This glowing chicken in sun-dried tomato sauce brings the sunshine in no matter the weather. A cheeky kitchen hack makes this one of the quickest and easiest sauces for chicken ever.
Get your greens in by serving Roasted Asparagus and Radishes with Mustard Vinaigrette as a side.
I’m already longing for the sun on my skin and lighter evenings, and find myself turning to the recipes that remind me of summer and sunny times for solace. And there are few flavours that evoke those feelings better than a rich sun-dried tomato sauce.
Chicken Breast Recipes
Years of cooking family meals has meant I’ve had to come up with infinite easy chicken recipes. But chicken legs, thighs and wings quite literally meant bones of contention, so I had to whittle further to strictly chicken breast recipes.
Without having to battle meat from the bone, any chicken breast dish was rapidly gobbled up. And if it came in a creamy sauce- winner, winner, chicken dinner!
Cooking the breasts in sauce will guarantee that juicy, tender mouthful we all crave, not to mention easy chewing for small jaws.
Chicken breast in a creamy sauce? It’s a recipe for success!
Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
The famous classic green pesto is a fresh-tasting mix of basil, hard Italian cheese, garlic and olive oil. Sun-dried tomato pesto is the same ingredients, swapping out the basil for sweet, ripe tomatoes. The concentrated paste is still sharp with raw garlic and cheese, but mellowed by sun-warmed tomato.
In this recipe I’ve softened the intensity further with double cream to appeal to tiny tastebuds. Besides being incredible over chicken, it’s an ideal sauce for pasta too. Try it with filled pasta like tortelloni or ravioli.
Making pesto from scratch isn’t exactly an investment of time, you can throw it together in five minutes. But if you don’t fancy a block of parmesan hanging about in your fridge until the end of time, this creamy chicken sauce will be just as flavoursome made with a store-bought jar. It’s not cheating!
One you try this recipe and fall in love with it and I know you will you can try a few variations on it.Why not use my Tuscan Kale Pesto as a base. It will still keep you in the Italian territory but will offer a different flavour profile and a bright green colour.
Or if you are feeling really adventurous, you can mix in my Zesty Cilantro Pesto and enjoy a dish that will be reminiscent of the cuisine hailing from the Caucasian mountains. Bright, fresh and wholesome!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Before cooking, brown the chicken all over for a tender texture and a depth of flavour to the sauce.
- I’ve used an Italian herb mix to season the chicken, but if you have dried basil or oregano in your cupboard those will do too.
- I’m a big fan of cooking with wine. It tenderises meat and adds flavour. However, if you prefer to leave it out, go ahead as there’s no need to substitute with any other liquid in this case.
- Flour is used to thicken the sauce, if you’re gluten-free you can use corn starch in its place.
- Spinach is the quickest vegetable to be added to this dish. It just needs to be placed on top of the chicken while cooking and it will slowly wilt. Other leafy greens like kale or cavolo nero will do the same. Feel free to use any other family favourites like peas or broccoli.
- This recipe can also be adapted to dairy-free. There are lots of plant-based alternatives to cream, but I use Soya Single Cream by Alpro. Oat cream is another great option.
Storage and leftovers
Cream-based dishes tend not to freeze well. The cream will become grainy and the velvety-smooth integrity of the dish will be lost. It’s not worth the freezer space!
If you do have any leftovers though, they can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for two to three days. To reheat in the oven, preheat at 350F/180C, transfer the chicken and sauce to an oven-safe dish, add a splash of water or chicken stock, cover with foil to keep moist, and cook for 15 minutes. Check your chicken is hot all the way through before serving.
Popular Chicken Recipes with Delicious Sauces
- Baised Chicken and Mushrooms in Sour Cream Sauce
- Chicken Paprikash
- Spanish Chicken in Bravas Sauce
- Chicken and Green Peas in Cream Sauce
Chicken in Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Italian herb mix or dried basil
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp flour
- 60ml/1/4 cup dry white wine
- 250ml/1 cup chicken stock
- 3 tbsp sun-dried tomato pesto
- 250ml/1 cup double/heavy cream
- 30g/1 cup spinach
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with the salt and Italian herbs, heat the olive oil in a deep frying pan and brown the chicken for 3-5 minutes on each side until golden but not cooked all the way through. Remove to a separate plate and set aside till needed.
- To the same pan add the minced garlic and cook over low heat for about 20 seconds, then sprinkle the pan with the flour all over and mix to combine with the olive oil to form a paste, cook for about 30 seconds while stirring, then add the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spatula to release the burned to the bottom bits, the mixture will turn brown, continue stirring for a minute or so.
- Add the chicken stock, sun-dried tomato pesto and heavy cream, mix to combine and simmer for a couple of minutes, then bring the chicken breasts back to the pan and spoon the sauce over them, cook over low heat for 15 minutes, then add the spinach and cover the pan with a lid for 2-3 minutes to allow the spinach to wilt. Uncover the pan, stir the spinach in and take off the heat and serve.
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