Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
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Marry Me Chicken
Marry Me Chicken is a popular and delicious dinner recipe known for being so good it’ll make someone want to marry you! This Marry Me Chicken Tortellini is made with all of the flavors of Marry Me Chicken including the sun-dried tomatoes, Marry Me seasoning blend, a rich, creamy sauce, and Parmesan cheese.
Marry Me Chicken Tortellini feels like a fancy dish, but it’s simple to make and can be on the table in about 30 minutes. This recipe is so good served with a Caesar salad, bread sticks, or some cheesy garlic bread.
Marry Me Tortellini is one of my most viral recipe videos I’ve shared on social media and has been popular here on my website, too.
If you are looking for other delicious dinner recipes with all of the flavors of Marry Me Chicken, you’ll love my Crockpot Marry Me Meatballs, Marry Me Chicken and Rice, Marry Me Chicken Pasta Bake, Marry Me Chicken and Gravy, and Crockpot Marry Me Chicken Spaghetti.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts, sliced into cubes
- Flour
- Salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, and thyme
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Minced garlic
- Chicken broth
- Heavy cream
- Parmesan cheese
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Frozen tortellini

Make Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
To make this Marry Me Chicken Tortellini, start by slicing up 2 large chicken breasts into cubes.
Mix together ½ cup of flour, ½ teaspoon each of salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder into a bowl or your Better Breader Bowl if you have one!
You can also just use a container or zip lock bag for even easier clean up.
Next, coat your chicken breasts in this flour mixture and shake off any excess flour. Then, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet on medium heat and place the chicken into the skillet.
Cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes on each side until they are golden brown and reach an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
Once the chicken is cooked through, take it out of the skillet and set it aside on a plate.
Into the same skillet, add 2 tablespoons of minced garlic, ⅓ cup of chopped sun dried tomatoes, and 1 cup of chicken broth. Then, lower the heat and add 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of parmesan cheese to the skillet. Stir frequently and then add in 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes, and ½ teaspoon each of oregano and thyme.
Stir everything together well and let simmer.
Add in one 19 oz bag of frozen tortellini to the skillet and cover and let cook for a few minutes.
Once the tortellini is nice and tender, add the chicken back into the skillet and stir until everything is coated in the delicious, creamy sauce.

Serve Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
Once you’re ready to serve this Marry Me Chicken and Tortellini, dish out a big serving onto a plate or in a bowl! Top with dried parsley and additional Parmesan cheese if desired. This meal goes perfectly with a big salad, roasted veggies and even some yummy garlic bread.

If you’re like me and can’t get enough of Marry Me Chicken, add this tortellini version to your weekly meal rotation! Everyone will love this one!
If you have any leftovers, store them in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Reheat leftovers in a pan over medium heat. Add a splash of heavy cream and stir until warmed.
This is the best way to reheat Alfredo based sauces. If you microwave leftovers, it will still taste good, but the sauce will split.
Tips and Substitutions
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To make breading chicken a breeze, use the Better Breader Bowl, a container, or a zip lock bag for easier clean up.
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Use freshly minced or jarred minced garlic.
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Make sure chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
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Use unsalted butter and unsalted chicken broth to lower the sodium content if desired.
-
Add in cooked crumbled bacon (leftover bacon from breakfast) to this meal for added flavor if desired.
-
This recipe is a little bit spicy. I use 1 tsp of red pepper flakes, to make it less spicy omit the red pepper flakes or use just 1/4 tsp! My kids can eat this, but say it is a little bit spicy to them.
- I use freshly grated Parmesan cheese from a block for this recipe. I do not recommend using the finely powdered shaker style Parmesan cheese. It could make your sauce not come together and result in a grainy sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
Yes, you can use chicken thighs to make Marry Me Chicken Tortellini. Thighs are a great option because they are juicer than chicken breasts.
Can I substitute or leave out the sun-dried tomatoes?
Sun-dried tomatoes help give this dish the classic flavors of Marry Me Chicken, but if you don’t like them you can leave them out. Just know that they do add some flavor to the recipe that may be missing. In my opinion, there isn’t a great substitution for sun-dried tomatoes.
Can I use refrigerated cheese tortellini instead of frozen tortellini?
Yes, you can use refrigerated cheese tortellini instead of frozen. I do think that frozen tortellini cooks the best right in the creamy sauce, but fresh tortellini will still work. Just cook them in the sauce until nice and tender.
Why should I use freshly grated Parmesan cheese?
I do not recommend using the finely powdered shaker style Parmesan cheese for this recipe. It contains anti-caking properties that could make your sauce not be as creamy and smooth. This could result in a grainy sauce.
Can I add spinach to Marry Me Chicken Tortellini?
Yes, spinach would be a great addition to this recipe. I would add it at the end when adding the chicken back to the pan. Give it a quick stir and serve.
How do I store and reheat Marry Me Chicken Tortellini?
Store any leftovers in an air tight container in the refrigerator. The best way to reheat Marry Me Chicken Tortellini is in a pan over medium heat with a splash of heavy cream. Stir until the sauce is creamy and everything is warmed.

More Family Dinner Recipes
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta Salad
- Marry Me Chicken and Rice
- Marry Me Chicken Pasta Bake
- Marry Me Chicken and Gravy
- Crockpot Marry Me Chicken Spaghetti
- Crockpot Marry Me Chicken Sandwiches
- Crockpot Marry Me Chicken Meatballs
If you make this Marry Me Chicken Tortellini recipe, I hope it’s a huge hit with your family! If you make the recipe, please leave me a recipe rating or save this recipe to your Pinterest account!

Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts cut into cubes
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes (use 1/4 tsp for less spice)
- 1/2 tsp each of oregano and thyme
- 1/3 cup sun dried tomatoes chopped
- 19 oz bag of frozen tortellini
- 1 tsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Cut 1 lb of chicken breasts into bite-sized cubes. Set aside.
- Mix together flour, salt, pepper, garlic, and paprika in a container or zip lock bag.
- Dredge the chicken pieces into the flour/seasoning mixture until well coated in flour and seasoning.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and oil to the skillet.
- Once the butter is melted, add the breaded chicken to the skillet. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side until golden brown and it reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
- Take the chicken out of the skillet and put it aside on a plate.
- To the same skillet, add the minced garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, and chicken broth to the skillet.
- Lower the heat to about medium heat and add heavy cream and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Add the Parmesan cheese slowly and stir well.
- Season the sauce with red pepper flakes, oregano, and thyme.
- Stir together well and let simmer. Once the sauce starts to slightly thicken (this could take about 5 minutes or so) add your frozen cheese tortellini to the skillet.
- Cover the skillet with a lid and let it simmer until the cheese tortellini is tender.
- Once the tortellini is tender, add the cooked chicken back to the skillet and stir. Top with dried parsley and additional Parmesan cheese if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- To make breading chicken a breeze, use the Better Breader Bowl, a container, or a zip lock bag for easier clean up.
- Use freshly minced or jarred minced garlic.
- Make sure chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F.
- Use unsalted butter and unsalted chicken broth to lower the sodium content if desired.
- Add in cooked crumbled bacon (leftover bacon from breakfast) to this meal for added flavor if desired.
- This recipe is a little bit spicy. I use 1 tsp of red pepper flakes, to make it less spicy omit the red pepper flakes or use just 1/4 tsp! My kids can eat this, but say it is a little bit spicy to them.
- I use freshly grated Parmesan cheese from a block for this recipe. I do not recommend using the finely powdered shaker style Parmesan cheese. It could make your sauce not come together and result in a grainy sauce.








My boyfriend and I are always making different recipes from this website and by far this is the best one. These recipes always make leftovers!! We always have at least 2 dinners left after we eat and the food is always just as good as when it was first made.
So happy to hear that!!
Very tasty. I just can’t seem to get the parmesan to mix well with the broth and cream.
It mixes in best of u only put a little at a time then stir so it all melts in
Does buy pre shredded cheese! Buy a block and shred yourself! It mixes in much easier!
Why was mine so dry? Idk what I did wrong. I bought the refrigerated tortellini and cooked it first but it was still really dry. But tasted great. Thank you.
I did not cook the tortellini first. I added to the sauce and then stopped heating it when it was soft.
Definitely mix a little at a time. Fresh shredded will always mix and melt better than pre shredded or bagged because of the preservatives on it.
This was wonderful! I will place this one on my rotation!
Our family loved it!
This looks so good! How many servings does this make?
Thank you! I would say at least 6!
This was absolutely delicious. I made it for a family gathering and everyone loved it. I will definitely keep this In my meal rotation.
I have bull dry tortellini pasta. How much should I use for this recipe?
I used the same and I used a 19 oz package. I poured it right in. I probably should have boiled first but it was fine
Absolutely LOVE this recipe. I probably make this 2-3 times each month. So easy, and huge payoff in terms of taste. I totally cheat and use the refrigerated pasta (usually the spinach & cheese). Sometimes I’ll toast pinenuts and garnish with them for a little bit of added texture.
I made this one night and my family LOVED it. My daughter is normally a grazer and doesn’t eat much at dinner but she had 2 helpings. Thanks for sharing!!
p.s. I bought the better breader and IT IS A GAME CHANGER!!!!
I tried this recipe last night, it was super easy the only thing I changed was the sun dried tomatoes I swapped for half a can of Rotel it was SO GOOD! Sending the recipe to my MIL NOW!! She’ll love it!
Thanks for that suggestion as I hate sun dried tomatoes
If you had to use dry tortellini, how would you change the recipe? I have a hard time finding frozen tortellini around here.
i use whatever i have on hand. it wont change the seasoning or anything like that, use what you got dear! since frozen tortellini doesnt have sauce. cook it as directed and add it to the chicken and sauce.
Can I cook the chicken in my air fryer?
yes you can.
My teenage son is a picky eater and loves this recipe!
So happy to hear that!
Doubled this for a crowd and it was a hit! Wouldn’t change a thing!
About how many people does this feed?
Luke your recipes are so delicious and are for real families! I have made at least 10 and they are hits. Thank you!
My husband and I made this as directed; although we could only get 5 oz of parmesan, it was still fantastic! It was a nice recipe to try together while the kids are away for the weekend with grandparents. We had a nice side salad with it but for the 2 of us it was definitely filling enough to not need a side.
Tried this for the first time tonight and we loved it! I will definitely be adding to my regular recipe list!
Oh my! I LOVE recipes that require only one pan! This recipe was easy to follow and absolutely DELICIOUS!!! This will DEFINITELY be part of my ‘regulars’!!
This dish is very good! The only thing I would do differently next time is only do 1 tbs of garlic. But that’s just my preference. Thanks for the recipe!
I totally read that at 1 lb of garlic. Lol. Which would be me. 😂
This recipe has become a favorite among family and even our pickiest house guest! Thank you for sharing!!
So happy to hear that! I really appreciate it!
So I can’t give this a fair rating because I screwed up and didn’t get the frozen tortellini, I got regular tortellini and let the sauce cook it. My family messed with me and said I “cooked the Sahara Desert!” LOL. But the flavor was really good, I may try it again and either get the tortellini frozen or just cook it before putting it in the sauce.
Oh man! This simple to make recipe is a HUGE HIT!! Love it and will be making it regularly! Thank you!
Always a family favorite, my son asks for it at least once a week.
Happy to hear that!
My son saw this on Tiktok and asked me to make it. We LOVE it, no left overs here and we have made it several times since the first time. It will be in our dinner choices list for years to come.
So happy to hear that!
One of my all time favorite recipes to book, cab brb done I one pan, and is always a hit with me and my friends!!
This is so good and the chicken melts in your mouth. This recipe is a keeper!! Thank you for an amazing meal
just made it tonight.. its gone!!! everyone wants me to make this tommm too.. dang!!!
Amazing great taste and texture only thing I’d do a little different is more cheese.
This recipe had a good flavor and my family enjoyed it. I had to double the sauce because what it called for in the original recipe wasn’t enough. If I make it again, I would cook my tortellini separately and add it to the chicken and sauce. I don’t feel my pasta was cooked enough and the cheese in my sauce burned to the pan a bit because I was trying to cook the tortellini fully. Overall, the family liked the recipe and I will be making it again.
Yum, yum, yum!
I just made this and added frozen spinach along w/ the tortellini. So gooooood! 😀
Wow – this was a huge hit with my 2 young kids and husband. So easy to make and absolutely DELICIOUS. From Kansas City – thanks for sharing!
What kind of Parmesan cheese? Shredded, grated (like you put in spaghetti?
Shredded! I like to shred my own from a block.
So good! Thank you for sharing Added bacon and sprinkled with more parmesan!
SO SO good!! Made this for dinner last night and everyone loved it. Love a delicious, relatively simple, one pan meal!
As is this recipe is probably very spicy. I cut back the red pepper to 1/2 tsp and it still had a lot of spice. I will cut back even more next time I make this. It’s was very tasty whole family loved it.
If I don’t have heavy cream, can I use whole milk or 2% milk?
Can you freeze this?
You can freeze pretty much anything.
This was one of the first recipes we tried after we got your cookbook. It’s as amazing now as it was then! Tonight we mixed things up a bit and added cut up shrimp. It opened up a whole new world of yum!
This recipe was fantastic! I felt my pasta was a little more al dante than I would normally have it, but it didn’t take away from how enjoyable this meal was. Even the super simple eater bf enjoyed it.
I don’t often comment on recipes, but this one is just A+, sinfully fantastic. We make it at least once a month at my house. Thanks very much for sharing!
Delicious but SPICY! My kids couldn’t eat it. I recommend using 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes to start and adding more to taste.
Literally the best chicken and pasta recipe. The flavors are on point, the sauce is perfect. I actually don’t like sundried tomatoes so I use roasted red peppers. I make it for everyone, but especially for myself. Such a winner. Seriously if you haven’t tried this recipe yet, do it! Perfect for date night or entertaining guests type dinner too.
So glad you liked it!
I’ve made this twice and it keeps getting better!
This is amazing I added 3 tbsp of ranch seasoning to the flour mixture and 4oz of cream cheese to the heavy whipping cream and Parmesan and it has to be one of my top favorites so far and if you can make your heavy whipping cream instead of store bought like I do I recommend it highly
Can you use refrigerated tortellini instead of frozen?
How would I cook it if I substituted broccoli for the tomatoes? I don’t like them lol.
O.M.G! Marry me chicken itself is amazing but with tortellini? Ugh, to die for! I absolutely love this recipe it came out soo delicious, I didn’t have thyme but it tasted delicious anyhow. I made mine with breaded chicken breast instead, so good!
Happy to hear you liked it!
This recipe was a hit with the whole family! We used refrigerated 3-cheese tortellini from Costco and boiled it a little bit beforehand.
So good but too spicy for us. We have lots leftovers and I’m wondering how I can minimize the spicy with the leftovers. I’m guessing no but I figured I’d ask! Next time I’ll cut way back. Over all I loved the dish!
Diane, just cut back on the red pepper flakes or just omit them entirely. It will still taste good and be less spicy 😊
LOVE THIS RECIPE!! My kids love this and the chicken and gnocci. I added spinach into this one as well. So so yummy and the fact it’s one pan makes it all that much better. Lol thank you. Love following you on Facebook as well. 🫶🫶
Best thing I ever made. Will be making it weekly.
I thoroughly enjoyed this recipe! Will definitely be making it again soon!
Happy to hear that!
Is there a crockpot version of this?
Made this for my boys. They couldn’t eat it fast enough!
Best thing I ever made!! I added spinach and it was a hit!! Will definitely be put on my meal roster!!
So happy to hear that!
Tey using finely grated cheese. It tends to mix better.
My husband and I LOVED this recipe. I had a 9 ounce bag of fresh tortellini instead of a 19 ounce bag of frozen tortellini, and we liked having it extra saucy like that and with the higher chicken-to-pasta ratio. We had enough for two dinners for both of us (4 meals). The second day we reheated it in the microwave on 50% power and it was delicious again. Goes well with a side of sautéed zucchini.
This is the first recipe I tried after seeing it on a Facebook reel and we’ve never looked back! Even though it is part of our regular rotation, my son still requests it as his birthday or special occasion meal! Definitely a favorite!
I have lost count as to how many of your recipes I have made and every one was absolutely delicious. I made this one today and it is a keeper too. I made half since there is just the two of us and it was perfect. I can’t tell you enough how much I enjoy your recipes and they are so easy to follow. Thank you!
This has become my daughter’s “signature dish” thanks to you! Absolutely fantastic! We order out from a really good Italian restaurant that makes homemade pasta and sauces on occasion when I visit and I’ve told her that when she makes this dish it is just as good and better then them. She will ask what I’d like when I’m visiting and I always tell her that I want this dish. She had some friends come for the weekend and she asked them what they would like and they didn’t skip a beat and said, “Merry me Chicken Tortilini”. It is that good! We always serve it with a nice salad and garlic bread. I’m going to try making it myself tomorrow.
So happy to hear that!
10/10 recipe. We love it, recently found out my 3 year old has celiac so we got the gluten free cheese ravioli to use. Obviously I am using a substitute for the flour too…also make my own roasted bell peppers to add in instead of sun dried tomatoes because I like them more. It is great and if you are celiac or gluten intolerant you can still have this recipe with the proper substitutions!
Yummy! tweak to make it your own. Very delicious.
Love this recipe! I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong though as I have made this at least a dozen times and follow the recipe exactly and still can’t figure out how to get my sauce to thicken 😞
can I replace the tortellini with gnocchi?
Made this with some substitutions and it was still great. I didn’t have milk/ cream so I used sour cream mixed with some water . Fresh tomatoes . No parm so I used mozzarella and queso fresco . It’s creamier than the photo but so good my kid loved it .
Either it was me but my husband and daughter threw it right out
Sorry to hear you didn’t like the recipe.
This is delicious! Reminds me of Olive Garden. Can I use chicken thighs instead?
Thank you! Yes, chicken thighs could be used instead!