This creamy tomato basil chicken recipe has tender chicken and plenty of garlic in a delicious fresh tomato and basil cream sauce. It's ready in about 30 minutes!
The fresh tomatoes and basil add such a nice and summery flavor that lightens up the cream sauce. Fresh tomatoes and cream are such a good combination, in my opinion. I have a Fresh Tomato Salmon Pasta that many readers love... it's a wonder that I haven't done a chicken version yet.
This recipe is also similar to my Creamy Tuscan Chicken, but I swapped the sun-dried tomatoes for fresh ones since I know some people don't like them, and I also left out the spinach. You could, of course, add a handful (or two) of fresh spinach to this recipe, but I kept this one pretty simple.
Recipe notes & tips:
- I don't recommend subbing the cream for something else (e.g. half-and-half or milk) because the tomatoes are likely to curdle the sauce.
- Try swapping the chicken broth for dry white wine if you've got an open bottle!
- I always like to thin out the chicken breasts (cut then in half lengthwise) so they cook faster and more evenly. That way, they stay tender!
Love the tomato & basil flavor combo? Try my 15 Minute One Pan Creamy Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Gnocchi.
What to serve with creamy tomato & basil chicken:
Try it over pasta or mashed potatoes. Roasted potatoes would also be delicious as would my Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad.
Other easy skillet chicken recipes:
I hope you will love this easy chicken recipe! Made this recipe? Questions? Leave me a comment below.
Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 3/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1 medium tomato chopped
- 1 dash Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil sliced thin/chopped
Instructions
- Cut the chicken in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner cutlets. Sprinkle them with the garlic powder and salt & pepper. Coat the chicken in flour.
- Add the oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the chicken and cook it for about 4-5 min/side until the chicken is nice and golden. Remove the pan from the heat, and take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside.
- Add the garlic, Dijon mustard, and chicken broth to the pan and return it to the heat. Let it bubble for about 30 seconds, while stirring to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan and incorporate the mustard.
- Add in the cream, tomatoes, Italian seasoning, and basil. Once it starts to bubble, add the chicken back in and cook it for another 5 minutes or so (sauce will thicken up a bit and the chicken will cook through). You may need to reduce the heat if it's boiling too furiously. Season with extra salt & pepper as needed. You can serve this dish with some parmesan cheese grated over top if you wish.
Notes
- I do not recommend subbing the heavy cream for half-and-half or milk; the sauce will end up thinner and likely curdle due to the high heat and acidity of the tomatoes.
- 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.
Chelle A. says
Another hit recipe from Salt & Lavender! I followed this one pretty much to a T, aside from not really measuring the liquids I added and just "measuring with the heart" 🙂
Also added grated parmesan right after stirring in the cream and allowed it to melt down to provide the extra bit of salt that I was looking for, rather than shaking in more salt and pepper. It was quick and a hit - will be adding this one to the rotation of recipes I return to frequently!
Natasha says
Measuring with the heart is the best way sometimes hehehe. Glad you liked it!!
Sandy says
Delicious and easy. A great way to use up tomatoes and basil from the garden. I doubled the sauce and served it over a blend of rices (wild, brown, white). There were just two of us so we had leftovers, which is nice! I like a little crunchy top to my creamy dishes, so added some homemade garlic croutons, crushed. It was really good!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Love that crouton idea! So pleased you enjoyed it, Sandy. 🙂
Melanie says
Hi Natasha,
What are your thoughts on substituting white wine instead of chicken broth? I think I’ve seen that substitution in some of your other recipes, but not sure if that can be applied universally, or if it’s best to stick with the chicken broth for this particular recipe? Love your recipes 😊
Thanks!
Natasha says
I think that's a great idea!! 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
Steve says
First try. So easy. I nailed it!
Natasha says
Fabulous! 😀
Nicole says
Delicious recipe! Simple to make and yummy 😋
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
Happy to hear you enjoyed it, Nicole!
Deanna says
Let me first start with, I completely screwed thus recipe up lol. 1. The grocery store forgot the heavy cream in my order. 2. I completely forgot to dredge the chicken in flour even though it was sitting right in front of me. That said, the chicken still came out very yummy!! The tomato and garlic sauce gave it plenty of flavor. Can’t wait to try it with the cream 😋
Natasha says
Lol oh no! I'm glad you have a good sense of humor about it and it still worked out haha. Sometimes these things happen. 😀
Tanya Rushcall says
Tomatoes and basil are two items that are out of control in my garden. This recipe is delicious and just what I needed haha.
Natasha says
Wonderful! 😀
catherine flint says
I've made this twice and it's excellent. I add sundrieds and capers. I also add dry sherry. I add dry sherry to all of my cream recipes!
Natasha says
Love those additions!! Sherry and cream go so well together.
Nichole says
Delicious! Great recipe. Very easy to make with the ingredients I had on hand. Husband was very happy with dinner. Went back for seconds. Said we should add this to our rotating menu.
Natasha says
Wonderful!! 🙂 That's what I like to hear!
Amber says
One of our favorite recipes to make! So easy and the whole family loves it.
Natasha says
Wonderful! 🙂
Kim Stroud says
My husband is finally getting his taste back after having Covid and he says this is the best thing he has ever eaten. Even the kids gobbled it up like a Thanksgiving turkey. This one is going in my favorites file!
Natasha says
That makes me so happy, Kim! Glad he's on the mend!
Genalyn says
Thank you for sharing... my kids really enjoyed it!!
Natasha says
Awesome!!
Ellen Helfrich says
The video had lemon juice but I do not see it in the ingredients. Wondering how much?
Natasha says
Hi Ellen! Sorry for the delayed response (I wasn't feeling well yesterday). The video is for a different recipe so don't worry about adding any lemon juice to this one. I know it can be confusing, but the video ads pop up for every recipe and sometimes don't match the recipe.
Myriam says
This was a big hit with my husband this evening! I’m so happy there are leftovers for tomorrow, BONUS! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, it’s delicious !
Natasha says
That's awesome! You're very welcome!
Maria (artsycupcake.com) says
This was a big win with my husband! I used almond flour and no mustard or chicken stock and it turned out AMAZING! This recipe will be a regular in our house!
Natasha says
Great!!
Michelle R. says
I always have half and half on hand for my coffee and use it in all your creamy recipes because I can’t meal plan to save my life. There’s a trick tho: put 1 tsp of cornstarch in a measuring cup, add about 1/4 cup of cream and stir until nice and smooth, then stir in remaining cream to make 1 cup. I haven’t tried it with milk but my sauce never breaks or curdles. Love all your recipes and a few have become family faves. Kids love them with egg noodles or mashed potatoes. You need to do a cookbook!!
Natasha says
Glad it worked out for you, Michelle! 🙂
Elena says
Absolutely delicious! My family loved this recipe, they said it tasted like a restaurant meal. Loved that it didn’t take a long time to cook. Thank you so much.
Natasha says
That's great!! Thanks for commenting! XO
JP says
Think it’s possible to skip the flour? Or would something like almond flour work?
Natasha says
Hi! You could, but the sauce won't thicken as much. It's not a super thick sauce at all to begin with. You could give almond flour a try, but I don't think it'll thicken the sauce in the same way. Maybe a little cornstarch and water?
lindsey kirpal says
so easy and so delicious!! The sauce amount was plenty, but next time I will double the sauce because it was just THAT good!
Natasha says
I'm so glad you liked it! 🙂
Katie Paas says
Loved this recipe! One minor thing- the ingredients list is missing tomatoes currently!
Katie Paas says
Just kidding I am blind. It’s on there. Great recipe.
Natasha says
Haha oh thank goodness... I sometimes do miss ingredients despite all my proofreading efforts. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Erin Stevens says
Very easy and very Delicious!
Natasha says
So glad you liked it, Erin!
Jan says
I just made this and it came out amazing!! I changed a few things. If you don't mind me sharing with you and others. I didn't add the flour. I seasoned the chicken breast with grated fresh garlic and fresh basil. I did not have dijon mustard or chicken broth and I added fresh mushrooms. Thank you for sharing your recipe. Love and light
Natasha says
Sounds delish, Jan!!
Travis says
Is there a dairy substitute you think I could use in place of the heavy cream? Looking to make for my gf tonight and she is sensitive to dairy. Excited to try it though. Thank you!
Natasha says
Hi Travis! Honestly, no. Some readers try my recipes with coconut cream (the stuff that you skim off the top of a can of coconut milk), but it'll give the dish a slight coconutty flavor and not be the same. I personally have not tested it, so I can't say if the results will be good or not. I wish there was a good dairy-free substitute for heavy cream that tastes/acts the same, but I have yet to find one unfortunately.
Jennifer says
My son is allergic to dairy we use the silk brand whipping cream we found at Walmart.
Natasha says
Thanks for the suggestion, Jennifer! A reader actually told me about the same product recently, and so I've been recommending that one. I need to see if they sell it here in Canada and give it a try myself. 🙂
Monica says
I am excited to make this tonight! Do you think it'd go okay with boneless chicken thighs? The store was out of breasts....
Natasha says
Yes, that would be fine! Just make sure they're cooked through thoroughly 🙂
Monica says
I made this with boneless thighs and it was SO good!! Definitely recommend - had with cous cous and side of broccoli 🙂 I think I'd double the recipe next time to have extra leftovers!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! 🙂
Victor Jimenez says
It will go great boneless thighs has alot more flavor then breast. Get a good sear on them and you'll be good to go! Hope u enjoy
Angela says
I made this it was delicious!!
Natasha says
Wonderful!! Thanks so much for letting me know! XO
Dr. Masi says
This was fantastic! Added green beans while the sauce was thickening. I’ll make this again.
Natasha says
Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
Elaine says
Maybe asparagus or mushrooms! I can not see any bean cut any way working well here. It is throwing me off balance thinking about that.
Krystal says
Can’t wait to make this! You’re awesome! Your recipes are simple yet so delicious!
Natasha says
Thank you!! ♥️ Let me know if you make it.
Elaine says
Great recipe! I followed it exact and I felt that it was a little thick (served over angel hair pasta). Next time (and there will be a next time), I will increase the liquid and use wine instead of chicken stock and add a little pasta water to finish the sauce if I feel it is still too heavy when ready to serve. Other than that, it was well balanced and I liket the use of garlic powder and fresh garlic together. I feel that really helped because there is never enough garlic in any one recipe!
Natasha says
I'm glad you enjoyed it! I am crazy about garlic too haha. Thanks for leaving me a review!