Chicken Pomodoro Delight Italian (Printable Version)
Juicy chicken simmered in vibrant tomato basil sauce with Parmesan, ready in 45 minutes for a satisfying weeknight meal.
# Ingredient List:
→ Meats
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
06 - 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
→ Spices & Herbs
07 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
08 - ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
09 - Salt and black pepper to taste
10 - ½ cup fresh basil leaves, torn
→ Finish
11 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
# How to Make:
01 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet, add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 3 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
04 - Add crushed tomatoes, diced fresh tomatoes, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes to the skillet. Stir to combine and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
05 - Return the seared chicken breasts to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce. Cover with a lid and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
06 - Uncover the skillet and sprinkle the chicken evenly with grated Parmesan cheese. Continue cooking uncovered for 2 minutes until the cheese melts and the sauce thickens slightly.
07 - Scatter torn fresh basil leaves over the top. Serve hot, spooning extra sauce over each chicken breast, with additional Parmesan cheese on the side.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce tastes like it simmered all day but honestly comes together in under an hour, which feels like a small act of kitchen wizardry.
- Everything cooks in one skillet, which means the cleanup situation is almost embarrassingly easy for something this flavorful.
02 -
- Do not skip drying the chicken before searing because any surface moisture creates steam instead of a crust, and that golden sear is where so much of the flavor lives.
- Letting the sauce simmer uncovered for those final two minutes is the small step that transforms it from watery to luscious, so resist the urge to rush and serve immediately.
03 -
- If you want an extra creamy version, stir in a quarter cup of heavy cream just before adding the Parmesan and watch the sauce transform into something velvet smooth.
- The secret to restaurant quality results is using the same skillet for every step because all those browned bits left behind by the chicken become concentrated flavor building blocks for your sauce.