This bold and creamy Marry Me Chicken Tortellini is a one-pot wonder, loaded with juicy chicken, tender tortellini, and a rich sun-dried tomato cream sauce—all done in just 30 minutes. Trust us, they’ll be hooked after the first bite!
I have made this recipe so many times on a weeknight for the family. It's the perfect quick meal that the whole family loves that you can knock out and still have time to spare in the evening.
I think everyone is familiar with marry me chicken by now. However, that's just your main protein and you still need to come up with a side dish and veggies.
Look no further, I've turned this crowd-pleasing chicken dish into a one-pot dinner for busy nights! Better yet, the whole family loves it so it's great on school nights.
Another quick dinner option is Garlic Bread Pizza made from focaccia. Chicken Pot Pie Casserole will also get dinner on the table in a flash.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- This comes together quickly in just one pot, just like Marry Me Chicken Orzo. We all love fewer dirty dishes!
- Your veggies, carb, and protein are all here. Plus I feel like everything is large enough that picky eaters can eat around what they don't love.
- The sauce ties everything together and might even get kids to try new flavors, such as spinach.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Cut your chicken breast into bite-sized pieces so everything is ready to serve.
- Tortellini: Fresh refrigerated tortellini pasta is preferred. I love cheese tortellini, but you can get creative and use meat or spinach filled.
- Spinach: Baby spinach is best, as it will truly cook down so small everyone will give it a taste and you won't be left with large stems.
- Chicken Stock: I use concentrates because they are so much easier to keep on hand. Knorr Liquid Chicken Concentrate is my favorite.
- Whipping Cream: Cream will give the sauce a rich, smooth finish. When looking for cream in the grocery store, heavy cream and whipping cream are the same thing.
- Sun-dried Tomatoes: The flavor of these is super concentrated compared to fresh. I prefer the sundried tomatoes in a jar in oil rather than packaged dry. If you do use the dry package, be sure to rehydrate in hot water for at least a few hours then drain.
- Parmesan: Absolutely grate your own from a wedge here! It gives the best flavor and texture compared to pre-shredded. This is the same method I use when making Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- This recipe is written for refrigerated tortellini. This is already par cooked and doesn't need to soak up a lot of liquid. You can also use frozen tortellini and cook according to package directions. Dried tortellini can be used as well however I recommend cooking the dried tortellini first in a pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions then adding it to the marry me chicken.
- If you love dark meat, feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thighs. If you're buying the jumbo pack of boneless skinless thighs, you can use the remainder in this chicken shawarma recipe.
- I like the convenience of julienned tomatoes stored in oil in a jar, but you can always chop up your own if that's all there is. You can also rehydrate your own sundried tomatoes if you don't buy the type that comes in oil. A little bit of simmering water over the top then let them sit for a few hours.
- Want less heat? Add less or omit the crushed red pepper. Want more heat? Add more red pepper flakes.
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: Season chicken with salt, pepper, and fresh herbs.
Step 2: Brown chicken, stirring occasionally to cook all the way through.
Step 3: Add garlic, spinach to wilt and crushed red pepper.
Step 4: Stir in tomatoes, stock, cream and black pepper then bring to a simmer.
Step 5: Cook cheese tortellini in the pot.
Step 6: Stir in cheese and fresh basil leaves. Serve chicken pasta with extra cheese as garnish.
Using gluten free tortellini is a great option for this Marry Me Chicken Tortellini recipe since the recipe does not include a roux for thickening or any other wheat ingredients. My brother recently went GF, so I have a stockpile of recipes that are easily made gluten free and perfect for birthdays and family gatherings!
Expert Cooking Tips
- Make sure to check the cooking directions on whatever tortellini you buy so it coincides with the correct time for the pasta to be fully cooked. Try tortellini in Gigi Hadid Vodka Pasta!
- When you add the cream and broth, make sure and scrape up all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. We don't want to waste any flavor.
- Keep stock concentrates on hand, whether they are liquid or pastes. They are easier to store than liquid broth and I think the flavor is much better than granules.
- Look for already julienned sun-dried tomatoes in oil to save time and mess. Be sure to drain the oil well so you don't end up with an oily tortellini pasta.
Recipe FAQs
This will definitely taste great for lunch for the next couple days. Store the cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. I suggest gently reheating on the stove and adding a small amount of heavy cream or chicken stock to loosen the sauce up. And honestly, I think this also tastes great right out of the fridge the next day, like a creamy pasta salad.
You need to pick up sun-dried tomatoes for this recipe. Because they are dried, their flavor is super concentrated, just like purchasing dried fruits. They might seem expensive but a little goes a long way.
I will always advocate for grating your own cheese. Pre-shredded is often coated with anti-caking agents, meaning they won't melt smoothly into the liquid. You don't want a grainy finished dish! Plus, the can of "cheese" often has extra fillers, and it just won't taste as great. Hard cheese like Parmesan will grate very easily so I urge you to pick up a wedge from the deli. I grate my own cheese for all recipes, including Old Fashioned Pimento Cheese.
Yes, you can cook the chicken chunks in the air fryer if you prefer then transfer them to the pot and continue cooking marry me chicken tortellini according to direction. That kind of defeats the whole one pot meal however, that method would work just fine.
Yes! I use refrigerated tortellini for this recipe but dry or frozen work too. If using dry tortellini, I recommend fully cooking it in a pot of salted water according to package directions before adding it to the marry me chicken. If you're using frozen tortellini, that can be thrown in the marry me chicken pot to cook just as the fresh tortellini is. Cook frozen tortellini according to package instructions.
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.
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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