Traeger Smoked Marry Me Chicken
By Traeger Kitchen
By now you may well know the story behind Marry Me Chicken. Years ago, when Lindsay Funston, a self-proclaimed food-obsessed content director, filmed this creamy chicken dish, her producer tasted it and proclaimed: “I’d marry you for that chicken!” The Tuscan-inspired dish, rechristened Marry Me Chicken, went viral. Our version adds additional layers of flavor thanks to a quick brine that keeps the chicken extra juicy and, of course, wood-fired flavor courtesy of a half hour smoke on the Traeger. Serve the chicken with something to mop up the sauce—rice, pasta, or even just some good crusty bread.
Prep Time
30 Minutes
Cook Time
55 Minutes
Pellets
Signature Pellet Blend
Ingredients
Number of people serving
4
Activating this element will cause content on the page to be updated.Units of measurement:
Brine
| 4 Cup | warm water |
| 1/4 Cup | kosher salt |
| 2 Teaspoon | Italian seasoning, or dried herbs of choice |
| 6 Clove | garlic, smashed |
| 4 | boneless, skinless chicken breasts |
Chicken and Sauce
| 3 Tablespoon | extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed |
| 4 Tablespoon | unsalted butter |
| 6 Clove | garlic, finely chopped |
| 2 Tablespoon | tomato paste |
| 2 Teaspoon | Italian seasoning, or dried herbs of choice |
| 1/4 Teaspoon | red pepper flakes |
| 1 Cup | low sodium chicken stock |
| 3/4 Cup | heavy cream, plus more as needed |
| 2 Ounce | Parmesan, finely grated (about ½ cup) |
| 1/2 Cup | sun dried tomatoes, preferably oil-packed, chopped |
| Chopped fresh basil (optional) |
Step
1
Brine the chicken: Combine the warm water, salt, Italian seasoning, and smashed garlic in a bowl just large enough to hold the chicken breasts. Stir to dissolve the salt. Add the chicken breasts; they should be completely submerged. (If not, add more warm water as needed.) Let the breasts soak in the brine for 20 minutes at room temperature and up to 4 hours refrigerated.
2
Meanwhile, or when ready to cook, preheat the Traeger to 250°F with the lid closed; this should take about 15 minutes.
3
Smoke the chicken: Remove the chicken breasts from the brine and throw away the brine. Pat the breasts dry with paper towel (do not rinse). Insert a leave-in meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thickest breast. Place the breasts directly on the grill grates and smoke until the internal temperature reaches 145°F, about 35 minutes. (The time will vary depending on your grill, the size of the breasts, and the weather.)
250 ˚F / 121 ˚C
145 ˚F / 63 ˚C
4
Sear the chicken: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat on the grill’s side burner or on the stove. Reduce the heat to medium, add the smoked chicken breasts and sear, flipping once, until the internal temperature is 165°F and the breasts are nicely browned, about 6 minutes total. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Do not wipe out the pan.
5
Make the sauce: Reduce the heat under the skillet to low and add the butter. Once melted, add the minced garlic, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring to combine, for 1 to 2 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add the chicken stock. Bring the stock to a simmer and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any tasty stuck-on bits. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
6
Add the cream and cook, stirring constantly until it thickens, about 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the Parmesan and sun-dried tomatoes, adding more cream if necessary to loosen.
7
Return the chicken to the pan to warm through in the sauce, about 5 minutes. Serve the chicken, sliced or whole, with the sauce and garnished with fresh basil, if desired.
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