Bring Italian flavors into your kitchen with this Creamy Tomato Chicken Skillet. Herby, creamy, flavorful, and delicious. High in protein and gluten-free.
This deliciously creamy and herb-filled dish will take you down the sunny paths of Italy!
Chicken breasts soak up the flavors of the Mediterranean in this skillet dish, with a gloriously summery sauce you will love!
Plenty of authentic Italian seasoning and herbs are going to boost these chicken breasts for a super tasty mid-week dish or use as a simple elegant meal to entertain friends.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken breasts (2 lbs) – Large, corn-fed chicken breasts are best for this recipe as they will give you lots of flavor. If you prefer, you could use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead.
Onion powder (½ tsp) – This super powder will give you a boost of onion taste without the eyes watering. It does add a lovely, sweet onion taste, but you could use garlic powder as an alternative.
Salt (1/2 tsp) – Any table salt, sea salt, or even a pink Himalayan salt would be great. All would work well here.
Black pepper (1/2 tsp) – Use freshly ground black pepper to get the best spicy warmth for this!
Olive oil (1 tbsp) – You don’t need to use an expensive extra-virgin olive oil. Use your favorite olive oil that you have to hand.
Garlic Cloves (6) – Get some plump cloves for this. You could even try some smoked cloves for a change.
Chopped tomatoes (2 14 oz cans) – it’s worth spending a little more on a good quality canned chopped tomato, where you will find the juices thicker and the tomatoes sweeter!
Italian seasoning (1 tbsp) – These warming spices of the Mediterranean are usually a combination of garlic powder, dried oregano, dried rosemary, dried thyme, and sometimes fennel seeds. You could use any of these or make your own mix!
Parmesan cheese (1/4 cup) – Freshly grated parmesan cheese is the best. You could use Pecorino cheese here or anything else you may prefer.
Heavy cream (1/2 cup) – This adds the delicious creaminess you will love! You could also just stir in a little cream cheese, crème Fraiche, or sour cream for an equally creamy result.
Fresh basil (1/3 cup) – This herb is perfect to top an Italian-inspired dish, but you could use another fresh herb, such as flat-leaf parsley or a little fresh rosemary, if you like.
How to Make Creamy Tomato Chicken Skillet
Step 1. First, take each chicken breast and cut the top half of each into squares (without fully cutting through).
This creates a larger surface area, so the chicken breasts cook through quicker, and the seasoning can get in!
Step 2. Sprinkle the onion powder, salt, and black pepper all over the cut chicken breasts.
Step 3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat (this skillet is perfect, and it goes into the oven). Add the olive oil. When it’s really hot, carefully place the chicken breasts in the skillet, uncut side down first.
Step 4. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until it’s golden brown.
Step 5. Lower the heat and then add the crushed garlic cloves into the skillet. Let this cook for about 1 minute.
Step 6. Next, add the chopped tomatoes and Italian seasoning to the skillet and stir. Let the chicken breasts simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes.
Step 7. Add the heavy cream and stir well to create a light and creamy sauce.
Step 8. Simmer on a gentle heat for a further 3-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Serve with the chopped basil leaves and grated parmesan sprinkled over the top.
What Can You Serve the Creamy Tomato Chicken With?
For a light and fresh supper, how about just adding a mixed salad of lettuce leaves, arugula, cucumber, fresh tomatoes, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar?
For a filling dish, this Creamy Tomato Chicken Skillet goes perfectly with pasta. Any pasta shape would be great, but you could try using orzo as a change!
Crusty sourdough would make a tasty accompaniment, where the bread can be used to mop up any spare sauce. Normal bread rolls or sliced bread would also work well.
How Can I Store this Creamy Tomato Chicken Skillet?
If you don’t eat this all up at once, you could place it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 days. It’s a good dish to make ahead as the flavors will develop more overnight.
You could also freeze this in individual containers so you can grab a serving and defrost it just for you. When reheating, always make sure the chicken is piping hot all the way through.
Add the chopped fresh basil and grated cheese just before serving.
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Full Video Tutorial
Creamy Tomato Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 2 14 oz cans of chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup fresh basil chopped
Instructions
- Cut the top part of the chicken breasts into squares without fully cutting through. This will create a larger surface area, so the chicken breasts cook through quicker.
- Sprinkle onion powder, salt, and black pepper over the chicken.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When it's hot enough, place the chicken breasts on the skillet.
- Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until it's golden brown.
- Lower the head and press in garlic cloves into the skillet. Let it cook for 1 minute.
- Add in the chopped tomatoes and Italian seasoning. Stir it and let the chicken breasts simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes or so.
- Add in the heavy cream.
- Give everything a mix and let it simmer for 3-5 minutes.
- Serve with basil leaves and parmesan sprinkled over the top.