Whole30 Marry Me Chicken: An Easy, Healthy, and Delicious Dinner Recipe
If you’re looking for a show-stopping dish as delicious as it is healthy, this Whole30 Marry Me Chicken is about to become your new go-to. This easy recipe is packed with flavor, and best of all, it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and fits perfectly into your Whole30, paleo, and keto meal plans. Whether you’re following the Whole 30 diet or just looking for a satisfying dinner, this dish will impress.
Why You’ll Love This Whole30 Marry Me Chicken Recipe
Marry Me Chicken has become a viral sensation for a reason. The name says it all—this dish is so delicious, you’ll want to marry it! But don’t worry, you don’t need any special skills to whip up this flavorful dinner. With simple ingredients and easy-to-follow steps, this recipe is perfect for both busy weeknights and special occasions.
What makes this version even better is that it’s a Whole30 match made in heaven. It’s creamy, savory, and full of flavor, but without the dairy or gluten. The secret? Coconut cream and nutritional yeast work their magic to create a rich, creamy sauce that rivals any traditional dairy-based recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need
To make this Marry Me Chicken, gather the following ingredients:
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- Olive or avocado oil – Both will work equally well in this recipe. Use what you have on hand.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – Use the best quality chicken breast you can afford.
- Salt and pepper
- Minced garlic – You can buy garlic cloves and mince them yourself. Or, save time buy buying pre-minced garlic, such as this one.
- Coconut cream – No, canned coconut creme is not the same as canned coconut milk. It’s higher in healthy fats and its ability to get solid. Make sure you are using canned coconut CREME or the results will be watery. I prefer this one by Thai Kitchen that I find at Walmart. Also, you will need to put this in the fridge and chill it. This separates out the thickest part of the coconut cream, as it solidifies when cold. You will only use the SOLID part of the chilled coconut cream, to get the closest to a heavy cream swap.
- Chicken broth – Use the best quality chicken broth you can afford. Double-check your ingredients for added sugar if you are on Whole30. We like this budget-friendly Whole30 option from Walmart.
- Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped – These can usually be found in the tomato aisle in a jar. Here is an example of what you are looking for, ones we find at Walmart.
- Nutritional yeast – This cheesy-tasting seasoning is a staple in dairy-free cooking, giving the pasta a deliciously savory flavor without any cheese. My favorite brand that is also very affordable, is the Trader Joe’s brand. I also often get this one from Walmart.
- Dried oregano – Easily found in most seasoning aisles.
- Potato or arrowroot starch (for thickening) – Potato and arrowroot starch or flour act like cornstarch to give this sauce thickness. Be sure to whisk it into the sauce ingredients thoroughly to avoid clumping. I do NOT recommend tapioca flour for this recipe. Though it will thicken it, it will also give it a tacky texture. Read here to learn more about how Paleo flours behave.
- Fresh Basil – This is optional but strongly recommended for a pop of fresh taste to the finished dish. Chop it up and sprinkle it on top!
Step-by-Step Instructions for Easy Whole30 Marry Me Chicken
Step 1: Prepare the Chicken
Sprinkle the cubed chicken breast with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts. Cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side, or until they’re golden brown and cooked through. Add the minced garlic for the last minute of cooking, cooking until just fragrant.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the can of coconut cream (the whole can), chicken broth, nutritional yeast, dried oregano, and starch.
Step 3: Prep the Sun-dried Tomatoes
Drain, blot dry, and chop the sun-dried tomatoes. My boys don’t like large chunks of these tomatoes, so I finely chop them, but that’s up to you. But, be sure to blot the oil off well, or your final dish will be oily!
Step 4: Add the Flavor
Once the chicken is cooked, add the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Stir to combine. Then, stir in the sauce.
Step 5: Thicken the Sauce
Bring the sauce to a boil then simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes, or until it reaches your desired consistency. If sauce is not thick enough, combine 1 additional tablespoon starch with 1 additional tablespoon broth, whisking until smooth. Add to pan, stirring in immediately, and cooking until sauce thickens as desired.
Step 6: Combine and Serve
Serve your Marry Me Chicken with a side of your favorite veggies or over a bed of cauliflower rice for a complete Whole30 dinner.
Tips for Success
- Use Fresh Ingredients: Fresh garlic and high-quality sun-dried tomatoes will make a big difference in flavor.
- Coconut Cream: Be sure to use the thick, creamy part of canned coconut CREAM (not milk) for the best results.
- Thickening the Sauce: If you prefer a thicker sauce, simply add a bit more starch slurry until you reach your desired consistency.
Why This Marry Me Chicken Fits Your Meal Plan
This Whole30 Marry Me Chicken recipe is perfect for anyone on a Whole30 diet, paleo, or keto lifestyle. It’s packed with protein and healthy fats while being completely free of gluten, dairy, nuts, and eggs. Plus, it’s a great way to enjoy a rich and creamy dish without any dairy. Pair it with some roasted veggies or a fresh salad, and you’ve got a complete, satisfying meal that fits right into your dietary needs or Whole30 diet.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re looking for easy Whole30 recipes or simply want a healthy, crowd-pleasing dinner, this Whole30 Marry Me Chicken is sure to become a family favorite. With its rich, creamy sauce and tender chicken, it’s a dish that’s bound to impress—even if you’re not trying to get anyone to “marry” you!
So, what are you waiting for? Add this delicious chicken dinner recipe to your meal plan this week and enjoy a healthy, satisfying meal that everyone will love.
Other 30-Min Chicken Dinners You Will Love:
Here are some other favorite 30-minute chicken dinners that are also Whole30, Paleo, gluten-free, and dairy-free, plus kid-approved!
- Garlic Butter Chicken
- Easy Ground Orange Chicken
- Blackened Chicken
- Chicken Cauliflower Alfredo
- Paleo Chick-fil-A Chicken
Whole30 Marry Me Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1" cubes
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt or salt, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
- 1 13.66 ounce can full-fat unsweetened canned coconut cream chilled; solid part only
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1-2 tablespoons arrowroot or potato starch
- 1 8-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes drained, blotted dry, and chopped (about a 1/3 cup chopped)
- 0.5 ounces fresh basil Optional but recommended
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cubed chicken breasts and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and cooked through. Add the minced garlic for the last minute of cooking, cooking until just fragrant.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, nutritional yeast, dried oregano, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and only 1 tablespoon of the starch.
- Drain, blot dry, and chop the sun-dried tomatoes. My boys don't like large chunks of these tomatoes, so I finely chop them, but that's up to you. But, be sure to blot the oil off well, or your final dish will be oily!
- Once the chicken is cooked, add the sun-dried tomatoes to the pan. Stir to combine. Then, add ONLY the white solid part of the chilled coconut cream (set aside the opaque liquid, you won't use it in this recipe - great for smoothies!). Mix until it has melted. Add the chicken broth mixture.
- Bring the sauce to a boil then simmer until thickened, about 5 minutes, or until it reaches your desired consistency. If sauce is not thick enough, combine 1 additional tablespoon starch with 1 additional tablespoon broth, whisking until smooth. If it is too thick, add a 1/4-1/2 cup additional chicken broth. Add to pan, stirring in immediately, and cooking until sauce thickens as desired.
- Add additional salt to taste then serve your Marry Me Chicken with a side of your favorite veggies or over a bed of steamed cauliflower rice for a complete Whole30 dinner.
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but I have a question about the coconut creme. Can you substitute it with something else such as cashew milk? I’m asking since I have an intolerance to coconut milk and coconut products.
Good question. If you aren’t on a Whole30, use an equal amount of dairy-free heavy cream to keep this nice and rich. If you are on a Whole30, yes, you can use something like cashew milk, it just won’t be as thick and rich, as other milks have a thinner consistency and lower fat content. Enjoy!
Absolutely delicious! My whole families loved it and it was indeed super easy. We ate it with basmati rice and I only had regular coconut milk and it worked fine, I just added a little more starch. I also didn’t have sun-dried tomatoes so I used canned diced tomatoes which I seasoned like sun-dried tomatoes and it was still good. I will definitely add it into my regular meal rotation.
One thing to note, it’s so delicious it definitely wouldn’t have fed six people for us! I will double the sauce (probably not the chicken) next time for my family of four.
This makes me so happy to hear! I love how you made it work with what you had on hand — that’s exactly how these recipes are meant to be used. Basmati rice is such a great pairing, and your sun-dried tomato swap sounds delicious.
And yes 😂 you are *not* alone on the serving size note. Doubling the sauce (while keeping the chicken the same) is a solid move, especially for sauce-loving families.
So appreciate you taking the time to share your tweaks and feedback — it’s incredibly helpful for others reading through the comments, and I’m really glad this one is going into your regular rotation!
Love this recipe! This will be on my regular rotation, thanks for sharing!
So happy to hear that! I love knowing it’s earned a spot in your regular rotation — that’s the best compliment. Thanks for the review!
Making this for the holidays! It looks so delicious!
Quick question. In step 2 of the step-by-step instructions, it states to use the whole can of coconut creme. In the instructions if i “jump to recipe” it states to only use the chilled solid portion. Maybe I missed a step! Can you clarify this for me? Thank you!
Apologies! That was an error in the blog post – it is just the solid chilled portion. I updated the blog post to match and be correct. Thanks for catching that and hope you make and love it!
This is just delicious! For anyone on a low carb diet- my hubby loved it. Healthy and doesn’t feel like a diet !
I’m so happy to hear that! It’s great when a recipe feels indulgent but still works for a low carb lifestyle. Thank you so much for leaving a review — I really appreciate it!
I made this recipe and everyone loved it!! Even my picky kids! I had to use the crock pot as I was gone most of the day. I still cut the chicken in cubes and added all in, except for the coconut milk and arrowroot. I waited until 30 mins before we ate and added that extra. It thickened up nicely and was ready to go. Thank you for this delicious meal!
That sounds perfect — love that the slow cooker version worked so smoothly for you! Adding the coconut milk and arrowroot at the end is exactly the right move, and I’m so glad it still thickened up and your whole crew (even the picky ones!) enjoyed it. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and for your review!
I haven’t made this yet, but I just got the email with the recipe and I haven’t have every single ingredients so I will be making it tonight! I’ll have to use chicken thighs instead of chicken breast though, but I know it’ll be another home run! Your recipes are always so easy to use and taste so good!
That makes me so happy to hear you’re already planning to try it out tonight! 🙌. Thanks so much for your kind words — can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you!
Ok, so is the “ nutritional yeast “ the same as active yeast ( like Fleichman’s Yeast) found in packets?
Thanks!!
Good question. No, nutritional yeast is not the same as bakers yeast or active yeast, though they have the same root. But, they taste and behave very differently! Nutritional yeast is commonly used in dairy-free dishes to give it a “cheesy” flavor. It’s a big part of the flavor of this dish, don’t skip it! It’s linked in the recipe as well as the blog to a nutritional yeast you can find easily at Walmart. Enjoy!
So good!!! One of the best things I’ve made for my family. Really good flavor! Thank you for this recipe!
YAY! Thrilled to hear it was such a hit with your family! Thanks so much for sharing your review and kind words.
this was so good! love that it is whole 30. my only question is the serving size…how does it serve 6 ppl? the three of us ate it all- it was that good! thank you! not doing whole 30 so we served with jasmine rice using the liquid part of the coconut cream
Haha, love that it was such a hit it didn’t last for 6 servings! Sounds amazing with the jasmine rice and coconut cream, too. Thanks so much for sharing your experience and for leaving a review!
Made this for my family tonight. Big hit with everybody. So delicious!
So glad to hear it was a hit with the whole family! Thanks for making it and taking the time to leave a review!
This is lick-your-plate good! So yummy and easy. Thank you!
WOOT WOOT! That’s the best kind of feedback—so glad it was a hit and plate-licking worthy! Thanks so much for the awesome review!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit! It’s rare for everyone to be pleased but this is one of the few!
That’s such a win—so glad it pleased the whole crew (always a feat)! Thanks for making it and for taking the time to leave a review!
This is delicious! No one complained (I take that as a compliment). Thankful you put this on the menu last week, because I wouldn’t have made it otherwise. Yum!
No complaints at the dinner table? That’s always a win in my book! So glad you made it and that it was a hit—thanks so much for leaving a review!
I made this for my church small group and it was a huge hit! Was gone immediately and everyone was asking for the recipe! Fed a crowd for a reasonable cost. I love your recipes, Autumn!
That’s amazing—love that it was a hit with your small group! Nothing better than a crowd-pleaser that disappears fast and has everyone asking for the recipe. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Oh my goodness!!! This recipe is DELICIOUS!!! I have 2 people in my family that are vegetarians, so I made a 2nd pan of tofu w the sauce. They LOVED it!! Thank you for making such easy, healthy, and yummy recipes!
Oh that’s awesome to hear that you made a batch with tofu + the sauce and it worked for your vegetarians. So happy it was a winner winner chicken (or tofu) dinner all around! Thanks for the review!
Is there anything I could replace the nutritional yeast with?
The nutritional yeast gives it a cheesy flavor without using actual cheese (as most vegan cheeses aren’t Whole30 compatible). If you don’t need it to be Whole30, you can stir in some of your favorite parmesan cheese to get a cheesy flavor instead (I would guess about a 1/4 cup, but haven’t tried it). Enjoy!
This was amazing! I usually can tell when coconut products are used so I was skeptical with the no coconut flavor claim, but man did this deliver. There was no hint of coconut and it rivaled a dairy laden version of it as well. Way to go on an AMAZING recipe. Also the basil was definitely the right move.
I totally get it – my kids and I are not coconut flavor fans AT ALL. I agree, this one really doesn’t taste like coconut though! Happy it delivered and became a fast favorite – thank you!
So delicious. I’m looking for more quick week night meals and this fits the bill. Will be making again for sure!
Go-to fast and delicious weeknight dinners are essential! So happy to hear this fits the bill for you. Thank you!
I don’t think I’ve ever rated a recipe before but this was fantastic. I put it over the palmini hearts of palm noodles. I will absolutely made this again
Aw! I love that this recipe drove you to leave your first recipe review – those are so valuable to us as recipe creators! Thrilled it was such a delicious hit and one you want to make again. Thank you!
My picky 7 year old (and me) loved this recipe! It’s really good. Added it to my permanent recipe binder. Thank you.
YESSSS that this one won a spot in the permanent binder!! That’s no small thing and I’m thrilled it was a hit even with the picky eater, picky eater wins are the best. Thanks so much for the review!
Hi am I able to use bone in chicken thighs ?
Great question. I believe so, but haven’t tested it, so I can’t weigh in on cooking adjustments or confirm results. Let me know if you try it!
This was delicious! I am writing this as I finish my second helping! Very easy also which I love. Kid approved, my 11 year old went back for seconds, she was raving about it. Thanks for the new addition to our meal rotation, another good one!
YESSSS that this was kid-approved and one you wanted seconds on. And gotta love that it’s so dang easy. Honored to be on the meal rotation! Thanks so much for the review – those help me so much!
My hubby loved this!!! A+
So glad this recipe was enjoyed! Thanks for the review – those help me a ton.
Would this recipe work in a crockpot?
That’s a great question. It probably would, but I haven’t tested it so I couldn’t provide details. I will have to try it soon and update it. LMK if you try it as well!
Do you mean just the hardened cream at the top of a can of coconut milk (isolating the cream) or do you mean a can of coconut cream? The ingredients list was slightly vague about the product to buy. Making this tonight and hoping I dont put too much in since I got the can of coconut cream, not coconut milk.
Hi! I explain this in the blog post above, which is a great place to look for more details on ingredients: “No, canned coconut creme is not the same as canned coconut milk. It’s higher in healthy fats and its ability to get solid. Make sure you are using canned coconut CREME or the results will be watery. Also, you will need to put this in the fridge and chill it. This separates out the thickest part of the coconut cream, as it solidifies when cold. You will only use the SOLID part of the chilled coconut cream, to get the closest to a heavy cream swap.” So, it’s isolating the richest part of a can of coconut cream. You got the right thing with the coconut cream! The ingredient list in the recipe links to the can of coconut cream as well.
Does this freeze? Or can i make it s day ahead? I have made this before and we loved it, but i need to take dinner for a group soon and would like to bring it ready to go instead of cooking it all there.
Yes! This freezes and reheats beautifully. You can also make it a day ahead — just store it covered in the fridge, then reheat in the oven until warmed through. Perfect for taking to a group dinner!
Made this and it was great! Ended up eating all the sauce. Would love to have a soup version of this. 🙂
I’m so glad you loved it! And great to hear you would love a soup version, I’ve thought about it and that’s encouraging. Thanks so much for the wonderful review!
This was delicious! I added half a bag of frozen spinach at the end for an extra serving of veggies and it turned out great.
Ooo, I love the idea of a spinach addition – thanks so much for sharing that idea! Woohoo! So happy it was enjoyed. Thank you for the wonderful review!
This recipe is amazing! I made a huge double portion thinking i would freeze some, but we happily ate the leftovers all week! It is definitely going on my regular rotation of meals.
I made a couple substitutions with what I had available at home: grated parmesan cheese instead of nutritional yeast and diced cherry tomatoes instead of sundried, and it turned out great!
Thank you!!
Yay! So happy to hear this recipe was a success with your family. And I always love hearing what swaps people make and enjoy. Thanks for taking the time to review!
Did you test this with cashew milk by chance? I have some ardent coconut haters in my house, lol! My guess is that the sauce will be a little thinner, but I could always thicken it more if needed.
That’s a great question. I have not tested it with other milks. Totally get that not everyone likes coconut – I will say I HATE coconut flavor and this dish tastes 0% like coconut. Coconut cream is just a great swap for heavy cream in a dairy free recipe. Yes, another dairy-free milk would be thinner result. I would actually recommend a vegan heavy cream (there’s one sold at Trader Joe’s and Target) as a better swap if you can.
This chicken is wonderful! I was so shocked that even my 2 pickiest eaters asked for more. Can’t wait to make this again.
YAAASSS! An easy dinner that is *also* a picky eater win?! Those are the best kind of wins. So thrilled to hear it. Thank you for the rave review!