Creamy Tomato Skillet Chicken
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Chicken cutlets get the star treatment in no time with a luscious tomato cream sauce, Italian herbs, and wilted spinach tucked in for good measure. Count on this creamy tomato chicken skillet for a quick, satisfying meal you can enjoy any night of the week.
When I need dinner in a hurry, creamy tomato pasta has long been a staple, because it is truly, exceptionally quick and easy to make. I figured it was high time to take the same sauce and pair it up with the other weeknight staple—chicken cutlets—for an alternative that hits all the same notes of flavor and convenience.
This chicken skillet tastes like it requires way more work than it actually does. There is quite a bit of sauce, so don’t hesitate to make a bit of pasta to serve on the side, or mop up the extra with garlic bread or knots. A quick salad or steamed veggie and dinner is all set for another day.
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Tomato Chicken
- Classic Italian flavors in a quick and easy skillet
- Everyday ingredients and pantry staples
- Less than 30 minutes from fridge to table
- Mouth-watering pan sauce is perfect with pasta, bread, or veggies on the side
- Thin-sliced chicken cutlets cook quickly and stay nice and moist
Big fan of these flavors?
Add creamy tomato tortellini (a true one-pan wonder!), tomato sausage pasta, or creamy tomato meatball soup to your menu next. All channel these same cozy vibes and are done in about 30 minutes!
Ingredient Notes
Creamy Tomato Chicken, Step-by-Step
Begin by gathering all your ingredients, including setting out the cream at room temperature. Fridge-cold cream is the most difficult to incorporate smoothly into a simmering sauce.
The first actual cooking step is to season and brown your chicken breasts. Be sure they are thinly-sliced, and for best results do not cook them all the way through at this stage. Once golden on each side, remove to a plate and set aside.
In the same pan, brown a smidge of garlic, then quickly add tomato sauce, tomato paste, a bit of broth, and seasonings. Bring all this to a simmer and let it thicken slightly.
Stir in the cream to finish your sauce.
Once the cream is fully incorporated, return the chicken breasts to the pan, together with any juices from the plate and a few handfuls of baby spinach. As this mixture bubbles, the chicken will finish cooking, the sauce will thicken a bit, and the spinach will wilt gently.
Season to taste with additional salt and pepper—red pepper flakes if you want more of a kick—and keep over the lowest heat setting until ready to serve.
Make Ahead & Storage Tips
- To Make Ahead: Creamy tomato chicken can be a make-ahead meal; prepare it fully, ideally in a lidded skillet, cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, warm over medium-low heat with the lid still on, spooning a bit of sauce over each chicken breast every few minutes.
- To Keep Warm: It also works to make the skillet just slightly ahead and keep over low heat until ready to serve; the sauce keeps the chicken nice and tender. So forgiving if a guest—or a child!—is running late.
- To Store: Refrigerate leftovers in a tightly-covered container. They will keep for at least 3-4 days. Reheat as needed in the microwave on 50% power or in a small saucepan. Using half power in the microwave reduces the chance that your carefully-cooked chicken will dry out when reheated.
More Quick Chicken Skillets
- Lemon Rosemary Chicken Breasts
- One Pan Oregano Chicken
- Creamy Balsamic Chicken with Spinach
- Balsamic Chicken with Spinach and Mushrooms
- Lemon Thyme Chicken without Cream
Creamy Tomato Skillet Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 thin-sliced chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons butter divided
- 1-2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 cup cream
- 2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
- fresh basil and Parmesan for serving
Instructions
- Sprinkle the chicken breasts on both sides with garlic powder and about ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper.4 thin-sliced chicken breasts, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, kosher salt and black pepper
- In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, melt 1 Tablespoon of the butter and the olive oil. Add chicken to the pan and cook for just 1-2 minutes per side, until golden brown on the outside but not yet cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.2 Tablespoons butter, 1-2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon butter to the skillet, then add the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, just until fragrant.2-3 cloves garlic
- Quickly stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, broth, and Italian seasoning. Stir into a smooth sauce and simmer for 1-2 minutes.1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce, 2 Tablespoons tomato paste, 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Reduce heat to medium and stir in the cream. Simmer until the sauce is smooth and gently bubbling.1/4 cup cream
- Return chicken to the pan and tuck in spinach leaves. Let everything bubble for 4-6 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through to 165°F.2 large handfuls fresh baby spinach
- Sample the sauce and Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper to taste. (I start with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 8-10 cranks pepper. Add red pepper for a little kick if you like.)
- Serve with generous sprinkles of Parmesan and fresh basil. Enjoy!fresh basil and Parmesan
Notes
- Amount of Sauce: We find this recipe yields enough sauce to generously coat the chicken breasts and have a light drizzle left over for dressing up a side dish or mopping up with bread or another side of your choice. I’d make the same amount of sauce for up to 6 thin-sliced chicken breasts (just adding more chicken, not making more sauce) because it’s easy to stretch.
- Chicken Breasts: You can purchase these already thin-sliced to save time, if you like, or purchase regular chicken breasts and butterfly them yourself down the middle, cutting all the way through to make two breasts into four cutlets. For the most tender chicken, you also can lay each cutlet flat on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and pound a few times with the flat side of a meat mallet or a heavy-bottomed skillet.
- Chicken Broth: I recommend using low-sodium so you can control how salty the finished dish is. Feel free to swap white wine for a splash of the broth for another dimension.
- Cream: If possible, measure and set the cream on the counter while preparing the early steps of the recipe. Fridge-cold cream is more difficult to whisk smoothly into a simmering sauce. Heavy or light cream work well; half-and-half is alright but does yield a thinner sauce, as you’d expect.
- To Make Ahead: Creamy tomato chicken can be a make-ahead meal; prepare it fully, ideally in a lidded skillet, cover and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, warm over medium-low heat with the lid still on, spooning a bit of sauce over each chicken breast every few minutes.
- To Keep Warm: It also works to make the skillet just slightly ahead and keep over low heat until ready to serve; the sauce keeps the chicken nice and tender.
- To Store: Refrigerate leftovers in a tightly-covered container. They will keep for at least 3-4 days. Reheat as needed in the microwave on 50% power (to avoid drying out) or in a small saucepan.
