Creamy Tomato Chicken

Ready in under 30 minutes, this one-pan creamy tomato chicken is perfect for a weeknight meal! Tender chicken breasts come together in a cheesy and creamy tomato sauce that can be served over pasta as a healthy and high-protein dinner that makes great leftovers too.

If you’re looking for a cozy yet easy dinner idea, look no further than this creamy tomato chicken recipe. Part tomato sauce, part tomato soup, part grilled chicken, this dish is a great way to make the most of pantry staples while having a little fun in the kitchen at the same time.

What You’ll Need

Here are the ingredients you’ll need to make this chicken with creamy tomato sauce:

• Chicken Breasts: The recipe calls for boneless chicken breasts, however, you could certainly use chicken thighs if you prefer. If using chicken thighs, you’ll just need to reduce the cooking time slightly since they cook faster.
• Crushed Tomatoes: Using canned tomatoes makes this creamy tomato chicken quick to prepare without forgoing taste. If possible, use fire-roasted crushed tomatoes for an extra depth of flavor.
• Tomato Paste: Just enough to thicken the sauce.
• Olive Oil: To cook the chicken while adding some healthy fats and flavor at the same time.
• Heavy Cream: The key to a good creamy sauce!
• Parmesan Cheese: To help enhance the creaminess and give the sauce a nice salty bite.
• Onion and Garlic: Some tomato sauce essentials.
• Red Pepper Flakes: For a bit of heat. You can omit them if you don’t like spice.
• Basil: To balance out the flavors and add a bit of freshness.

If you’d like to add a bit more flavor or want to amp up your pantry staples, add some fennel seeds along with the red pepper flakes.

How to Make Creamy Tomato Sauce for Chicken

Making a creamy tomato sauce is quite simple and can easily be done with kitchen and pantry staples. Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Brown the chicken breast in a large skillet in olive oil. This helps to sear the chicken, lock in the juices, and flavor the tomato sauce. Set them aside.
2. In the same skillet add some onion, garlic, red pepper flakes, tomato paste, and crushed tomatoes. Stir everything until well combine and bring it to a bubble.
3. Pour in the heavy cream, add the parmesan cheese, and stir until the tomato sauce until nice and creamy.
4. Return your chicken to the pan to finish up until the chicken is cooked through, and that’s it!

For an extra creamy and flavorful touch, grate parmesan cheese over the top of the chicken and sprinkle with a bit of fresh basil.

Red’s Nutrition Tip

When people see the word “creamy” in conjunction with a recipe there is often an immediate assumption that it’s unhealthy but that could not be further from the truth. In fact, the use of a little heavy cream and parmesan cheese in this dish helps to give the sauce a velvety texture, while providing some healthy fats at the same time.

What to Serve with Creamy Tomato Chicken

This creamy tomato chicken recipe is an excellent source of protein and healthy fats. While it can be consumed as is, by pairing it with a source of complex carbohydrates and fiber-rich vegetables you can easily create a balanced meal without much effort. Here are some examples of what you could serve the chicken with:

• Pasta and Baby Spinach
• Potatoes and Broccoli
• Rice and Asparagus
• Couscous and Green beans
• Quinoa and Kale

If you’re serving the chicken over pasta, I’d recommend penne, rigatoni, or fusilli, as these short-cut pasta shapes will hold the sauce well and be similar in size to the chicken when cut. While you can pour the sauce and chicken directly over cooked pasta, for the best results, I’d recommend removing the cooked chicken from the pan, then adding cooked pasta to the sauce and giving it a good toss to ensure it’s well coated before serving it onto a plate and topping it with a chicken breast.

More One-Pan Chicken Recipes:

• Spinach and Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken
• Lemon Paprika Chicken Breasts
• Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs

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