Every once in a while, a viral recipe really does have legs. Marry Me Chicken – the creamy, sun-dried tomato chicken dish that supposedly tastes good enough to inspire a proposal – is one of them. Mary Berg has given the internet favourite her own spin, turning it into tender chicken meatballs in a creamy Parmesan sauce.

As for the name? With a love contract already firmly in place, Berg calls hers We’re Already Married Chicken Meatballs, made for cozy nights in with her “legally obligated lifelong guy.”

We’re Already Married Chicken Meatballs

Mary Berg

Tender chicken meatballs simmered in a creamy Parmesan sauce with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic and a touch of heat.

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Ingredients

Meatballs

1 tsp olive oil plus more for drizzling
1 yellow onion finely diced
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic minced
¼ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup milk
1 egg
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
2 tbsp each chopped fresh parsley and basil
450 g ground chicken

Sauce

2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic minced
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup whipping cream
½ to 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
½ tp 1 tsp crushed hot pepper flakes
⅓ cup sliced sun-dried tomatoes
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp each chopped fresh parsley and basil to serve
cooked pasta or crusty bread to serve

Instructions

Meatballs

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
Heat high-sided sauté pan over medium heat and add oil and onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook until lightly softened and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add garlic and continue to cook for 30 seconds, then remove pan from heat and let cool.
Meanwhile, in large mixing bowl, stir bread crumbs and milk together. Add egg, Parmigiano Reggiano, parsley, basil and cooked onion mixture. Toss lightly to combine, then add chicken and continue to gently toss and mix until evenly combined.
Using spoon or small spring-loaded ice cream scoop, scoop small mounds (about 2 tbsp each) onto prepared baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and lightly roll meatballs. Roast meatballs until cooked to 165°F, 15 to 18 minutes. Then broil on high for 2 minutes to get a little colour on top. Set aside.

Sauce

Place high-sided sauté pan back over medium heat and add butter and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, then whisk in flour. Allow flour to toast for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then whisk in tomato paste. Cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, then slowly begin whisking in the chicken broth.
Add cream, bring to a simmer and allow sauce to bubble away until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and hot pepper flakes to taste, add sun-dried tomatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Stir in cooked meatballs and scatter with parsley and basil. Serve over your favourite pasta or with a few hunks of crusty bread.

Keyword chicken meatballs, marry me chicken, Mary Berg, Mary Berg recipes, meatballs

Recipes excerpted from Mary’s Comfort Classics by Mary Berg. Adapted for ELLE Gourmet. Copyright © 2026 Mary Berg. Photographs by Kyla Zanardi. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the publisher. All rights reserved

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