This Chicken Breast with Tomatoes combines tender pan fried chicken breast with sauteed juicy tomatoes, garlic, and herbs for an easy, flavorful weeknight 30 minute meal.
Other Ukrainian inspired recipes we make on repeat are baked chicken and mushrooms and mom’s roasted chicken thighs and potatoes.
The Best Chicken Tomato Recipe
As a busy mom, I’m always looking for super simple, low effort midweek meal options like this one pan chicken tomato recipe or pesto chicken. This recipe combines tender, juicy chicken breast with tomato sauce made with flavorful tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. And all in one pan for less washing up!
This chicken in tomato sauce recipe uses just 8 ingredients – salt, pepper and oil included! With an emphasis on ripe, juicy tomatoes. Use farmers market ones if you can, you won’t regret it! I’ve already shared several of my favorite tomato recipes, including this tomato feta pasta salad, rice stuffed tomatoes and tomato soup. Now you can enjoy sauteed tomatoes that break down and become a self-saucing, juicy tomato sauce.
Even self-proclaimed tomato haters will love this one! Or at least in my experience. Especially when you combine them with smoky, lightly seasoned, tender pan seared chicken breast. And serve over creamy Instant Pot mashed potatoes or cauliflower mashed potatoes.
Plus, as this recipe uses boneless chicken breast fillets instead of whole chicken breast, it’s cooked in less time, and there’s less worry about whether the chicken is cooked through (phew!).
Once baked, serve the tomato chicken with your choice of grain or sides, and the whole family will be satisfied. In Ukraine, this would be served with buckwheat, and I suggest you try it one time. I love buckwheat! You should check out this buckwheat stir fry.
The Garlic Tomato Chicken Ingredients
For the pan-fried chicken breast:
- Chicken: I used 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into tenders. You could also use chicken tenderloin but may need to slightly reduce the cooking time.
- Oil: I used avocado oil. You could also use olive oil or another neutral cooking oil.
- Seasonings: I used a combination of dried oregano, salt and pepper. You could swap out the oregano for other herbs or seasonings such as rosemary, Italian herbs, Herbes De Provence, lemon thyme, etc.
For the tomato sauce:
- Tomatoes: You can use any variety of ripe, juicy tomato or even a combination; cherry, beefsteak, vine, etc. In winter, I recommend using vine tomatoes for the best results.
- Garlic: Avoid the pesky questionable store-bought garlic puree and use fresh garlic cloves.
- Herbs and seasonings: Like the pan fried chicken, I used dried oregano, salt and pepper. Plus, finely chopped basil or parsley to garnish.
Optional Add-Ins and Variations
This one-pan chicken breast with tomatoes is similar to a cacciatore – a combination of herbs, tomato, sometimes peppers, and braised chicken – often with extra vegetables, but with a fresher, lighter finish. However, you can still add several add-ins to this dish with delicious and nutritious results.
- Cheese: There’s nothing quite like cheese and tomato, so feel free to grate a healthy helping of gruyere, cheddar, parmesan, or other sharp cheese. Add this in the last few minutes of cooking, just enough for it to melt. It also acts almost like a protective barrier, locking in those juices over the chicken. Delicious!
- Other vegetables: Sliced onions, mushrooms, olives, bell peppers, spinach, kale, etc., will all work as add-ins to this dish. Lightly sauté with the garlic and allow them to simmer in with the tomatoes.
- White wine/vinegar: You can add a splash to the pan when adding the tomatoes. The harsh flavor will burn off, leaving behind added depth to your tomato chicken dish.
- Chili: If you like spice, you can add some thinly sliced chili or red pepper flakes to the dish while cooking or garnish over the chicken and tomatoes.
- Tin of diced tomatoes: If you want even more tomato sauce, feel free to add more fresh tomatoes OR a base of (high quality) canned diced/chopped tomatoes and fresh tomatoes. It will add depth of flavor and tons more tomato sauce to enjoy with the garlic tomato chicken or over grains.
How to Make Chicken Breast with Tomatoes
For the full ingredient quantities and recipe, there is a full recipe card below.
- Season the chicken breasts: First, cut the chicken breasts into tenders and season with oregano, salt, and pepper. You can do this directly on the chopping board.
- Prepare the tomatoes and garlic: Peel and mince the garlic and cut the tomatoes depending on their size. For larger tomatoes, I cut wedges (around 8 per tomato); for smaller tomatoes (like cherry), you can chop them in half.
To peel and chop the garlic in no time, smash it with the flat side of a knife first, THEN peel and mince – it’ll be easy-peasy to peel that way!
- Sear the chicken breasts: In a large skillet over medium heat, add a little oil and sear ½ of the seasoned chicken (unless your pan can fit it all at once, then go for it!) on one side until its edges begin to turn white, then flip over and cook until golden brown (4-5 minutes per side, usually). Remove the cooked chicken and repeat this step with the remaining chicken- then set it aside.
- Cook the vegetables: Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic and oregano and lightly sauté for one minute, stirring regularly. Then add the tomatoes to the pan, season with salt and pepper, increase the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes. If the tomatoes aren’t juicy, add a splash of water or vegetable/chicken stock.
- Assemble and serve: Once the tomatoes are cooked, turn off the heat. Add the chicken back to the skillet and sprinkle with fresh basil or parsley, then serve with your grain/sides of choice (see below for options).
If you’re hoping to make a one pan baked chicken with tomatoes, then check below for the alternative cooking method.
How to Serve the Chicken Breast with Tomatoes?
This one pan chicken and tomatoes is so versatile it will go with so many of the ‘usual’/’favorite’ side dishes many of us have. Here are a few suggestions:
- Over the grain of your choice: Such as quinoa, brown rice, cauliflower rice, buckwheat, couscous, or even grits/polenta.
- With pasta: Including spaghetti or spaghetti squash.
- Alongside roasted vegetables: Like roasted cauliflower, brussels sprouts, or sweet potatoes.
- Other vegetable sides: Like grilled zucchini.
- With crusty bread: To mop up the flavorful chicken tomato sauce.
- Enjoy it cold with salad: Like this quinoa tabbouleh salad or coleslaw.
How to Store and Reheat
Storing: Allow the chicken and tomatoes to cool entirely before transferring to an airtight container and storing in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Freezer: Store in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Add the chilled chicken breast with tomatoes to a large pan on the stovetop and heat over medium heat until warmed through (10-15 minutes). You can also reheat the tomato chicken in the oven at 350F along with all the tomato sauce, covered. Bake for around 10 minutes, until it is heated through.
Can You Cook This in The Oven?
Yes, you can. I would follow these baked chicken breast recipe instructions – adding the tomato sauce ingredients to the bottom of the dish for delicious baked chicken with tomatoes.
Even better, if you have a large casserole dish you can use on the stovetop and in the oven, then you can sauté the garlic and oregano for a minute first, add the bed of tomatoes with the seasoned chicken over it and then bake it in the oven.
Suppose you want to cut the chicken breast into smaller tenders. In that case, I suggest searing the chicken first, adding the tomatoes and herbs to the oven for 20 minutes, and then adding the chicken tenders to the dish for the remaining 10-15 minutes, so the baked chicken doesn’t become overcooked.
The cooking time will vary based on the size of your chicken breasts (and your oven)– lookout for when the chicken breast is no longer pink, the juices run clear, and has an internal temperature of 160°F/70°C.
Enjoy your baked chicken with tomatoes served in all the same ways you would the skillet version!
More Tips and FAQs
- Experiment with the herbs and seasonings: The best thing about this tomato chicken dish is that chicken and tomatoes pair well with so many herbs and seasonings. For that reason, it’s a great one for experimenting. I’ve included several recipe variations in the ingredients section above.
- Use the freshest tomatoes you can: This dish is simple and relies on the tomatoes’ flavor a lot – so make sure you use good ones (no cheap-as-chips tomatoes for this chicken breast with tomatoes, please!). In fact, check out your local farmers’ market for some of the best tomatoes!
- If you use skin-on chicken breast: You’ll need to slightly increase cooking time.
- If you use olive oil: Olive oil and tomatoes not only taste delicious, but the two combined make for maximum body absorption of lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that is great for boosting heart health, decreasing the risk of certain cancers, and even providing skin protection from the sun!
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Tuscan chicken pasta
- Instant Pot chicken and potatoes
- Instant Pot frozen chicken breast
- Chicken and cauliflower
- Greek chicken
- Chili lime chicken
Or check out my full list of chicken recipes, here!
Chicken Breast with Tomatoes and Garlic Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken Breasts:
- 2-3 lbs chicken breasts 4 large, boneless & skinless
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Avocado oil
Sauce:
- 3 lbs ripe tomatoes 4 large, cut into half moon shapes
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
- Basil or parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts into tenders. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Gently toss around to coat evenly.
- Slice tomatoes and chop garlic.
- Preheat large ceramic non-stick skillet on medium heat and swirl a bit of oil to coat. Add half of chicken and cook for 5 minutes or until golden brown on each side. Transfer to a dish and cook remaining chicken this way.
- Reduce heat to low, add garlic and 1/2 tsp oregano. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently (add a bit of oil if there was none left from cooking chicken).
- Layer tomatoes on top, sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste. Turn up the heat to medium and cook tomatoes for about 5 minutes, gently tossing them around (if tomatoes aren’t juicy enough, add a splash of water).
- When tomatoes have released their juices and turned into fresh tomato sauce, turn off the heat and return chicken back to skillet.
- Gently tuck it in between tomatoes and sprinkle with fresh basil or parsley.
- Serve warm with whole wheat spaghetti, quinoa, brown rice or buckwheat.
Storing: Allow the chicken and tomatoes to cool entirely before transferring to an airtight container and storing in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Freezer: Store in an airtight container and freeze for up to three months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheating: Add the chilled chicken breast with tomatoes to a large pan on the stovetop and heat over medium heat until warmed through (10-15 minutes). You can also reheat the tomato chicken in the oven at 350F along with all the tomato sauce, covered. Bake for around 10 minutes, until it is heated through.
Video
Notes
- Experiment with the herbs and seasonings: The best thing about this tomato chicken dish is that chicken and tomatoes pair well with so many herbs and seasonings. For that reason, it's a great one for experimenting. I've included several recipe variations in the ingredients section above.
- Use the freshest tomatoes you can: This dish is simple and relies on the tomatoes' flavor a lot – so make sure you use good ones (no cheap-as-chips tomatoes for this chicken breast with tomatoes, please!). In fact, check out your local farmers' market for some of the best tomatoes!
- If you use skin-on chicken breast: You'll need to slightly increase cooking time.
- If you use olive oil: Olive oil and tomatoes not only taste delicious, but the two combined make for maximum body absorption of lycopene, which is a powerful antioxidant that is great for boosting heart health, decreasing the risk of certain cancers, and even providing skin protection from the sun!
- Can you cook chicken in the oven? Yes, you can. I would follow these baked chicken breast recipe instructions – adding the tomato sauce ingredients to the bottom of the dish for delicious baked chicken with tomatoes.
Nutrition
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My name is Olena Osipov. I'm a mom to 2 boys, a wife to Alex and we reside on magical Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. This is our healthy family recipes blog. Originally from Ukraine, I grew up on real food. As an adult, I struggled with diets for years because none worked long-term. Now for over 10 years, I cook easy healthy meals for my family. I can help you with “What’s for dinner?” too.