Tomato basil chicken is the recipe to make when you have an abundance of summer tomatoes and basil that you want to use up. We might be getting ready to get out all the fall decor, pumpkin spice lattes, and comfy clothes, but if there’s one thing I’m not ready to let go of just yet, it’s the beautiful summer tomatoes and basil crops. And really, does anything go together with tomatoes the way basil does? Okay, maybe peanut butter and jelly, you got me there. But really, this is the savory equivalent to that dynamic duo. Picture this: seasoned chicken breasts nuzzled in slow-simmered tomato sauce, speckled with robust garlic, red pepper flakes, fresh basil, and just to let it all roll off the tongue, a knob of butter. Tell me you aren’t falling in love with this one already. Living in Texas sure has its perks, but the 1000% chance of humidity is not one of them. Not when I just blow-dried my hair, walked outside, and within minutes I look like a cross between Hagrid and Hermoine Granger. But what I do love about summer is the abundance of beautiful tomatoes and basil. And how gorgeous they are both served cold, like in a salad, soup or warm, like in this tomato basil chicken recipe. And the fact that I’ve managed to keep my basil plant alive for almost two months in nothing short of a miracle. I’m celebrating by making a batch of tomato basil chicken every week until the basil runs out!
Ingredients you’ll need to make tomato basil chicken:
Boneless skinless chicken: You can use chicken breasts, thighs, or even tenders for this recipe.Seasonings: we’re using garlic powder, salt, and pepper to season the chicken. We’ll use some sugar, salt, and red pepper flakes to season the tomato basil sauce later on.Olive oil: Olive oil is used to cook the chicken in and also the tomatoes for our sauce.Tomatoes: Tomatoes of any sort will work! Previously. I had the recipe listed for the recipe to be made with cherry or grape tomatoes but since then, I’ve made it with Campari tomatoes, Romas, and even plum tomatoes. All of them worked pretty well for this recipe.Tomato puree: Just a quarter cup of tomato puree is used to amp up the tomato flavor. If you don’t happen to have tomato puree on hand, you can also use two tablespoons of tomato paste mixed two tablespoons of water. Minced garlic: Fresh garlic helps flavor the sauce. You can use a little if you aren’t a fan of a lot if you like garlic.Basil: Fresh basil is used for the sauce while it’s simmering and as a garnish on top.Butter: We add a knob of butter at the end to help thicken the sauce and add more flavor. Before the butter, the sauce lacks a bit of that richness. So I used this little restaurant tip (as I do often) to help add a little more richness and shine to the sauce!
How to make the best tomato basil chicken:
Can I use different types of tomatoes for this recipe?
You can swap the cherry/grape tomatoes for plum, Campari, or even Roma tomatoes if you’d like. I suggest chopping the tomato down a bit if you decide to use larger tomatoes so that they don’t take forever to cook.
Why do you sear the chicken in the same pan before you make the sauce?
By searing the chicken first, we create layers of flavor in the pan that we will then use in the tomato basil pan sauce. When you cook seasoned chicken, it leaves behind all these brown bits (or fond) and that is like hitting a gold mine in the flavor department. So when we add the tomatoes to the pan, the acid in the tomatoes releases (or deglazes) all the flavor bits left behind by the chicken and adds free flavor to the pan sauce!
How can I serve tomato basil chicken?
Just about any way you like! I like to serve the sauce tossed with spaghetti. I feel it coats the pasta nicely once thickened with a knob of butter. You can also serve it over cauli-rice, regular rice, or even with a side salad and crusty bread. If you want to get extra fancy, I would drizzle crusty bread with a little olive oil and toast it on a grill pan or in the oven and then rub it with the cut side of a garlic clove. Homemade Caesar salad would be so good alongside that. Tomato Basil Chicken has the last days of summer written all over it.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
One Skillet Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream SauceGarlic Butter Tomato Baked ChickenPesto Baked ChickenEasy Lemon Rosemary ChickenCheesy Baked BBQ Chicken30 Minute Mozzarella ChickenGarlic Butter Baked Chicken BreastsChicken Tikka MasalaFinger Lickin’ Butter Chicken
