The “30-Minute Tuscan” Chicken: The Easiest, Creamiest Sun-Dried Tomato Skillet!

Do you have a secret weapon ingredient in your pantry? It’s one of those simple, shelf-stable items that can instantly transform a boring weeknight meal into something truly spectacular and delicious. For me, that one magic ingredient is a jar of oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes.

Their intensely sweet, tangy, and deeply savory flavor is like concentrated sunshine in a jar, capable of creating a sauce with incredible depth in just a matter of minutes. When this is combined with a little bit of fresh garlic and some cream, they create a luscious sauce that tastes like it has been simmering for hours. It is a true culinary shortcut to amazing, gourmet flavor.

Today, we are putting that powerhouse ingredient to work in this incredible 30-Minute Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken. This one-pan skillet meal is a perfect example of how a few smart ingredients can create an elegant and impressive dinner in a flash. Get ready to discover your new favorite weeknight meal.

The Ultimate “Restaurant-at-Home” Meal: Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

This Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken is the ultimate restaurant-at-home meal. The recipe brilliantly creates a rich, velvety, and deeply flavourful sauce that perfectly coats every single piece of tender, juicy chicken. It’s a simple, yet incredibly elegant dish that tastes like it came from a fine Italian restaurant but is ready in minutes.

A Perfect Easy 30-Minute Meal for Simple Skillet Dinners

You will find that this is the perfect easy 30-minute meal. The entire dish, from searing the chicken to creating the luscious pan sauce, all comes together in one single skillet. This makes it one of the absolute best simple skillet dinners, as it delivers a huge amount of gourmet flavor with the absolute minimum of cleanup.

Your Guide: What to Make with a Jar of Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Beyond tossing them in salads or on pasta, one of the best ways to use a jar of sun-dried tomatoes is to make them the star of a creamy and luxurious pan sauce. You can sauté the chopped, oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes with some fresh garlic, then create a beautiful pan sauce with heavy cream and salty Parmesan cheese. This simple method unleashes their intense sweet-tart flavor, creating an incredible base for a dish like this chicken.

Why You’ll Love This Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

You are going to love this recipe because it is an unbelievably fast and easy one-pan meal that is absolutely packed with a rich, creamy, and savory flavor. You’ll also adore how the sweet and tangy sun-dried tomatoes perfectly complement the tender chicken and the luscious Parmesan cream sauce. Plus, it’s an incredibly impressive and elegant meal that is simple enough for a weeknight but special enough for a date night.

Nutritional Benefits

This beautiful and simple skillet meal is a wonderfully satisfying dish. The chicken breast is a fantastic source of high-quality, lean protein. By making your own simple cream sauce from scratch at home with fresh ingredients, you also have complete control over the amount of salt and the quality of the ingredients you are using.

Full Recipe

Are you ready to create a show-stopping dinner that is so good, it will become your new go-to for a quick and impressive meal? This detailed guide will walk you through every simple step, from creating the flavour-packed cream sauce to bringing it all together in one skillet. Get ready to master a new favorite recipe that will make any evening feel special.

When you need dinner in a dash, this is the recipe to reach for. Juicy chicken breast in a vibrant, creamy sun-dried tomato sauce that comes together in one skillet. It’s a 30-minute meal that delivers impressive, delicious results every single time.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 20 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes | Yield: 4 servings | Category: Dinner, Main Course | Method: Sautéing, Skillet | Cuisine: Italian-American | Diet: Low-Carb, Keto

Essential Ingredients for Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

This decadent and easy skillet dinner comes together with a handful of simple, flavour-packed ingredients.

• Chicken: 1.5 lbs (about 700g) of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into cutlets
• For the Creamy Sauce:
  • 1 ½ cups of heavy cream
  • ½ cup of low-sodium chicken broth
  • ½ cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Aromatics: 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• Flavor Boosters:
  • ½ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon of dried Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes (optional)
• Fat: 2 tablespoons of olive oil (or oil from the sun-dried tomato jar)
• For Serving: Fresh basil or parsley, chopped

Ingredients Notes

A little more detail on our key ingredients will ensure your chicken dish is a spectacular success.

• The Chicken: For this quick-cooking recipe, it is best to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts that have been sliced in half horizontally to create thin “cutlets.” This simple step ensures that the chicken cooks very quickly and evenly in the pan without drying out.
• The Sun-Dried Tomatoes: For the most intense, sweet, and tangy flavour, it is best to use sun-dried tomatoes that have been packed in oil. They are wonderfully tender and their rich flavour is a signature component of this dish. Do not throw away the oil from the jar; it’s infused with incredible flavour and is perfect for searing your chicken.
• The Heavy Cream and Parmesan: For the richest, most luscious, and stable sauce that will not break or curdle, it is essential to use a full-fat heavy cream. The freshly grated Parmesan cheese is what helps to thicken the sauce and gives it a wonderful, salty, and nutty flavour.
• The Garlic: For the most potent and delicious aromatic flavour, it is absolutely essential to use freshly minced garlic. The pre-minced jarred variety often has a duller, more acidic taste that can’t compare to the sweet, savory flavour of fresh garlic in this simple sauce.

How to Make a Delicious, Protein-Packed Meal

Let’s walk through the incredibly simple one-pan process for this gourmet-tasting dinner.

• Step 1: Prepare and Cook the Chicken. First, season your thin chicken cutlets on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side, until it is golden brown and cooked through, then transfer it to a plate.
• Step 2: Create the Sauce Base. Reduce the heat to medium. In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and cook for about one minute, stirring constantly, until it is very fragrant.
• Step 3: Simmer the Sauce. Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any delicious browned bits from the bottom. Whisk in the heavy cream, the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, the Italian seasoning, and the optional red pepper flakes. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and let it cook for about 5 minutes, until it has thickened slightly.
• Step 4: The Final Cheesy Finish. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese until it has melted and the sauce is smooth and velvety.
• Step 5: Combine and Serve. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the sauce, spooning the creamy sauce over the top of each piece. Garnish with some fresh chopped basil or parsley and serve immediately.

Storage Options

This creamy chicken dish is at its absolute best when it is enjoyed fresh and hot right from the skillet. If you do have any leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The rich cream sauce will thicken considerably as it cools.

To reheat, it’s best to place the chicken and sauce in a skillet over a very low heat. Add a generous splash of milk or chicken broth and stir gently until the sauce becomes creamy again and the chicken is heated all the way through.

Variations and Substitutions

This luxurious recipe is a wonderful template that you can easily adapt to your tastes. For some extra earthy flavour, you can sauté some sliced cremini mushrooms in the pan after you cook the chicken. You can also add a large handful of fresh baby spinach to the sauce at the end and let it wilt for a boost of healthy greens. If you prefer a different protein, this creamy Tuscan-style sauce is also absolutely fantastic with pan-seared shrimp or pork chops.

Practical & Valuable Tips

For the most flavourful sauce, always use the oil from the jar of your oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes to cook your chicken and garlic; it is infused with delicious herbs and tomato flavour. For the smoothest possible cream sauce, always use freshly grated Parmesan cheese from a block and stir it into the cream over a very low heat. Finally, do not overcrowd the pan when you are searing your chicken; cook it in two batches if you need to, to ensure every piece gets a beautiful golden-brown color.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts? Yes, absolutely! Boneless, skinless chicken thighs would be incredibly juicy and delicious in this recipe. You would just need to increase the cooking time by a few minutes on each side to ensure they are cooked all the way through.
2. My cream sauce broke or looks oily. What did I do wrong? This usually happens if the heat is too high when the dairy and cheese are added. It is very important to keep the sauce at a gentle simmer and never let it come to a rapid boil. Using full-fat heavy cream also creates a more stable sauce that is much less likely to break.
3. What is the best way to serve this chicken? This rich dish is fantastic served over a bed of pasta, like fettuccine or penne, to soak up all the delicious sauce. It is also wonderful with a side of creamy polenta, mashed potatoes, or some crusty bread for dipping. For a low-carb option, it’s perfect with zucchini noodles or steamed asparagus.
4. Can I use a different kind of cheese? While Parmesan is the classic choice for its salty, nutty flavor, you could also experiment with other hard, aged cheeses. A grated Pecorino Romano or an Asiago cheese would also be delicious.
5. Can I make this dish ahead of time? This dish is at its absolute best when it is made and served fresh. The delicate chicken and the rich cream sauce do not hold up as well for reheating as some other dishes. Because it is so fast to make, it is best to prepare it right before you plan to eat.

Conclusion

This 30-Minute Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken is your ultimate secret weapon for a dinner that feels incredibly special without any of the stress. It’s a dish that proves a gourmet, restaurant-quality meal can be on your table on any busy weeknight. It is a perfect, elegant, and incredibly delicious recipe that is guaranteed to impress. Find out why this is one of the best yummy chicken recipes for a quick dinner. If you love this easy and indulgent meal, don’t forget to share it and save it to your favorite dinner recipes board on Pinterest!