Cherry Tomato and Basil Chicken

Chicken cutlets served in a good tomato sauce made with fresh and juicy cherry tomatoes, basil and garlic. A simple one-pan dinner that's solid served with crusty bread and a vegetable side.

This is such a fresh and light way to serve chicken, especially in the summer when tomatoes are at their best.

We cut the chicken into cutlets, which makes them cook quicker, then dredge them in flour. It gives them such a good texture similar to chicken piccata and helps thicken the sauce too.

We love to serve the chicken with Italian roast potatoes or cannellini beans and either green beans in a little lemon juice or broccolini.

Ingredient notes

• Chicken – We use 4 chicken breasts and cut them lengthwise into cutlets. If you can buy chicken already prepped into cutlets, then that's a great shortcut. We can always find prepped cutlets in Italy, but not so much in the UK, so we cut them myself.
• Flour – regular all-purpose or plain flour is all you need, and you don't need much. It's to dredge the chicken in, then shake off any excess, which can burn in the pan.
• Chicken stock – We always tend to go for low-sodium so we can control the amount of salt added. Some store-bought stock can be heavily seasoned, especially when reducing it down in a sauce like this.
• Cherry tomatoes – they add so much sweetness to the sauce. We go for good quality, ripe cherry tomatoes on the vine if possible.
• Basil – fresh basil makes all the difference, especially in a fresh tomato sauce like this. You can also use fresh flat-leaf parsley if you prefer.

Do we need to dredge our chicken in flour?

No, you don't, but it does a few things, which is why we recommend it. If you don't want to dredge your chicken, then expect the sauce to have a thinner consistency. Here's why we love to do it.

1. It gives the chicken a good, soft and tender texture.
2. It helps the sauce cling to the chicken better.
3. It helps to thicken the sauce (your sauce will be thinner without it).

Recipe tips

Adding the stock – We recommend adding 3/4 of the stock at first, then add more if the sauce reduces too much. We like to have a lot of sauce with this, so we tend to add it all.

Adding all the stock at once – don't worry, we've tested this recipe adding all the stock at once, and it needs a longer simmer (about 19-20 minutes on a medium-high heat).

Make it spicy – feel free to add in red pepper flakes or fresh red chilli for a spicy kick, Nduja would also be good.

Additional ingredients – olives, capers, anchovies, and sundried tomatoes are all great options. If adding anchovies, then add them with the garlic. The other ingredients can be stirred in at the end with the chicken.

More good chicken recipes to try

Mains

Breaded Chicken Cutlets – No Flour No Egg

Mains

Chicken Sorrentina (Pollo alla Sorrentina)

Mains

Braised Chicken with Beans, Sage and Pancetta

Mains

Chicken Piccata with Capers and Lemon

Ingredients

Makes 4 - 6 servings

• 4 chicken breasts
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 lb (450g) cherry tomatoes
• 1.5-2 cups (350ml-500ml) chicken stock ((low sodium))
• 1 handful fresh basil
• All purpose flour (for dredging)
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Equipment

• Baking parchment
• Rolling pin or meat mallet

Method

1. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and place them in a bowl. Finely chop the garlic and set aside.

2. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthways. Place them, one at a time, between two sheets of baking parchment and bash them to around 0.5cm (1/4 inch) thick (photos 1 and 2).

3. Season the chicken on both sides with salt, then dredge them in flour, shaking off any excess (photos 3 and 4).

4. Heat around 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and fry the chicken for 3 minutes, then turn over and cook for another 2 minutes on the other side. Remove to a plate and set aside (you'll probably need to do this in two batches, adding a little more olive oil before the second batch) (photos 5 and 6).

5. Turn the heat down low and add the chopped garlic. Sauté for around 1 minute until fragrant, then add the cherry tomatoes. Sprinkle the tomatoes with a little salt and pepper, then add 1.5 cups chicken stock (350ml) (photos 7 and 8).

6. Bring to a simmer on a medium-high heat and simmer for 15-17 minutes until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. If it reduces too much during cooking, add a little more stock (we usually add up to 500ml/2 cups in total). Photos 9 and 10.

7. Add the chicken back with fresh basil and simmer for another 2-3 minutes until the chicken is heated through. Serve.

Kitchen notes

• Storage this dish will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stove until piping hot throughout.
• Making in advance you can prep the whole dish and reheat it when you are ready to serve.