Watch: the 60-second method
Marry Me Chicken earned its name on a dare: cook it for someone and see what happens. The original relies on a wall of dairy — butter, heavy cream, a fistful of Parmesan — and for anyone who feels that wall an hour later, the romance ends fairly abruptly.
So we rebuilt it. Full fat coconut milk and cashew cream carry the silk. Tomato paste, garlic, Dijon, nutritional yeast and a late squeeze of lemon carry the savour. What comes out of the skillet is glossy, deeply seasoned and genuinely rich — and nobody at the table asks where the cream went.
Why This Dairy Free Version Works
Removing dairy from a cream sauce is not a substitution problem. It is a balance problem: you lose fat, salt and umami all at once, and coconut milk arrives with a sweetness that has to be argued with. Five ingredients do the arguing:
- Full fat coconut milk supplies the body and the mouthfeel
- Cashew cream smooths the edges and neutralises the coconut note
- Nutritional yeast stands in for the savoury depth of Parmesan
- Dijon mustard emulsifies and sharpens
- Lemon juice, added off the heat, lifts everything and kills the last of the sweetness
Sun dried tomatoes and a caramelised spoonful of tomato paste do the rest, turning the sauce a deep terracotta and giving it the concentrated, almost jammy backbone that makes people go quiet.
From the Viva shop
You do not have to soak cashews overnight to get cashew cream. Whisk two tablespoons of Nuts to You Organic Cashew Butter into a splash of warm broth and you have it in fifteen seconds — one ingredient, roasted cashews and nothing else. It is the editor’s shortcut for this sauce, and the jar earns its shelf space long after dinner.
Recipe at a Glance
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Servings: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Cooking method: One skillet
Dietary notes: Dairy free and easily made gluten free
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts, approximately 170 g each
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
For the dairy free sauce
- 1 small shallot, finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- ½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- ¾ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ¾ cup unsweetened full fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup unsweetened cashew cream
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 2 cups baby spinach
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Optional garnishes
- Fresh basil
- Dairy free Parmesan
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Extra virgin olive oil
How to Make Dairy Free Marry Me Chicken
1. Prepare the chicken
Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board. If they are especially thick, slice them horizontally into thinner cutlets or gently pound them until they have an even thickness.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towel. Season both sides with salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika. Dust lightly with flour and shake off the excess.
The flour encourages browning and later helps the sauce cling to the chicken.
2. Sear until golden
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
Add the chicken without crowding the pan. Sear for four to five minutes on the first side without moving it. Turn and cook for another three to four minutes.
The chicken does not need to be completely cooked at this stage. Transfer it to a clean plate and keep the flavourful browned bits in the skillet.
From the Viva shop
Extra virgin olive oil is the classic choice here, but it starts to smoke around the temperature this sear wants. If your kitchen fills with haze every time you brown chicken, switch to NOW Avocado Oil for the pan and save the olive oil for the finishing drizzle. Higher smoke point, clean neutral flavour, same monounsaturated profile.
3. Build the aromatic base
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallot and cook for two to three minutes, until softened.
Stir in the garlic, oregano, thyme and red pepper flakes. Cook for approximately 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Add the tomato paste and cook for one to two minutes. It should deepen in colour and begin caramelising against the pan.
4. Deglaze the skillet
Pour in the white wine or ½ cup of additional chicken broth.
Use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned pieces from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer for three to four minutes, until the liquid has reduced by approximately half.
5. Create the dairy free cream sauce
Add the chicken broth, coconut milk, cashew cream, sun dried tomatoes, nutritional yeast and Dijon mustard.
Whisk gently until smooth and bring the sauce to a low simmer. Avoid boiling it aggressively, which may cause the coconut milk to separate.
Taste the sauce before adding more salt. The broth and sun dried tomatoes may already contain plenty.
6. Finish cooking the chicken
Return the chicken and any collected juices to the skillet. Spoon some of the sauce over each piece.
Reduce the heat to medium low, partially cover the skillet and simmer for eight to twelve minutes. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of the chicken.
The centre of each breast must reach 74°C, or 165°F, when tested with a food thermometer.
7. Add the spinach and lemon
Transfer the cooked chicken to a serving plate.
Stir the spinach into the sauce and cook for one to two minutes, until wilted. Add the lemon juice and half of the fresh basil.
If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of chicken broth. If it is too thin, simmer it uncovered for several minutes.
Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the finished sauce over the top.
8. Garnish and serve
Finish with fresh basil, dairy free Parmesan, black pepper and a few crushed red pepper flakes.
Serve immediately while the sauce is silky and warm.
How to Prevent a Strong Coconut Flavour
Use unsweetened canned coconut milk, never refrigerated coconut beverage or sweetened coconut cream. That single swap is responsible for most of the coconut-forward Marry Me Chickens on the internet.
Cashew cream, nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, garlic and lemon all pull the sauce toward savoury. Taste after the lemon goes in — that is the moment the coconut recedes.
For an even more neutral result, replace the coconut milk with an equal quantity of unsweetened dairy free culinary cream made from oats or cashews.
From the Viva shop
A dairy free sauce loses the butter finish, so give it back at the very end: a teaspoon of NOW Macadamia Nut Oil stirred into the pan off the heat reads as buttery without being butter. Cold pressed, faintly sweet, and the most quietly luxurious bottle in the pantry.
What to Serve With Marry Me Chicken
This creamy chicken pairs beautifully with:
- Linguine or fettuccine
- Creamy mashed potatoes
- Polenta
- Rice or quinoa
- Roasted baby potatoes
- Mashed cauliflower
- Crusty sourdough bread
- Steamed green beans
- Roasted asparagus
Chef’s presentation tip
Spoon mashed potatoes into the centre of a shallow bowl, place the sliced chicken on top and pour the sun dried tomato sauce around it rather than over it. Finish with torn basil and a thread of oil. Rustic skillet dinner, restaurant plate.
Ingredient Substitutions
Chicken thighs
Use four to six boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Cook them until the thickest part reaches 74°C.
Gluten free version
Replace the flour with a gluten free all purpose blend or cornstarch. Confirm that the broth, mustard and nutritional yeast are certified gluten free when necessary.
Nut free version
Omit the cashew cream and use additional coconut milk or an unsweetened oat based culinary cream.
Alcohol free version
Replace the white wine with chicken broth and add an additional teaspoon of lemon juice near the end.
No coconut milk
Use unsweetened oat cream, soy culinary cream or another neutral dairy free cream suitable for cooking.
Vegetarian version
Replace the chicken with thick slices of king oyster mushroom, seared tofu or cauliflower steaks. Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerator: Store the chicken and sauce in an airtight container for up to three days.
Freezer: Freeze for up to two months. The sauce may separate slightly after thawing but can usually be restored by whisking it gently while reheating.
Reheating: Warm over medium low heat and add a small amount of broth as required. Avoid prolonged boiling, which can make the chicken dry.
Approximate Nutrition per Serving
- Calories: 490
- Protein: 43 g
- Carbohydrates: 17 g
- Fibre: 3 g
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated fat: 10 g
- Sodium: 720 mg
Values are estimates and will vary according to the chicken, coconut milk, broth and sun dried tomatoes used.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is dairy free Marry Me Chicken?
Dairy free Marry Me Chicken is a creamy skillet chicken recipe made without butter, cream or Parmesan. Coconut milk, cashew cream and nutritional yeast reproduce the richness of the original sauce.
Why is it called Marry Me Chicken?
The playful name suggests that the chicken is delicious enough to inspire a marriage proposal. The modern dish is known for its combination of chicken, cream, garlic, herbs and sun dried tomatoes.
Does dairy free Marry Me Chicken taste like coconut?
It should not taste strongly of coconut when unsweetened milk is balanced with tomato paste, garlic, herbs, Dijon mustard, nutritional yeast and lemon. Oat or cashew culinary cream offers an even more neutral alternative.
Can I prepare it ahead?
Yes. Prepare the chicken and sauce up to one day in advance, but wait to add the spinach and fresh basil until reheating.
How do I thicken the sauce?
Simmer the sauce uncovered for several minutes. You can also mix one teaspoon of cornstarch with one tablespoon of cold water and whisk it into the simmering sauce.
How do I know when the chicken is cooked?
Insert a food thermometer into the thickest part of the chicken. It must reach 74°C or 165°F, the safe minimum internal temperature for poultry.
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The pantry edit behind this dinner — all in stock at the Viva shop.
