Chicken Pomodoro Delight (Print Page)

Juicy chicken braised in a fresh tomato basil sauce with classic Italian Mediterranean flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Pomodoro Sauce

04 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
05 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
08 - 2 large ripe tomatoes, diced
09 - 1 teaspoon dried oregano
10 - ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
11 - 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
12 - 20 fresh basil leaves, torn

→ Garnish

13 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
14 - Fresh basil leaves

# Directions:

01 - Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the chicken breasts and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the diced onion for 2 to 3 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Pour in the crushed tomatoes along with the diced fresh tomatoes, dried oregano, chili flakes, and sugar. Stir to combine and let the sauce simmer for 5 minutes to develop flavor.
05 - Nestle the seared chicken breasts back into the sauce. Cover the skillet with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
06 - Stir the torn basil leaves into the sauce and let everything simmer together for 2 more minutes to release the herb's aroma.
07 - Transfer the chicken to serving plates, spoon the pomodoro sauce generously over the top, and finish with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce tastes like it simmered all day but barely takes thirty minutes from start to finish.
  • It is naturally gluten free and reheats beautifully for lunch the next day without losing any of its charm.
02 -
  • Do not skip browning the chicken first because that golden crust is where much of the deep flavor in the sauce comes from.
  • Resist the urge to lift the lid and check constantly while the chicken braises because each peek releases steam and slows down the cooking.
03 -
  • Let the sauce rest for five minutes off the heat before serving because it thickens and settles into a richer texture.
  • Use the best canned tomatoes you can find because they are the backbone of the entire dish and the quality truly shines through.

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