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This creamy tomato chicken recipe has a bright sauce with fresh tomatoes. It’s ready in 30 minutes for a quick and flavorful meal!
You may also like my Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken or this Tomato Spinach Chicken Pasta.
Why you’ll love it
Chicken is a great protein since it’s essentially a blank canvas. It’s probably our favorite to work with since pan frying it is simple and fast. This recipe has a combo of fresh tomatoes and cream for a silky and comforting sauce that perfectly complements the tender chicken.
There’s nothing special or fancy here, and that’s why it’s so good. The basics are just really tasty. It’s one of those no-fuss dishes that’s on the table quickly when you don’t feel like cooking. In my opinion, skillet chicken is always a smart idea, and we’ll never say no to fresh tomatoes!
What you’ll need
- Chicken breasts – cutting them in half lengthwise makes four smaller cutlets
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, this is seasoning for the cutlets
- Flour – for dredging to get a great crust
- Butter and olive oil – for frying
- Garlic – we’re using two cloves, but feel free to use more
- Tomato paste – for concentrated savory flavor
- Heavy cream – to make the sauce luxurious. I don’t recommend using anything else!
- Italian seasoning – it’s a blend of dried Italian herbs that comes all in one jar
- Fresh tomato – choose one that looks exceptionally tasty at the grocery store! From the garden is even better.
How to make creamy tomato chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you’ve got 4 thinner cutlets. Sprinkle them with salt & pepper and garlic powder, then coat them in flour. Sear them in a skillet until they’re cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan.
To the same skillet, add the garlic and tomato paste, followed by the cream and Italian seasoning. Whisk until a smooth sauce forms. Add in the fresh tomato, and continue cooking the sauce for another few minutes. Place the chicken back in, and spoon the tomato cream sauce over top!
Pro tip
- Chicken is cooked when it reaches 165F in the thickest part. Using an instant read meat thermometer is a foolproof method of testing so that you never have to worry about undercooked or overcooked chicken breasts again.
Substitutions and variations
- You could throw in a handful of spinach towards the end if you would like to include some greens. Add a handful of basil while you’re at it!
- Swap the chicken breasts for thighs if you prefer, but I’d cook them for a little bit longer than the suggested timing so they become nice and juicy.
- I don’t recommend subbing the cream for a lower fat alternative (e.g. milk or even half-and-half) since the acidity of the tomatoes may curdle the sauce.
- You can omit the flour if needed, but it does make the chicken brown better, helps it not stick to the pan, and also slightly thickens the sauce.
What to serve with it
- We love this chicken recipe with these Mashed Potatoes or Garlic Butter Egg Noodles if you’re craving carbs. Rice works as well.
- For lighter veggie side dishes, try these Simple Sautéed Leeks or this Easy Asparagus Recipe.
- Or you can serve it with a side salad. Try this Arugula Salad with Fennel and Cheese.
Leftovers and storage
- This will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in the fridge in a covered container.
- Reheat in a small saucepan over a low heat so the sauce doesn’t break, and add a splash of cream to revive the sauce if needed.
- I wouldn’t suggest freezing it. Sauces with cream generally don’t do well in the freezer.
If you have any questions about this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments below! Please leave a star rating and review.
Creamy Tomato Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 medium tomato chopped
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise (so you have 4 thinner pieces). Sprinkle them with the garlic powder and salt & pepper, and coat them in flour.
- Add the butter and olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat. Let the pan heat up for a few minutes.
- Cook the chicken for about 5-6 minutes/side or until golden and cooked through (165F). Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and tomato paste to the skillet and cook for about 20-30 seconds.
- Whisk in the cream and Italian seasoning until smooth.
- Stir in the chopped tomato. Let the sauce cook for another 3-5 minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet and spoon some sauce over top. Season with extra salt & pepper if needed, and serve immediately.
Notes
- I don’t recommend substituting the cream with something that has a lower fat content as it’s likely to curdle due to the acid in the tomatoes.
- If needed, you may leave the fresh tomato out.
- This dish is delicious with a bit of fresh basil added in just prior to serving.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Can I use a tomato basil pasta sauce if I don’t have tomato paste?
Hi! It’s much less concentrated but you could give it a go.
First time trying one of your recipes, but not the last! This was delicious. I substituted the tomato paste with fresh tomatosauce from my garden. This is a new favorite for using up tomatoes!
Yay!! That makes me so happy to hear! 😀 Thanks for your review. Let me know what else you try, Kristina!
Lovely recipe. Had to up the quantities because it was for 5 adults, but everything went smoothly and the family very happy. Had it with mash but will try with pasta next time, and may add in some sliced mushrooms. First recipe of yours I have tried, but I will definitely be back 🙂
That’s so nice to hear, Susan! 😀 Let me know what else you try. Thanks for your review!
Is the flour necessary in this recipe? Making this for dinner tonight and don’t have any.
I think you’ll be ok skipping it. You could add a cornstarch slurry at the end if you find the sauce doesn’t thicken as well as you’d like. Hope you enjoy it!
This looks delish- could you add sun dried tomatoes instead of fresh?
Sure!