Chicken Sorrentina, Pollo alla Sorrentina

Chicken Sorrentina is a easy and comforting dish. Chicken baked Sorrento style in a rich tomato sauce with basil and creamy mozzarella cheese. Serve with veggie sides like Italian Roast Potatoes or green beans.

Chicken Sorrentina is a fun twist on Gnocchi alla Sorrentina a classic Italian recipe from Sorrento, on the coast of Naples and one of our favourite comfort foods.

This recipe uses chicken strips dredged in flour instead of gnocchi but uses the same good Sorrentina style sauce with tomato, basil and mozzarella.

It's good and solid served with some Italian sides such as roast potatoes and green beans.

Ingredients – what you need

See the photo below that shows you everything you need to make this recipe plus some important tips on ingredients!

• Chicken – we used chicken breasts cut into strips but you could also use chicken tenders.
• Tomatoes – use high quality chopped tomatoes like Cirio or Mutti, so important!
• Mozzarella – 2 balls of fresh mozzarella don't use pre-grated.
• Flour – this is for coating the chicken, all-purpose is fine or you could use gluten free flour if needed.
• Garlic – two cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced
• Basil – fresh basil is a must!

Step by step photos and recipe instructions

Step 1 – Cut the chicken breasts into strips so they are roughly the same size. You can also buy chicken tender pre-cut (photo 1).

Step 2 – Dredge the chicken in flour making sure to shake off any excess (photo 2).

Step 3 – fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown (it won't be completely cooked) and set aside on a plate, you'll need to do this in batches (photos 3 & 4).

Step 4 – Clean the pan then saute the garlic until fragrant. Add the chopped tomatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes (photos 5-7).

Step 5 – Chop 1 ball of mozzarella into cubes and add it to the sauce with some torn basil and the chicken, turn off the heat (photos 8 & 9).

Step 6 – If your pan is oven-safe you can continue to use it, if not you'll need to transfer the chicken to an oven-safe baking dish. Top with the remaining ball of mozzarella (torn or chopped) and bake for 30 minutes until golden and bubbling (photos 10-12).

Recipe tips and FAQs

• High quality tomatoes are a must! – it's so important to buy a good brand that you can trust such as Mutti or Cirio. Low quality tomatoes will not give you a good tasting recipe.
• Don't use grated or dry mozzrella – you need to use fresh balls of mozzarella so it melts into the sauce.
• Don't dredge in advance – dredge the chicken before frying, if it sits for too long it will start to absorb the flour and change the texture.
• Pan Vs Baking dish – you can cook the whole recipe in a pan or skillet if it's oven safe. If it's not you can transfer the chicken to a baking dish before topping with mozzarella and baking.

Can we use gluten-free flour?

Absolutely, gluten-free flour works as well for dredging.

Can we prepare this in advance?

Yes, you can prepare the chicken Sorrentina up until the point that it goes in the oven. Store it in the fridge then when you are ready to eat, top it with mozzarella and bake for 30 minutes.

How long do leftovers last?

Leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the oven until piping hot.

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Ingredients

Makes 4 servings

• 4 chicken breasts
• Flour for dredging ((about ¾ cup/100g))
• 28 oz canned chopped tomatoes ((800g) good quality such as Mutti or Cirio)
• 2 garlic cloves (crushed or finely chopped)
• 1 large handful fresh basil
• 2-3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 balls mozzarella ((250g/8.8 oz))
• Salt and pepper (to season)

Equipment

• oven-safe pan or skillet

Method

1. Cut the chicken into strips and sprinkle with salt. Dredge the chicken in flour and shake off any excess.

2. Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan on a medium-high heat. Fry the chicken until browned on both sides then set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper (you will need to fry the chicken in 1-2 batches and add more oil as needed).

3. Carefully wipe your pan clean or give it a rinse and dry well. Add 1-2 tsp of olive oil to the pan then add the garlic. Fry the garlic until fragrant (don't let it brown) then add the tomatoes.

4. Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the tomatoes and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 400F/200C.

5. After 10 minutes, turn off the heat, tear up the basil leaves and add them to the sauce. Cut 1 ball of mozzarella into cubes and add that to the sauce along with the chicken. Stir to combine everything in the sauce.

6. Continue using your pan or skillet if it's oven safe otherwise transfer the chicken to a baking dish.

7. Top with the remaining mozzarella (we just tear it up into pieces). Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the mozzarella is melted and the sauce is bubbling.

8. Let it rest for 5 minutes then serve.

Kitchen notes

• High quality tomatoes are a must! it's so important to buy a good brand that you can trust such as Mutti or Cirio. Low-quality tomatoes will not give you a good tasting recipe.
• Don't use grated or dry mozzrella you need to use fresh balls of mozzarella so it melts into the sauce.
• Don't dredge in advance dredge the chicken before frying, if it sits for too long it will start to absorb the flour and change the texture.
• Leftovers & freezing leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop or oven until piping hot. You can also freeze the chicken for up to 3 months.