By With high-protein cottage cheese and sweet sun-dried tomatoes, this High Protein Tuscan Chicken is the perfect one-pot dinner. After many tests, I have perfected this Tuscan-inspired (or Marry Me sauce, according to social media) sauce and how to cook the chicken just right. This 30-minute high-protein dinner packs 61 grams of protein per serving compared to the average of 30 grams for comparable dishes.
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I probably have an unhealthy obsession with Italian cuisine and culture, as seen by my list of Italian-inspired recipes like Marry me sausage and beans and this Protein Tiramisu. So I'll be the first to admit that Tuscan chicken is not something that's served or made in Tuscany. Maybe it gets its name because Tuscany is a land of love, and the chicken will make you want to marry the chef.
Cream-based sauces are more popular in the north of Italy; the only Tuscan part of it is the sun-dried tomatoes, the basil, and the Parmesan. Nonetheless, it has all the flavors I love, and I knew it was a great candidate to make into a high-protein dinner! I did quite a few tests to get that sweet tomato flavor throughout, an uber-creamy Marry Me sauce, and crispy chicken without extra ingredients.
Jump to:
Why this protein Tuscan chicken will make you want to marry me
- The chicken: Ok, first off most Tuscan chicken recipes use cornstarch to get the outside of the chicken crispy when cooked whole. I said no thanks to added ingredients and a longer cooking time and settled on slicing the chicken. Pan-frying the slices gets that crispy exterior, makes it easier to eat, and cooks faster!
- The sauce: This sauce is all blended together, so you don't realize there's cottage cheese in it. This creates a creamy texture, gets that sun-dried tomato flavor throughout, and turns it into a beautiful pink color.
- Ready in 30 minutes: And in one pot! The chicken gets cooked, and then the sauce is added, and that's it. AND since it's so high in protein, this can make a full and filling low-carb meal without the need for pasta or rice.
recipe ingredients
You'll need the following ingredients to make this protein chicken dinner.
notes
- The base: To start we are going to saute garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes in butter to enhance their flavors.
- The chicken: Next we need 4 chicken breasts, sliced thinly.
- The sauce: To make this high-protein Tuscan sauce, you need sundried tomatoes (in the oil or water is fine), chicken bone broth, heavy cream, and cottage cheese.
- The final touch: To finish off the dish, we need grated Parmesan and freshly chopped basil.
substitutions & variations
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- Dairy-less options: You can use vegan heavy cream and parmesan to reduce the amount of dairy. But, there's no substitute for cottage cheese.
- Chicken -> vegetarian options: Instead of chicken you can use chickpeas or white beans for a vegetarian option.
- Keto Tuscan chicken: This dish is technically keto, however, both sundried tomatoes and cottage cheese are considered less than ideal for keto due to their nutritional profiles. So, take this note and do what you wish with it.
- Baked Tuscan Chicken: To bake this dish, you can bake the whole chicken breasts with garlic and spices in a casserole dish at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, covered. Then remove, pour in the sauce, mix in the basil, and top with parmesan. Broil until bubbly. Another great high-protein chicken recipe!
- Protein, protein-packed: To up the protein in this even more, you can make Tuscan chicken pasta with chickpea or protein pasta.
- Protein Tuscan Chicken Wraps: I love using this idea with leftovers! Cube the chicken and place it in a sundried tomato wrap. Take chopped lettuce and toss it with some of the sauce. Add the lettuce and croutons to the wrap and enjoy! It's like a Tuscan Caesar chicken wrap!
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 healthy Tuscan chicken (with photo & video!)
Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full Marry Me chicken recipe!
- Saute the garlic and spices in butter.
- Cook the sliced chicken and cook until done, working in batches as needed.
- Blend everything else except the basil and parmesan
- Combine the sauce with the cooked chicken, heating throughout
- Mix in chopped basil and parmesan and enjoy! Top with toasted bread crumbs for extra pizzaz or keep it plain Jane for a low-carb protein dinner recipe.
quick recipe video
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expert tips
- Really let the garlic and spices "sweat": This means to let them cook long enough to open up so the flavors and aromas can infuse into everything else. You will know you've reached this point when the house smells really, really good.
- Don't crowd the chicken: When pan-frying the chicken, you want to give each piece 1 to 2 inches between each slice. This allows the hot air to circulate and get each side crisp. You might have to work in batches with 4 chicken breasts.
- Use a meat thermometer: This is the only way to ensure the chicken is perfectly good and not overcooked. It should be 165 degrees. Check each piece and remove it from the heat as it is done so it doesn't overcook.
- Taste and adjust: Taste is subjective, so taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper as you see fit.
what is "sweating"?
You've probably seen this term when looking at high-protein dinners. Sweating the garlic and spices means that the ingredients are being cooked in fat. As they soften, their pores (essentially) expand and the oil or butter gets inside, making them look saturated or wet. Garlic is often described as translucent in this state.
common questions
I would not because the Marry me sauce is best when heated and cheesy, not cold. Instead, I would recommend making this red pesto pasta salad with chicken.
The best way to check is to use a meat thermometer to ensure it reaches 165 degrees. Because it will cook a bit in the sauce, it can be 160 degrees prior to the sauce being added. You can also cut through the thickest part of the chicken to ensure there is no pink.
troubleshooting & testing notes
Why we blend the cottage cheese
Blending the cottage cheese ensures there are no curds. Cottage cheese can be hit or miss with some people so blending it means it's just acting as another cream.
Adding more flavor
On my first round of testing, this dish was bland. What I decided was missing was not enough acid and salt. Salt enhances flavor, and acid balances it. To solve this, I added more sun-dried tomatoes and salt.
how to store & meal prep it
This is the perfect high protein meal prep because it stores really well! In fact, my brother makes it weekly for lunches through the week.
- Fridge: This chicken will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: To freeze the Tuscan chicken, store it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight and then reheat on the stovetop to bring the sauce back together.
- Meal Prep: To meal prep this dish, you can make it and portion it into individual portions. Pair it with protein pasta for a high-protein meal-prep lunch!
- Reheating: You can reheat it in the microwave in 30-second bursts or on the stovetop on low heat. When using the microwave, the sauce can get a bit messy, so I recommend putting a paper towel over the top.
what to serve with Tuscan chicken
If you're wondering how the heck do you serve saucy Marry Me chicken, here are some ideas (in my order of my favorite options).
- Sourdough is my favorite pairing because you dip the tangy, toasted bread into the sauce. So. dang. Delicious! You could do another toasty bread, but sourdough is definitely the best.
- Tuscan chicken pasta is the next best option because Italian and pasta just go hand in hand. Just plate the chicken and sauce over top of your favorite pasta, like our one-pot protein pasta (one of our go-to dinner ideas)!
- Tuscan chicken with orzo is another great option because you can cook the orzo with parmesan and an egg (check out this one pot salmon alfredo orzo for more details on doing this).
- Tuscan chicken with gnocchi is a delicious dinner pairing. You can top the chicken on traditional gnocchi, gluten-free gnocchi, or even cauliflower gnocchi.
You can also head to our post on What To Serve With Tuscan chicken: 29 Mouthwatering Ideas for a full list!
Recipe
High Protein Tuscan Chicken (Marry Me Chicken)
Equipment
- 1 blender
- 1 large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter (unsalted)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon salt, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes (each)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup sun dried tomatoes (packed in oil or water)
- 1 cup chicken bone broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup parmesan (grated or shredded)
- ¼ cup basil (chopped and packed)
- 4 6oz Chicken breast (sliced 1" thick, or 3 large chicken breasts)
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- Bring a large skillet to medium heat with 2 tablespoon butter. Once melted, add the 4 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, oregano, crushed red pepper flakes, and the ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper and saute until the garlic is fragrant - about 2 minutes.
- Place the sliced chicken (4 6oz Chicken breast) on the pan, cooking it in batches so as to not crowd the pan. As each side browns, flip to another side to brown it all around. Remove the chicken as it finishes cooking and set aside so it doesn't overcook.Once each piece reaches 160 degrees internal temperature or is no longer pink inside, remove it and set aside so it doesn't overcook. Chicken needs to be cooked to 165 degrees, but because it will continue to cook in the sauce later, cooking it to 160 degrees now is fine.
- While the chicken is cooking, add the ½ cup sun dried tomatoes, 1 cup chicken bone broth, ½ cup heavy cream, and ½ cup cottage cheese to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
- With the chicken removed from the pan, reduce the heat to low and add the sauce to the pan. Bring to a low boil - just enough to heat through. Then, stir in the basil and parmesan. Add the chicken back in and cook for another 5 minutes to finish.Enjoy with toasty sourdough or over pasta!
Video
Notes
- Really let the garlic and spices "sweat": This means to let them cook long enough to open up so the flavors and aromas can infuse into everything else. You will know you've reached this point when the house smells really, really good.
- Don't crowd the chicken: When pan frying the chicken, you want to give each piece 1 to 2 inches between each slice. This allows the hot air to circulate and get each side crisp. You might have to work in batches with 4 chicken breasts.
- Use a meat thermometer: This is the only way to ensure the chicken is good perfectly and not over cooked. It should be 165 degrees. Check each piece and remove it from the heat as it is done so it doesn't over cook.
- Taste and adjust: Taste is subjective, so taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper as you see fit.
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
added the same spices to the sauce blend, and a little lemon juice. served over rice, so good !! would be good with spinach too.
This is so good and easy!
Excellent!
Such a delicious recipe! I've made this at least 10 times and it always impresses everyone involved.
That's so awesome to hear!
How many ounces/grams is a serving size I’m assuming 8oz
It's about 10-12 oz or 1.5 cups
This is amazing!!! My favorite dish in the world. So so so yummy. Easy to meal prep too!
So happy to hear that!!
Roasted red potatoes were a perfect addition! I'm adding this to our rotation!
That's amazing! Love that addition!
This recipe is so delicious and easy/quick to make! Perfect for those trying to get a lot of protein in each meal. I added roasted red pepper to the blender mix and it added a great depth of flavor. Will definitely be making again!
That's awesome to hear!
👏👏👏👏 What a great recipe. This will be a go to for sure- Thank you!
Love that!!
I had sun dried tomatoes left over from making your spinach feta wrap so I wanted to make this. What a great way to get sooo much protein! For some reason, the spice (I assume from the red pepper flakes?) was all I could taste, but I am a baby when it comes to spice. Next time I’m gonna skip the red peppers and see how it goes. Now I’ll look for another recipe to use this extra bone broth on…
Is it 527 calories per serving or the total for all four servings?
For one serving.
What is the serving size?
About 1.5 cups
I just made this and although it was good, it lacked spark and zest to balance the overall heaviness of the recipe. To make the flavor pop, I ended up sprinkling in more crushed red pepper, and also added pinches of dried minced onion, Johnny's Garlic Spread & Seasoning, Morton & Bassett Italian Herb Blend, and Tone's Tuscan Garlic seasoning blend to add more complexity and depth to the flavor. I think it really needed the lemon peel spice (which was in the Tone's Tuscan Garlic Spice blend) for a true Tuscan flavor. After doctoring it up, the flavor was both rich and robust, savory and satisfying.
Delicious and easy!! I added some roasted red pepper since I had a jar, and WOW! Will definitely be making this regularly.
We love hearing that!!
The nutrition facts say 61g protein but your introduction/description at the beginning says 49g. Which is correct?
Thanks for bringing this up! It’s 61g of protein 🙂
This was excellent! I made this for my brother's birthday and I was really impressed with how alike my original Tuscan Chicken it was, but much healthier. I added a blend of fine herbs along with more thyme, rosemary, oregano and basil, along with a dash of lemon juice. Much healthier than your standard Tuscan chicken, and similar enough that you will forget the difference!
Awesome, so happy to hear that!! It's my brothers favorite so this makes me so happy 🙂
Loved it!
Excellent!! A bit involved. If you have an immersion blender I would use it to mix up the cottage cheese, bone broth and heavy cream in a bowl. Definitely will be making again!
Glad you enjoyed!
This is a great recipe but I am not a fan of burnt garlic. Next time I will add the garlic for a quick saute after cooking and removing the chicken and before adding the sauce in the pan. Other than that very nice.
Thanks for testing it out - glad you still enjoyed 🙂
I do not consider myself a cook. This recipe was easy to follow, provided clear directions and was delicious. I love that I didn’t have to deal with making a roux and that it was higher protein with the addition of the cottage cheese. Very good!
So happy to hear you enjoyed!
Very delicious. We served over rice and we will be making again! Thanks for sharing!
So happy to hear that!
My daughter had bariatric surgery and I have been cooking a lot with cottage cheese. This recipe was a hit. I roasted some peppers instead of sundried tomatoes and added them and spinach into the blender for the sauce. I also cooked some mini penne to soak up the sauce for its protein content.
That sounds delish!
This recipe turned out great. The gravy is super creamy and seems sinful, but is actually healthy because it contains cottage cheese rather than a butter based gravy. Thank you,
So happy to hear that!
Excellent recipe! I made it for a luncheon and everyone loved it.
That so great to hear!