This One-Pot Marry Me Chicken Tortellini takes all the things people love about the viral creamy chicken dish and turns it into a 30-minute complete, cozy, family friendly meal. Full of tender chicken, pillowy tortellini with a creamy sundried tomato sauce.
I've made this creamy pasta dish more times than I can count on busy weeknights because, unlike Marry Me Chicken, this fun pasta dish includes protein, pasta and veggies - just like Marry Me Chicken Orzo. This means your side dishes are already included, no thinking necessary!
A Quick Glance At This Marry Me Chicken Tortellini Recipe
- ✅Done in: 30 minutes
- 🛒Ingredients: 14, including salt and pepper.
- 🍽️Serves: 4 servings
- 💪Difficulty: Easy - Perfect for busy weeknights or date night
- 👩🍳Cook Method: Stove top
- ⏰Make Ahead Friendly: Certain aspects of the dish can be prepped ahead of time
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's a problem solver - quick dinner, complete meal = the best evolution from the original Marry Me Chicken.
- No side dishes necessary! Starch & veggie already included so you don't have to worry what else to make with it, similar to Chicken Pot Pie Casserole.
- This is a family friendly version and it satisfies picky eaters.
Jump to:
- A Quick Glance At This Marry Me Chicken Tortellini Recipe
- Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Recipe Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How To Make Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
- Expert Cooking Tips
- Marry Me Chicken Tortellini Recipe FAQs
- 🧁Krista's Food Truck & Mom POV
- More Recipes You'll Love
- 📖Recipe
- Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
Recipe Ingredients
- Sundried Tomatoes: Sundried tomatoes in oil are full of flavor and eliminate the rehydrating step, which eliminates the waiting period and allows you to use them as soon as they're drained.
- Heavy Cream: Also known as heavy whipping cream or just cream is a vital part of adding a creamy texture to this sauce. You want all the fat from the cream.
- Spinach: Fresh baby spinach is my go-to for this dish.
- Garlic: Save time and buy whole peeled garlic cloves. Skip the pre-minced and chop yourself for best flavor.
- Chicken Stock: If I'm not making my own homemade chicken stock, I'm using Knorr Liquid Concentrate Chicken Stock.
- Tortellini: Use fresh packaged tortellini in the refrigerated section for quick cooking.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Frozen tortellini and even gluten free frozen or fresh tortellini can be used in place of fresh if needed.
- Dark meat can be used here as well. You'll want to use boneless skinless chicken thighs, the same type of chicken you would sub for a creamy lemon chicken pasta.
- For more or less heat, add more or less crushed red pepper. Aleppo pepper may be substituted in place of crushed red.
- Add additional spinach or fresh broccoli for heavier veggie content.
- Pillowy gnocchi can be used in place of tortellini for a softer more fluffy texture.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
How To Make Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
Step 1: Heat a pan with a drizzle of olive oil as you season chicken cubes with salt, pepper, fresh thyme and oregano.
Step 2: Sear chicken, allowing it to become golden brown before stirring.
Step 3: Stir in garlic, spinach and red pepper.
Step 4: Add stock, heavy cream, sundried tomatoes and black pepper.
Step 5: Add tortellini to pot then continue cooking.
Step 6: Stir in cheese and basil. Serve immediately.
Expert Cooking Tips
- Freshly grate a block of parmesan cheese rather than buying pre-shredded or grated parmesan. This is my recommendation when making Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta or any cheese.
- Serve this creamy pasta dish immediately after cooking for the best texture and flavor.
Marry Me Chicken Tortellini Recipe FAQs
Store the cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. I suggest gently reheating on the stove top in a sauce pot over low-medium heat by adding a small amount of heavy cream or chicken stock to loosen the sauce up. It also tastes great right out of the fridge the next day, like a tortellini pasta salad.
Grating your own parmesan cheese offers richer umami flavor, superior texture and quality, avoiding anti-caking additives.
I do not recommend milk to make this Marry Me Chicken Tortellini recipe. Heavy cream will add a velvety smooth and rich taste to the sauce. The fat content in heavy cream is very high and really adds to the viscosity of the sauce.
You sure can and you can add it straight into the same pot as you do the fresh tortellini. Using dry tortellini will result in a slightly longer cook time. Follow the cooking time on the back of the dried tortellini package.
While it's true, you don't need to serve anything with this complete meal, sometimes you want several options. Try serving Caesar Salad, Heirloom Tomato Salad, or roasted broccolini.
🧁Krista's Food Truck & Mom POV
Having a busy work schedule along with young children means one-pot 30 minute meals are a superior dinner choice!
Marry Me Chicken Tortellini pleases children of all ages as well as adults. It allows for easy clean up so you can get on with the rest of your night, errands and homework.
More Recipes You'll Love
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📖Recipe
Marry Me Chicken Tortellini
Equipment
- 1 medium or large stock pot
Ingredients
- 24 oz chicken breast cut into ½ inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt diamond crystal brand
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme stemmed and chopped
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock I use Knorr Liquid Concentrate mixed with water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz julienned sundried tomatoes drained well
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 18 oz cheese tortellini
- 1 cup parmesan cheese freshly grated
- ½ cup basil leaves fresh
Instructions
- Cube chicken breast then season with salt, thyme and oregano. Heat a medium stock pot over high heat until pan is very hot. Drizzle pan with olive oil then add seasoned chicken, allowing to cook undisturbed for 2 minutes. Stir chicken around and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes
- Stir in minced garlic, fresh spinach and crushed red pepper. Cook 1-2 minutes
- Add stock, heavy cream, sundried tomatoes and black pepper. Simmer 5 minutes
- Stir in tortellini and continue to cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Stir in cheese and basil leaves and allow to cook an additional minute
Dorothy
Hands down best pasta dish. Could eat this everyday haha
Krista Stechman
Happy to hear that!
Krista
This dish is a life saver on weeknights! Cooking everything in one pot in 30 minutes AND the kids love it.. dits like a dream come true LOL. Creamy and packed with flavor too, I love sun dried tomatoes