Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken (Printable)

Seared chicken breasts cooked in a tangy sun-dried tomato cream sauce with Parmesan and fresh basil.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1.5 lbs / 24 oz)
02 - 1 teaspoon kosher salt
03 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Sauce

06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and thinly sliced
08 - 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 1 cup half-and-half
10 - ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
11 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
12 - 2 cups baby spinach (optional)
13 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

# Directions:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry and season both sides with kosher salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden and fully cooked (165°F internal temperature). Remove and keep warm.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet, sauté minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in chicken broth and stir to deglaze the pan, loosening browned bits. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Add half-and-half, grated Parmesan, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Incorporate baby spinach if using, cooking until just wilted.
07 - Return chicken breasts and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, basting with sauce until heated through.
08 - Stir in fresh chopped basil. Adjust seasoning to taste.
09 - Serve immediately, garnished with additional basil and Parmesan if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen, but you'll be sitting down to eat in half that time.
  • The sauce is rich and creamy without feeling heavy, thanks to half-and-half instead of cream.
  • You only need one skillet, which means less cleanup and more time to actually enjoy your meal.
  • It's fancy enough for company but easy enough to make on a random Wednesday.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the chicken, wet chicken steams instead of sears and you'll miss out on that golden crust.
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan, the pre-shredded kind has anti-caking agents that can make your sauce grainy.
  • If your sauce looks too thick, add a splash more broth, if it's too thin, let it simmer another minute or two.
03 -
  • Let the chicken rest on the plate for a minute after searing, those juices will go back into the sauce and add even more flavor.
  • If your skillet isn't big enough to fit all four breasts without crowding, sear them in two batches so they brown instead of steam.
  • Taste the sauce before serving and don't be shy about adding a pinch more salt, red pepper, or Parmesan to make it yours.
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