Creamy Marry Me Chicken Meatballs

These Marry Me Chicken Meatballs feature herb-loaded ground chicken seasoned perfectly with aromatics. The meatballs swim in a saucy, extra creamy sauce loaded with fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes. It’s a meal the whole family will love that whips up in under 1 hour, and it’s also dairy-free! Pile these creamy meatballs on top of mashed potatoes or serve with veggies for an easy weeknight-friendly meal!

It’s officially Summer season, y’all!!! Hope you’re doing well and thrivinggg. I’m looking forward to some upcoming travel and a lot of joy in these next couple of months. I’ve been in a real good space lately with my work/life rhythm and underestimated the elite value of taking a step back. Life is good, damn good. Today I’m dropping this new one in your lap and when I tell you it’s sooo bomb…my goodness. If you love fresh flavors and tomato-inspired vibes, this is it.

What Is Marry Me Chicken?

I remember when the “marry me chicken” craze first started, I was like wtf is this dish all about, ha. For those who don’t know, let’s break it down. Marry me chicken originally started as a chicken dish, usually chicken thighs or chicken breasts that get smothered in a rich, creamy sun-dried tomato sauce. Garlic, parmesan, and fresh herbs are prominent, too. Furthermore, I believe this dish went sorta viral on TikTok and it’s described as being such a flavor-loaded delight that if you make it for someone, you’ll likely end up with a marriage proposal. Lol listen, while alladat sounds a lil nutty, it is really good 😆.

“Marry Me” Chicken Meatballs 👅

We’re taking the very foundation of *marry me chicken* but putting a meatball twist on it! Instead of chicken pieces, ground chicken is the heart of this recipe. The meatballs are popping with huge, herb-filled flavor and swim in a luxurious, dairy-free sauce loaded with sun-dried tomatoes and plenty of richness. The entire dish comes together in 1-pan which makes it perfect for an easy weeknight staple! The amount of flavor here is out of this world divine, peeps!

Ingredients You’ll Need For This Dish:

(Note: the full ingredients list, including measurements, is provided in the recipe card directly below.)

• Ground chicken: The marry me chicken foundation.
• Eggs: We’ll use two eggs to act as a binding element and for texture.
• Breadcrumbs: These are clutch to help bind the meatballs as well.
• Basil: Fresh chopped basil for a lovely aromatic punch!
• Garlic paste: I prefer paste as opposed to the minced counterpart of this because of how well it blends and adds a more robust flavor.
• Spices: Herbs de Provence, onion powder, and salt/pepper- to taste.

& What You’ll Need For The Marry Me Sauce:

• Olive oil: For browning the chicken meatballs.
• Shallot: Similar to onion flavor but a bit sweeter.
• Garlic paste: Not only do the meatballs have garlic flavor, but we’re also gonna flavor the sauce with it for heaps of incredible garlicky goodness!
• Sun-dried tomatoes: Grab sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil.
• White wine: To deglaze and flavor the sauce.
• Dijon mustard: Mmm love the zesty pungency of this mustard.
• Spices: Herbs de Provence, red pepper flakes, and salt/pepper.
• Chicken broth: One-half of the sauce component to kick up the savoriness.
• Coconut milk: This recipe is dairy-free thanks to creamy coconut milk for the marry me chicken sauce! The rich coconut essence combined with all the decadent flavors and spices going on here is chef’s kiss.
• Basil: It’s in the chicken meatballs and the sauce, ayyyeee.
• Parmesan: A lil salty parm to finish + thicken up the marry me sauce, yessir.

How To Make Marry Me Chicken Meatballs:

(Note: please see the recipe card directly below for the complete written instructions.)

• Make meatball mixture. In a large bowl, combine the ground chicken, eggs, breadcrumbs, basil, garlic paste, herbs de provence, onion powder, smoked paprika, and salt/pepper- to taste. Mix until just combined.
• Shape meatballs. Use a spring-loaded scooper to scoop the mixture into golf ball-size meatballs. Then roll the meatball in the palm of your hands just until a smooth shape is formed. Place the formed meatballs on the plate/platter and repeat this process until all meatballs are shaped.
• Brown meatballs. In a large, deep skillet over medium heat, warm up 2 tablespoons of oil. When hot, gently swirl the skillet to evenly coat the bottom. Add the meatballs into the skillet in a single layer, careful not to overcrowd the skillet, work in batches. Brown the meatballs on the bottom until a nice sear appears, about 3-4 minutes. Then turn them onto the other side to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the browned meatballs to a clean plate/platter. Repeat the process with the remaining half of the meatballs until all meatballs are browned.

Building The Marry Me Chicken Sauce:

• Build the sun-dried tomato sauce. With all browned meatballs set aside, add the shallot into the same pan and cook, stirring often, until tender and translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Then add in the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes, and continue cooking until the garlic is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Then stir in the white wine to deglaze, scraping up any bits on the bottom of the pan. Let the mixture cook until the tomatoes slightly soften and get a bit jammy in texture, about 2 minutes. Then stir in the dijon mustard, and add the herbs de provence, red pepper flakes, salt/pepper- to taste, and the broth- stir everything well to fully combine. Let the sauce come up to a simmer, stirring every so often, about 3-4 minutes.
• Make it creamy! Then stir in the coconut milk. Let the sauce come up to a simmer, stirring every so often, about 5-7 minutes.

Finishing The Creamy Meatballs:

• Bring it all together & finish. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, add in all the browned meatballs with any residual juices that have been collected along with the fresh chopped basil and parmesan cheese, and gently toss to coat with sauce. Let the meatballs continue cooking with the pan sauce for 10-15 minutes, gently swirling the skillet every few minutes. The sauce will thicken some and the meatballs will finish off and meld with the pan sauce. Then remove from heat. 
• Time to serve it up! Serve these marry me chicken meatballs over a bed of fluffy mashed potatoes (the absolute best pairing 😛) and garnish with more fresh chopped basil if you’d like. Then lean back and enjoy ya life!

Recipe Tips + Tricks & More Information

As with many recipes, you may have additional questions about this meatball recipe. Like other BBR recipes, I always advise sticking to the recipe as it is written in the recipe card directly below. However, here’s some extra info:

• Can I use x, y, z type of meat? I highly recommend using ground chicken for these marry me chicken meatballs but feel free to use ground turkey if you’d like a more lean option. Or you could opt for ground beef or pork, too.
• Meatball rollin’. I find it helpful to dampen my hands with a bit of water while rolling these meatballs. This will prevent the meatball mixture from sticking to your hands while you shape/roll the mixture into balls. Keep a little bowl of water next to you while rolling, and wet your palms, as needed.
• Gluten-free needs? Swap the breadcrumbs for superfine almond flour (just don’t pack it in the measuring cup- spoon/scoop and level flour) as a 1:1 ratio for a gluten-free alternative.
• Don’t overwork the meatball mixture. Over-mixing the meatball ingredients will make the meatballs super tough. The key is to mix just until combined.
• What if I don’t like sun-dried tomatoes? I hear you. If you still want that tomato essence but aren’t a fan of sun-dried tomatoes, a great alternative in this recipe is a regular can of diced tomatoes. I’d say a 14-15 ounce can and be sure to drain them before incorporating into the recipe!

Storing Leftover Marry Me Chicken Meatballs

To store: You can store any leftover chicken meatballs with sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator, they’ll keep for 3-4 days. Otherwise, to freeze the completed recipe, store it inside freezer-safe containers and it’ll keep in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To reheat: When ready, if frozen, let the dish thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat leftovers in the microwave or on the stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed through. You may need to add a splash of extra broth/water to help loosen the sauce, as needed.

Cozy, scrumptious meals like this Marry Me Chicken Meatballs recipe are such a good one to have in your rotation. Be sure to tag @butterbeready in your BBR recipe creations, I sure love to see it when you do. Until next time! 🤟🏾

Love meatballs? Holla at these recipes, too:

• The Best Meatball Recipe
• Jerk Meatballs in Coconut Curry Sauce
• Thai Red Curry Meatballs
• Pesto Pasta with Turkey Meatballs
• Guava BBQ Meatballs
• Saucy Chicken Piccata Meatballs

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Recipe by: Quin Liburd- Butter Be Ready

Photography by: The Mindful Hapa