This tomato chicken is EVERYTHING! Simple to make, delicious, creamy, and weeknight-easy. And has more sauce than you see in the photo (hiding under the rice), because I also like my sides of rice, veggies, crusty bread, or mashed potatoes coated in it.
I think I'm in the everything-tomato phase these days. Been making lots of different varieties of tomato soups, enjoying sundried tomato pastas, pairing cherry tomatoes with fish, stuffing some in an omelette.
And belting out my cutesy (ahem) jibberish version of the Spanish Ketchup Song, on repeat, if that counts. Anyhoo! Where was I?
Yeah, so this dish doesn't take a lot of effort or time. Chicken breasts, a few fridge and pantry staples, and you're golden.
The process starts with searing seasoned chicken breasts. I then remove them, cooked and juicy, and in the same skillet, make a delish tomato sauce. Some canned crushed tomatoes, a few seasonings, cream, a little zest. And then I lay the cooked chicken in this sauce.
This one will make it into your dinner rotation, pinky promise.
Pre-cooking notes and tips
- You can use skinless, boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts. But since they can't be cut into cutlets, each side will take roughly 6 to 8 minutes to cook to 165°F / 74°C. An instant-read thermometer is your best friend if you want to avoid under- or overcooking your chicken. Overcooked, chewy chicken drags down the whole dish to level SAD.
- Please don't use regular paprika instead of smoked. It's a key flavor component. It doesn't have any kick per se, hence the addition of crushed red pepper flakes, but you can always adjust the quantity of flakes to your preference.
- Making spice mixes for chicken and sauce right at the beginning will save you from rummaging through the drawers and pantry mid-cooking. Also, you really wouldn't have any time gathering spices for sauce when they go in because they saute very briefly and will burn if you don't have them all together, handy and mixed.
- Avoid storebought 'jarlic', it's not the same as fresh. I freeze fresh, peeled ginger and garlic as it's much easier to grate them using a microplane, and the leftovers go right back in the freezer.
- In United States, crushed tomatoes are typically sold in cans measured by ounces. But in a lot of other regions, the same products are labeled in grams or milliliters. A 14-ounce can is roughly equivalent to a 398 to 400 g or ml can, depending on your local labeling conventions.
- Sugar addition may sound confusing in a savory dish, but it balances the acidity of tomatoes really nicely and brings out flavors.
- To prevent whipping/heavy cream from curdling, I always leave it on the counter for a bit so it comes up to room temperature. But if you're careful about pouring it into your sauce gradually, as instructed, that risk gets fairly reduced.
- Lemon zest adds that final touch of complexity. I know the quantity looks small and innocent enough to skip, but don't.
- My personal favorite herb to use in this dish is basil, but I usually have parsley or cilantro sitting in my fridge so I default to those.
Serving ideas
This tomato chicken pairs beautifully with rice. I’ve got recipes for buttered rice, chicken or beef flavored rice, and one that has frozen mixed veggies, in case you’re interested. Mashed potatoes, crusty bread for dunking, and quick sautéed veggies make wonderful sides too.
And that's a wrap!
Friends and family who've tried this recipe all love it, and I'm confident you will too. If you make it, I'd love to hear your feedback. Comment and rate down below.
Happy cooking- Nelo
Tomato Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound (500 g) chicken breasts - (usually 2 pieces) skinless, boneless
- 2.5 tablespoons all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper - divided
- ¾ teaspoon salt - divided (white table salt)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika - divided
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes - adjust to your preference
- 3.5 tablespoons cooking oil - divided
- 5 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 inch piece of ginger - grated (frozen is easier to grate)
- 14 ounces (400 g) crushed canned tomato - (Note A)
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon - base, powder or concentrate
- 1 teaspoon sugar - to balance the acidity
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy/whipping cream - unsweetend
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest - don't press into the spoon to measure
- some chopped fresh parsley - to garnish (basil and cilantro also work)
Instructions
- Have all ingredients prepped and ready before you start cooking. Tip: Click/tap the checkboxes next to each ingredient to track your prep.
- Combine 2.5 tablespoons flour, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika in a bowl. This will be the chicken seasoning.
- In another bowl, mix the remaining ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, along with ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. This is your sauce seasoning.
- Place a chicken breast on a cutting board and slice horizontally through the center to make two cutlets. Repeat with the other breast(s). Optionally, to even out thickness, place cutlets on a flat surface, cover with plastic wrap, and gently pound with a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy pan/pot. This will help with faster, even cooking and prevent dry edges.
- Sprinkle the prepared chicken seasoning over all cutlets and use hands to coat both sides evenly.
- Heat 2.5 tablespoons cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When shimmering, but not smoking, lay the chicken in, without overlapping. If needed, work in batches and divide the oil between them.
- Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through (internal temperature 165°F / 74°C). Remove from skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium-low heat. Add minced garlic, grated ginger, and the prepared sauce seasoning. Sauté for 15 seconds (careful not to burn), then add 2 tablespoons water and cook another 30 seconds.
- Add crushed canned tomatoes, chicken bouillon, sugar, and ½ cup water. Reduce heat to low and simmer 5 minutes. Stir in heavy/whipping cream and simmer 2 more minutes, until very slightly thickened.
- Mix in lemon zest and return the chicken with any of it's juices to the skillet. Cover and warm 2 minutes.
- Taste and adjust salt if needed. Garnish with chopped parsley, basil, or cilantro.
- Serve with rice, crusty bread, mashed potatoes, or sautéed veggies. If you try this recipe, I'd love to hear how it turned out in your kitchen. Leave your rating and comment below.
Zunera says
Another banger by Nelo! This recipe turned out absolutely delicious. I know I keep repeating myself in the comments, but this one is truly different from the others and perfectly hits the right flavours.
Nelo says
You made my day, Zunera! Thank you for the lovely comment. So happy you enjoyed it 😊