Creamy Tomato Chicken

My Creamy Tomato Chicken ticks all the boxes for a mid-week meal. It is cooked in one pan, is full of flavour and enjoyed by adults and children alike and you can have it on the table in 30 minutes. We use chicken tenderloins in this recipe, and as the names suggests, they are reliably tender. No dry chicken here! The chicken is bathed in a creamy tomato sauce, flavoured with garlic, oregano, basil and a touch of chilli flakes. It is certain to become a family favourite.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine International

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 424kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

500 g (1.1 lb) chicken tenderloins
40 g (¼ cup) all-purpose/plain flour - use gluten-free if needed See Note 1
2 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter See Note 2
2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

For the Creamy Tomato Sauce:

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 large garlic cloves - finely chopped
¾ cup (180 ml) tomato passata See Note 3
¾ cup (180 ml) heavy whipping/thickened cream See Note 4
¼ teaspoon red chilli pepper flakes
2 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley - finely chopped
3 tablespoon fresh basil leaves - finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste See Note 5

Instructions

Have all your ingredients prepared before you start to cook.
There is a small, white, tough tendon at the end of the chicken tenderloin. You will need to remove it with a sharp knife or a pair of scissors. There’s no need to remove it all; the tendon inside the meat is very thin and you won’t notice it after cooking but it is important to remove the larger, thicker piece. Don’t try to pull it out or the meat may fall apart.
Pat the chicken dry with some paper towel.
On a large plate, mix the flour, oregano and salt and pepper. Toss the chicken in it so it is well coated. Tap off any excess flour.
In a large frying pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. Remove the chicken to a clean plate and set aside.
In the same pan, add the remaining butter and melt. Once heated, add the chopped garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes, being careful to not let the garlic burn.
Add in the tomato passata and chilli flakes. Scrape the bottom of the pan to get all of the flavour. Simmer the sauce for 2 minutes.
Add in the cream and parsley. Simmer the sauce for 3 minutes, or until thickened slightly.
Return the chicken to the pan and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Check that the seasoning is to your liking.
Serve with the finely chopped basil. Serve immediately.

Notes

Gluten-free: adapt this recipe to gluten-free by using the appropriate flour.
Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each listed tablespoon.
Tomato passata: this is pureed, strained, tomatoes, generally sold in glass bottles. The best substitute is pureed tinned tomatoes.
Cream: for a creamy texture and best flavour, use full-fat cream. Thickened/heavy whipping cream should have a minimum 35% fat content.
Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour. Proper seasoning is essential for a delicious dish that is well flavoured.
Storage: cooled leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat gently at a low heat. As the sauce is cream based, reheating can cause it to split – adding a little additional cream can stop this from happening.
Freezing: this dish is not suitable for freezing.

Nutrition