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 enjoy 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!
Ingredients for it
- 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 it
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!
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.
Lisa says
This was a great find! YUMMY recipe! I'm clearing out my freezer in anticipation of a big move and so I used chicken tenderloins that I had on hand. I also used Roma Tomatoes. Yes, it definitely needs salt, just as you stated. I also added sliced onions because I love onions and I incorporate them everywhere I can. I had oven roasted whole green beans as the side. This recipe has won a spot in my recipe box! Great job! I'm really glad that I found Salt and Lavender. I eat mostly chicken, so cooking it many different ways makes my meals a lot more interesting!
Natasha says
I'm so glad that you enjoyed it!! 🙂 Thanks for following along, Lisa!
Osmond Naylor says
I did not have garlic powder at hand but I do have puffball powder from puffballs I see locally. They are chopped small then dried in the oven and ground down to a fine powder. I used more of that and less flour for dredging. I used tinned tomatoes and threw in a lot of basil. Lovely!
Natasha says
Sounds good to me!! 🙂
Claire says
Just made this for dinner tonight. So quick and easy but very tasty. And all in one pot, my favourite! I added a shallot along with garlic (just because I love onions in everything!) and used some cherry tomatoes as that's what I had. Thanks for sharing your fab recipes!
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it!! 🙂 Thanks for your review, Claire!
Melissa H. says
OMG Natasha, this was amazing! My house smelled like an italian restaurant 🙂 Lets talk about the flavors here! Everything just blended together perfectly. The sauce was a beautiful pinkish red creamy dream and it covered the chicken like a cozy creamy tomato saucy blanket! My husband asked for this to be weekly rotation and i couldnt agree more. I made this yesterday for our lunch while working from home and honestly so fast to put together but tasted like I spent hours preparing it! this is 10 stars and 2 empty plates! x
Natasha says
Yay!! So happy you enjoyed it. 🙂 Thanks for your thorough review!
Jenna says
This looks so good! Would it be possible to use less heavy cream to maybe make it slightly healthier?
Natasha says
Hi Jenna! You're welcome to play with the quantities, but I haven't tested it any other way than it's written. You could try less cream and some chicken broth, but the sauce won't be as thick. Let me know if you end up adapting it.
Korina says
Can you use coconut cream instead ?
Thank you 🙂
Natasha says
Hi! I haven't tested it, and it won't taste quite the same, but I don't see why you couldn't try. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Chriis says
Great dish. A lot of flavors. I added fresh basil, a shallot and served it over small ditalini pasta with a light pesto sauce.everyone loved it.
Natasha says
Thank you!! 🙂 Love those additions.
AngelaML says
I made this tonight, it was so easy and tasty! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE all of your chicken pan fried recipes so much, please keep them coming!!! You taught me how to cook this basic skill and it's the base of so many of your terrific recipes. Forever thankful to you! 😍
I substituted the following: light cream for the heavy cream (which I always do and is still considered a "cheat meal" for me 😊). I added a half bag of spinach because I had some leftover from another meal. Next time I will add a whole bag because it's healthy and wilted spinach doesn't add much to the dish. I also added a Tbls of basil paste from a tube. Didn't have tomato paste or fresh tomatoes, so used a 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes. Served over spaghetti. It was awesome! We raved how it wasn't "heavy" even though it had a cup of light cream.
Love all of your recipes, thank you!
Natasha says
I will keep them coming... I am so happy that you like them so much!! 🙂 Thanks for including your tweaking suggestions... comments like yours are always useful for other readers.
Paula says
This was so simple and delicious 🙂
Natasha says
I'm so pleased to hear that, Paula! 😀 Thank you for taking the time to review my recipe.