Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken (Printable version)

Tender chicken with a rich sun-dried tomato cream sauce enhanced by fresh basil and Parmesan.

# What you need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
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 extra for garnish

# How to Make It:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. 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 for 4 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature 165°F). Remove from skillet and set aside.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet, add minced garlic and sun-dried tomatoes; sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in chicken broth, stirring to deglaze the skillet and loosen browned bits. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
05 - Stir in half-and-half, grated Parmesan, and red pepper flakes if using. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens slightly.
06 - Incorporate baby spinach if desired and cook until just wilted.
07 - Place chicken breasts and any accumulated juices back into the skillet. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, spooning sauce over the chicken until heated through.
08 - Stir in fresh basil. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.
09 - Serve hot, garnished with additional basil and Parmesan cheese as preferred.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • A restaurant-quality cream sauce that comes together in under 30 minutes and tastes way more complicated than it actually is.
  • The chicken stays impossibly tender because you're not fussing with it too much, and the flavors just get better as everything simmers together.
02 -
  • Don't skip the searing step—those browned bits on the chicken and the caramelized crust are where half the flavor comes from, so don't rush it.
  • Use half-and-half, not heavy cream, because it keeps the sauce lighter and lets the tangy sun-dried tomatoes shine without becoming cloying.
03 -
  • Bring your chicken to room temperature for 10 minutes before cooking so it sears evenly instead of staying cold in the middle.
  • Fresh basil added at the very end makes an enormous difference—dried basil cooked in the sauce disappears, but fresh basil stays bright and herbaceous.
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