Sun-dried tomatoes were originally a Sicilian trick to preserve summer's excess harvest—their oil now builds this sauce's entire flavor base.
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken
Indulge in a mouthwatering experience with our Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken! This dish features tender chicken simmered in a luscious sauce infused with tangy sun-dried tomatoes and a hint of garlic. Perfect for a cozy dinner, it’s easy to whip up and will have everyone coming back for seconds!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
The Story
This recipe is basically Tuscany having a fling with Louisiana, because dredging chicken in seasoned flour before pan-frying is straight out of 1930s Southern American kitchens, while the sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan scream Puglia—somewhere between New Orleans and Bari, some genius realized dredged chicken plus jarred Italian sunshine equals a cream sauce that shouldn't work but absolutely does.
Regional Twist
Down in Puglia, they'd never waste good sun-dried tomato oil frying shallots when they could swap in Primitivo wine instead of stock, deepening the sauce into something darker and boozier that makes the parmesan sing rather than just sit there quietly.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1/2 small bunch of Fresh Basil, finely chopped
- 1 Echalion/Banana Shallot, finely diced (sub 2 small regular shallots)2 small regular shallots
- 2 tbsp Sun Dried Tomato Oil (from the jar) (30 ml)
- 60g / 1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomato Pesto (60 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 2x 250g/9oz Chicken Breasts, take out the fridge 15-30 mins before needed (56.7 g)
- 180ml / 3/4 cup EACH: Chicken Stock, Double/Heavy Cream (180 ml)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 30g / 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (79.2 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1/4 cup / 35g Plain Flour (31.2 g)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper (2.5 ml)
- 1 tsp EACH: Garlic Powder, Salt (5 ml)
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning (7.5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 125g / 1 cup / 4oz Sun Dried Tomatoes, thinly sliced and patted dry to remove excess oil (113 g)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
622
Protein
46g
Carbs
28g
Fat
35g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Horizontally slice both chicken breasts right through the centre to create 4 even-sized breasts.
- 2
In a large shallow dish combine the flour, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt & pepper. One by one dredge the breasts through the flour to fully coat, then give them a shake and place to one side.
- 3
Add the oil to a large pan over medium-high heat and once hot, add in the chicken. Fry both sides for a few minutes until golden on the outside and just about cooked through the centre. Remove from the pan and add to a plate to one side. Lower the heat to medium.
- 4
Add the shallot to the leftover oil and fry until soft & golden. Stir in the pesto then stir in the stock and cream. Add the basil, parmesan and sun dried tomatoes and give it all a good stir to bind the oils with the sauce.
- 5
Simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce starts to thicken, then stir in any resting juices from the chicken and check for seasoning. Add the chicken and coat it in the sauce to gently warm it through, then serve up and enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Butterfly the chicken breasts to 1/4-inch uniform thickness rather than halving them, then pound gently with a meat mallet to 1/8-inch—this reduces cooking time from 4-5 minutes to 2-3 minutes per side and prevents the exterior from overcooking while the center catches up.technique1/8-inch thickness | 2-3 minutes per side
- ✓Remove chicken at 155-160°F internal temperature (checked at the thickest point), not when 'just cooked through'—carryover cooking will raise it to 165°F during resting, preventing the dry, stringy texture that occurs at 170°F+ due to myosin protein contraction.timing155-160°F | carryover rise to 165°F
- ✓Toast the flour dredge in a dry pan for 60 seconds before dredging chicken because it gelatinizes surface starches to 32% hydration, creating a crisper crust that won't absorb cream sauce and become soggy.technique60 seconds dry heat | 32% hydration reduction
- ✓Add shallots to oil at 320°F and cook for 90 seconds before lowering heat—this Maillard reaction develops savory depth that won't be masked by the acidic sun-dried tomatoes, and prevents shallots from burning when you add the cooler stock.timing320°F oil | 90 seconds high heat
- ✓Whisk the cream and stock separately with a fork before adding to the pan—this prevents the 35% fat in double cream from clumping when it contacts hot oil, ensuring a smooth emulsion rather than a broken, greasy sauce.technique35% fat content | pre-whisk both liquids
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Sun-dried tomatoes were originally a Sicilian trick to preserve summer's excess harvest—their oil now builds this sauce's entire flavor base.
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken
Indulge in a mouthwatering experience with our Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken! This dish features tender chicken simmered in a luscious sauce infused with tangy sun-dried tomatoes and a hint of garlic. Perfect for a cozy dinner, it’s easy to whip up and will have everyone coming back for seconds!
The Story
This recipe is basically Tuscany having a fling with Louisiana, because dredging chicken in seasoned flour before pan-frying is straight out of 1930s Southern American kitchens, while the sun-dried tomatoes and parmesan scream Puglia—somewhere between New Orleans and Bari, some genius realized dredged chicken plus jarred Italian sunshine equals a cream sauce that shouldn't work but absolutely does.
Regional Twist
Down in Puglia, they'd never waste good sun-dried tomato oil frying shallots when they could swap in Primitivo wine instead of stock, deepening the sauce into something darker and boozier that makes the parmesan sing rather than just sit there quietly.
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(4)
- 1/2 small bunch of Fresh Basil, finely chopped
- 1 Echalion/Banana Shallot, finely diced (sub 2 small regular shallots)2 small regular shallots
- 2 tbsp Sun Dried Tomato Oil (from the jar) (30 ml)
- 60g / 1/4 cup Sun Dried Tomato Pesto (60 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(2)
- 2x 250g/9oz Chicken Breasts, take out the fridge 15-30 mins before needed (56.7 g)
- 180ml / 3/4 cup EACH: Chicken Stock, Double/Heavy Cream (180 ml)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 30g / 1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan (79.2 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(1)
- 1/4 cup / 35g Plain Flour (31.2 g)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper (2.5 ml)
- 1 tsp EACH: Garlic Powder, Salt (5 ml)
- 1 1/2 tsp Italian Seasoning (7.5 ml)
📦Other(1)
- 125g / 1 cup / 4oz Sun Dried Tomatoes, thinly sliced and patted dry to remove excess oil (113 g)
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
622
Protein
46g
Carbs
28g
Fat
35g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Horizontally slice both chicken breasts right through the centre to create 4 even-sized breasts.
- 2
In a large shallow dish combine the flour, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt & pepper. One by one dredge the breasts through the flour to fully coat, then give them a shake and place to one side.
- 3
Add the oil to a large pan over medium-high heat and once hot, add in the chicken. Fry both sides for a few minutes until golden on the outside and just about cooked through the centre. Remove from the pan and add to a plate to one side. Lower the heat to medium.
- 4
Add the shallot to the leftover oil and fry until soft & golden. Stir in the pesto then stir in the stock and cream. Add the basil, parmesan and sun dried tomatoes and give it all a good stir to bind the oils with the sauce.
- 5
Simmer for a couple of minutes until the sauce starts to thicken, then stir in any resting juices from the chicken and check for seasoning. Add the chicken and coat it in the sauce to gently warm it through, then serve up and enjoy!
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Butterfly the chicken breasts to 1/4-inch uniform thickness rather than halving them, then pound gently with a meat mallet to 1/8-inch—this reduces cooking time from 4-5 minutes to 2-3 minutes per side and prevents the exterior from overcooking while the center catches up.technique1/8-inch thickness | 2-3 minutes per side
- ✓Remove chicken at 155-160°F internal temperature (checked at the thickest point), not when 'just cooked through'—carryover cooking will raise it to 165°F during resting, preventing the dry, stringy texture that occurs at 170°F+ due to myosin protein contraction.timing155-160°F | carryover rise to 165°F
- ✓Toast the flour dredge in a dry pan for 60 seconds before dredging chicken because it gelatinizes surface starches to 32% hydration, creating a crisper crust that won't absorb cream sauce and become soggy.technique60 seconds dry heat | 32% hydration reduction
- ✓Add shallots to oil at 320°F and cook for 90 seconds before lowering heat—this Maillard reaction develops savory depth that won't be masked by the acidic sun-dried tomatoes, and prevents shallots from burning when you add the cooler stock.timing320°F oil | 90 seconds high heat
- ✓Whisk the cream and stock separately with a fork before adding to the pan—this prevents the 35% fat in double cream from clumping when it contacts hot oil, ensuring a smooth emulsion rather than a broken, greasy sauce.technique35% fat content | pre-whisk both liquids