This Homemade Chicken Pomodoro looks fancy, but is equally EASY, FAST, and amazingly DELICIOUS! Made with tender chicken breast seasoned and seared, then cooked to perfection in a homemade tomato sauce. Both hearty and wholesome, this flavor packed meal may earn a spot in your regular meal rotation!
Chicken Pomodoro – The EASY Way!
Even as someone who cooks a lot, some things in the kitchen just seem intimidating!
Homemade sauces are one of them! Am I right?!
And there are sauces out there that are incredibly delicate, and even finicky, but TODAY’S sauce is not one of them.
This homemade pomodoro sauce is pure perfection, and so easy, I might even dare to say it is fool-proof!
The flavor? Nothing can compare! Once you start making sauce from scratch, you realize it is too easy and far too delicious to do it any other way.
This Chicken Pomodoro comes together
- In one pan
- with only a handful of ingredients…
- …that are wholesome, and most people have on hand
- Cooks in under 30 minutes
- and might just make your family think you secretly went to culinary school!
Sound good? Let’s get going!
What is Chicken Pomodoro
Chicken Pomodoro is a dish made with tender chicken smothered in a homemade sauce made from fresh tomatoes and herbs. It feels and tastes fancy but is a very simple recipe to make, even for someone who isn’t a confident cook. This dish will impress!
Recipe Notes
This Chicken Pomodoro recipe is as simple as promised! Just a handful of ingredients and a few minutes for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
For the chicken
- Chicken breast cutlets– You will want to use thin chicken breast so that it cooks all the way through. You can buy them thin or prepare the chicken at home by slicing or pounding using a meat mallet.
- Olive oil
- Seasonings– I use salt, pepper, and garlic powder
For the sauce
- Olive oil
- Onion– I generally use a sweet yellow onion, but a white onion or purple onion will work as well
- Garlic– fresh garlic is important to get the best flavor!
- Grape tomatoes– I like grape tomatoes because they are generally extra sweet, but you can use other varieties such as cherry tomatoes that have been diced as a substitution if preferred.
- Chicken broth– This helps to thin the sauce and allow all of the flavor to blend together. You can substitute vegetable or beef broth if preferred.
- Fresh herbs -Fresh basil plus along with more for garnish, combined with fresh oregano makes the flavor outstanding!
- Sugar– Just a little bit, but the sugar plays a big role in helping to cut the acidity of the tomatoes
- Salt and pepper– to taste
Recipe Step by Step
I am going to highlight a few key steps in the recipe here, but make sure to jump down to the recipe card for comprehensive instructions on how to make Easy Chicken Pomodoro.
Season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder, and cook about 2 minutes on each side to brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Reduce heat to medium. Pour the remaining oil in the skillet and add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until they become caramelized.
Add the tomatoes, broth, basil and oregano to the skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
Stir in the sugar, salt and pepper, and then nestle the chicken in the sauce, cover and simmer about 5-8 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Recipe Tips
- Use thin chicken! In order to cook the chicken all the way through quickly, and keep it tender and juicy, you will need to use thin chicken breasts such as chicken cutlets. I like to aim for about 1/2″ thick, evenly throughout.
- Don’t crowd the pan– When you sear chicken in the first step, it is important not to crowd the pan, otherwise the chicken won’t have enough room to breathe and will have a hard time browning. Use a large skillet, and if needed, do multiple batches to brown the chicken.
- First the onions, then the tomatoes– After the chicken is browned, start the sauce by cooking the onion and garlic. We start these first because they take longer to cook and develop flavor. Once they are caramelized, the tomatoes can be added for the sauce to finish.
- Simmer it all together – Once the sauce has come together, the chicken can finish cooking simmering and soaking in all of the delicious flavor of the pomodoro sauce. Cook just until the chicken is cooked through, 165˚F internal temp. Over cooking the chicken will result in it becoming more tough and chewy so this is very important!
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Chicken Pomodoro Pasta– To make this recipe with pasta, I recommend doubling the ingredients for the sauce and adding an extra half of a cup (or more) of broth until you get it to the desired consistency for pasta sauce.
- Chicken Parmesan Pomodoro– To make this recipe with crispy chicken instead of grilled chicken, prepare the chicken by seasoning the chicken, then dipping the chicken in scrambled eggs, and coating in bread crumbs and parmesan cheese. Cook the chicken in 2-3 tbsp of oil, until browned on each side, then continue with recipe as directed.
- Cheesy Chicken Pomodoro– If you are a cheese lover, you can up the deliciousness of this dish by adding 1/4 cup grated parmesan to the sauce, then topping the chicken and sauce with 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
Dietary Considerations
If you have special dietary needs, this recipe meets some and can be easily modified to comply with others.
As always, check all store bought ingredients for compliance on specific dietary needs. The notes below are a general guide.
- Gluten free: This recipe is gluten free when using gluten free broth.
- Dairy free: This Chicken Pomodoro recipe is naturally dairy free.
- Nut free: This recipe is naturally nut free
- Egg free: This Chicken Pomodoro recipe is naturally egg free.
- Low carb/Keto: This recipe is low carb at only 8g net carbs per serving.
- Macros: The approximate macro calculation for this recipe is- P: 50 g C: 11g F: 13g per serving (1/4th of dish).
What to Serve with Chicken Pomodoro
Before we dive into the recipe, I always like to plan the entire menu for the night so I know what to shop and how to plan my time.
This dish has simple Italian inspired flavors so it pairs well with many of your favorite classic side dishes.
Here are some sides that we like to pair with Chicken Pomodoro for a filling and wholesome meal.
Side Dish Ideas
- Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette – this is the most simple side, and the homemade balsamic absolutely makes it irresistible!
- Oven Roasted Veggies – These Italian style veggies are a hit with the kids and adults!
- Sautéed Spinach – To keep it light and healthy serve over a bed of spinach
- Mashed Potatoes – these extra creamy garlic mashed potatoes make a great compliment to the pomodoro sauce!
- Garlic Bread– You can’t go wrong adding this to soak up all of that delicious sauce!
- Antipasto Salad – a great dish filled with the flavors of antipasto!
- Pasta- Always pairs well with Italian. The sauce on this chicken isn’t plentiful enough to coat a large volume of pasta, so with toss it with garlic and olive oil, or double the sauce in the recipe.
- Brown Butter Broccoli or Crispy Parmesan Broccoli
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner.
Chicken Pomodoro Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this Chicken Pomodoro recipe, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
Leftover Recipes
Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!
- Chicken Pomodoro Sandwich– Split a sub roll and add butter and garlic salt to each side. Broil quickly until butter is melted and edges are browned. Heat and slice the leftover Chicken Pomodoro, in the microwave or on the stovetop.
- Chicken Pomodoro Ravioli– Layer ravioli and chopped leftover Chicken Pomodoro in a baking dish. Cover with mozzarella and parmesan. Bake until warm and bubbly. Optional, add wilted spinach into the mixture!
- Chicken Pomodoro Pizza– On a prepared pizza crust, spread a thin layer of garlic and olive oil. Spread any remaining pomodoro sauce over the crust. Chop the leftover chicken and add to the pizza. Lay slices of fresh mozzarella and fresh basil leaves over the pizza and bake as directed.
More Easy Dinner Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my Easy Dinner recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Creamy Pesto Chicken
- Italian Sausage Tortellini Skillet
- Lemon Basil Chicken
- One Dish Sausage and Peppers
Chicken Pomodoro
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 lbs chicken breast cutlets, (or thinly sliced chicken breasts)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, minced
- 4 cloves garlic, pressed
- 16 oz grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat the skillet and oil over medium high heat. Once hot, season the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder, and cook about 2 minutes on each side to brown. Remove from skillet and set aside. (Chicken will finish cooking later.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Pour the remaining oil in the skillet and add the onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes stirring to scrape the chicken bits from the bottom, and cook until they start to become clear and caramelized.
- Add the tomatoes, broth, basil and oregano to the skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Stir in the sugar, salt and pepper, and then nestle the chicken in the sauce, cover and simmer about 5-8 more minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (165˚F internal temp.)
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