Gently crush the tomatoes with the spatula, add 1 tablespoon sugar, salt & pepper to taste and cook on a low frame with a lid on for 10-15 mins until the sauce has thickened up.
- Add ¼ cup heavy cream to the sauce & mix it in until thickened.
- Adjust seasoning to taste and finish with 1 tablespoon fresh parsley & ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg.
- Serve the roast chicken on a bed of the Married Me Sauce and dig in.
Video
Notes
FAQ
How is Married Me Chicken different from Marry Me Chicken?
Marry Me Chicken uses chicken breasts seared in the pan with a thinner sauce made of sun dried tomatoes, cream and Parmesan. This recipe uses chicken legs which are oven roasted until tender and juicy. The sauce is thicker and uses pan roasted cherry tomatoes, cream and herbs.
How do I make Married Me Chicken dairy-free?
To make Marry Me Chicken dairy-free, substitute the heavy cream with dairy-free alternatives, such as coconut cream.
Can I use other cuts of chicken for Married Me Chicken?
Yes, you can use chicken breasts instead of thighs. Adjust the cooking time to ensure the chicken is cooked and not burned. The Chef recommends leaving the skin on.
What do I serve Married Me chicken with?
Married Me Chicken goes great with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, simple pasta, a salad like Caprese, Garlic Bread or try serving it with these amazing Honey Butter Chips
love the illustrations!
Thanks so much!