Dairy-Free Marry Me Chicken
Dairy-free Marry Me Chicken with golden seared cutlets, sun-dried tomatoes, and a creamy cashew sauce that tastes just as rich as the original.
Recipe by Andrew Tibbs, the Non Dairy Dude in Dairy-Free Dinner Recipes
Published
I'd seen this recipe everywhere before I ever made it, and I get why it caught on. Seared chicken cutlets sit in a sauce loaded with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and basil, and the name does a lot of marketing for itself. My first dairy-free pass used coconut milk and it tasted like a coconut sauce wearing an Italian costume. Cashew cream fixed that.
The sauce here leans on All-Purpose Dairy-Free Cashew Cream instead of heavy cream, plus a spoonful of white miso for the savory backbone parmesan usually gives it. Tomato paste and chicken broth build out the rest. Dredge the chicken in flour first so it sears properly and gives the sauce something to cling to. Dairy-free butter at the end pulls it together into something glossy instead of broken or thin.
Serve it over pasta, rice, or just mashed potatoes if you want to soak up every bit of sauce. If you like this kind of creamy tomato situation, my Dairy-Free Vodka Sauce and Dairy-Free Alfredo Sauce both run on the same cashew-cream logic, so once you've got the base down you can riff on a handful of dinners.
This recipe uses: All-Purpose Dairy-Free Cashew Cream
Ingredients
Cashew Cream
- 1 cupAll-purpose dairy-free cashew cream
Chicken
- 1½ lbBoneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1¼ tspFine salt
- ½ tspFreshly ground black pepper
- ½ tspGarlic powder
- ¼ cupAll-purpose flour
Skillet
- 2 tbspOlive oil
Sauce
- ½ cupOil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced
- 4 clovesGarlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbspTomato paste
- ¼ tspRed pepper flakes
- ¾ cupLow-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tspItalian seasoning
- 1 tspWhite miso paste
Finish
- 1 tbspDairy-free butter
- 1 tspFresh lemon juice
- 2 tbspFresh basil, chopped
- 2 tbspDairy-free parmesan, optional
Instructions
- 1
If you have not already made the cashew cream, prepare one batch of All-Purpose Dairy-Free Cashew Cream, using unsweetened oat milk as the blending liquid for a richer sauce. For a small from-scratch batch, soak 1/2 cup raw cashews in boiling water for 30 minutes, drain, then blend with 3/4 cup unsweetened oat milk until smooth.
- 2
Slice the chicken breasts horizontally into thinner cutlets, or pound them to an even 1/2- to 3/4-inch thickness. Pat dry, then season both sides with the salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.
- 3
Spread the flour on a plate and lightly dredge the chicken, shaking off excess. You want a thin coating, not a heavy breading.
- 4
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden and almost cooked through. Transfer to a plate. Work in batches if needed so the chicken browns instead of steaming.
- 5
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the sun-dried tomatoes to the same skillet and cook for 1 minute, stirring to bloom their flavor in the oil left in the pan.
- 6
Add the garlic, tomato paste, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and the garlic smells fragrant.
- 7
Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Stir in the Italian seasoning and bring to a simmer.
- 8
Scoop about 1/4 cup of the warm broth mixture into a small bowl and whisk in the white miso until smooth, then stir it back into the skillet.
- 9
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cashew cream. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce is creamy and lightly thickened. Do not boil hard after adding the cashew cream.
- 10
Return the chicken and any juices to the skillet. Simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes, spooning sauce over the chicken, until the thickest part reaches 165°F.
- 11
Stir in the dairy-free butter, lemon juice, basil, and dairy-free parmesan if using. Taste the sauce and adjust with more salt, pepper, or lemon juice. Serve hot with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread.
How we make it dairy-free
- Heavy cream → Swapped for all-purpose dairy-free cashew cream, which thickens and coats the same way without separating in the skillet.
- Parmesan → Replaced with white miso paste for the salty, savory depth parmesan usually brings. A spoonful does the job.
- Butter → Dairy-free butter stirred in at the end gives the sauce the same glossy finish regular butter would.
A dairy-free parmesan on top at the end is optional, but it's a nice finishing touch if you've got some.
Tips & Variations
Timing note: The listed prep time assumes the cashew cream is already made. If making cashew cream from scratch, add about 40 minutes for soaking and blending.
Use thin chicken cutlets: Thick chicken breasts cook unevenly and can dry out before the center is done. Slicing or pounding the chicken is worth the extra minute.
Do not skip the flour dredge: A light flour coating helps the chicken brown and gives the sauce something to cling to. Shake off the excess so the sauce stays silky.
Choose oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes: They are softer and more flavorful than very dry bagged tomatoes. Drain them well, but let a little of their seasoned oil come along for flavor.
Keep the sauce gentle: Cashew cream can thicken quickly over high heat. Once it goes into the skillet, keep the sauce at a low simmer and loosen with a splash of broth or oat milk if needed.
Optional parmesan: Dairy-free parmesan is not required, but a small amount at the end can push the sauce closer to the classic version. Taste before adding because some brands are salty.
Serving ideas: This is excellent over penne, fettuccine, rice, dairy-free mashed potatoes, or with toasted bread for scooping up the sauce.
Leftovers: Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat gently with a splash of oat milk or broth to loosen the sauce.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?⌄
Yes. Boneless, skinless thighs work well here and stay juicy even if you sear them a little longer. Just slice them similarly so they cook evenly with the rest of the cutlets.
What can I substitute for cashew cream if I have a nut allergy?⌄
A dairy-free heavy cream alternative made from oats or sunflower seeds will work in place of the cashew cream. Look for one labeled as a cooking cream so it holds up to heat without curdling.
Why does the recipe use white miso instead of nutritional yeast for the parmesan flavor?⌄
Miso gives more of a deep, salty umami note that's closer to aged parmesan, while nutritional yeast tends to read as more cheesy-flat. You can use nutritional yeast in a pinch, but start with less since the flavor is stronger.
Can I make this ahead of time?⌄
You can sear the chicken and make the sauce a day ahead, then reheat everything together gently in a skillet over low heat. The sauce may thicken in the fridge, so add a splash of chicken broth when reheating to loosen it back up.
Dairy-Free Marry Me Chicken · https://nondairydude.com/recipes/dairy-free-marry-me-chicken
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