Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

Name: Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Recipe (20 Min!)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 min
Total time: 17 min
Ingredients: 4 8-oz Chicken breasts ((whole or cut into strips)); 1 tsp Sea salt ((to taste)); 1/4 tsp Black pepper; 1 tbsp Olive oil; 1/4 cup Chicken broth, reduced sodium; 2 tsp Arrowroot powder ((or 1/4 tsp xanthan gum)); 2 cloves Garlic ((minced)); 1/2 cup Heavy cream ((or coconut cream for dairy-free)); 1/2 cup Sun-dried tomatoes ((julienned, drained if packed in oil)); 1/2 cup Fresh basil ((cut into ribbons))

Jump to recipeThis creamy sun-dried tomato chicken recipe makes a delicious, quick, and healthy dinner, with common ingredients. Ready in just 20 minutes!

By Maya Krampf

61 Comments

Creamysun driedtomatochickenrecipeinaskillet

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Looking for a quick and healthy dinner for busy weeknights? This creamy sun-dried tomato chicken recipe is loaded with flavor and comes together in just 20 minutes. Chicken breasts are browned to perfection, and then cooked in a creamy, savory sauce that’s studded with sun-dried tomatoes and topped with aromatic basil. And, like my chicken florentine, this dish is made in one pan for easy cleanup.

Chicken and tomatoes are a natural combo and if you like it as much as I do, be sure to try my basil pesto chicken, grilled bruschetta chicken, baked chicken caprese, or Mediterranean chicken next.

Why You’ll Love This Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Recipe

Tender, juicy chicken
Creamy, savory sauce
Just 5 minutes prep time
Healthy dinner in 20 minutes
Naturally gluten-free, low carb, keto, and easily whole30 and paleo

Sun-dried tomato chicken over mashed cauliflower

Ingredients You’ll Need

This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for chicken with sun dried tomato cream sauce, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.

Chicken Breasts – I prefer to use organic chicken (and you can get it delivered right to your door), but any boneless, skinless chicken breasts will work. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
Sea Salt & Black Pepper
Olive Oil – Used for sauteing the chicken. Avocado oil is an equally good option. You can substitute butter for flavor if you don’t turn up the heat too high, so it doesn’t burn.
Chicken Broth – I like to use organic chicken broth, but any chicken broth (or even beef or vegetable broth) will work. You can also use low-sodium if you’re trying to cut back on sodium. Bone broth is great as well for extra nutrition.
Arrowroot Powder – This helps thicken the sauce without any flours, making it a great cornstarch substitute. I don’t use white flour in my recipes, but that would also work as a 1:1 replacement. If you want to avoid starch altogether, you can use 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum instead.
Garlic – Use fresh garlic cloves or jarred garlic for convenience.
Cream – Heavy cream will have the richest flavor, but for a paleo, dairy-free, and whole30 option, use coconut cream. In fact, I originally made this recipe with coconut cream, but I do slightly prefer the flavor now with heavy cream instead.
Sun-dried Tomatoes – You can make your own homemade sun-dried tomatoes, or buy them. If they are packed in oil, drain before using. It’s best to use julienned (thinly sliced) tomatoes for this recipe, and many store-bought brands are sold already chopped this way, but chop them up if not.
Fresh Basil – Fresh basil adds amazing bright flavor, but if it’s not available or in-season, you can omit it or use some spinach instead for color.

Ingredients for creamy sun-dried tomato chicken

How To Make Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

This section shows how to make healthy sun-dried tomato chicken with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.

Season chicken. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides with sea salt and black pepper.
Sear chicken. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken breasts for about 8 minutes per side, until golden brown and almost cooked through. Remove from pan and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Mix thickening mixture. In a small bowl, whisk arrowroot powder into chicken broth.

TIP: Avoid lumps. Make sure you whisk it thoroughly in the broth before adding it to the pan.

Make sun-dried tomato sauce. Add garlic to skillet and cook until fragrant. Stir in broth mixture, cream, sun-dried tomatoes, and half of the basil. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer, until it thickens.

Broth and arrowroot powder whisked in a bowl

Finish cooking. Return chicken back to pan and spoon sauce over it. Cook for another minute or two, until cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
Garnish. Sprinkle with more fresh basil before serving. If you’d like to add a bit more flavor, you can also season with red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese to taste.

Storage Instructions

Store: Store chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days..
Reheat: Reheat chicken in microwave or a hot skillet until warmed through, being careful to not overcook.
Freeze: Freezing is not recommended as the dairy in the sauce doesn’t freeze and thaw well.

Creamy chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and basil over cauliflower mash

What To Serve With Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

Serve this sun-dried tomato chicken breast with your favorite veggie sides, or over a bed of pasta or roasted potatoes. For healthy veggie options that will still soak up all the sauce well, try these…

Perfect oven roasted asparagus recipe on a plate.

More Healthy Chicken Recipes

If you like this chicken with sun-dried tomato sauce, you might also like some of these other healthy chicken recipes:

Sliced air fryer chicken breast on a plate

Recommended Tools

Large Skillet – These nonstick skillets are perfect for making this delicious keto chicken dish.
Garlic Press – This garlic press makes it a breeze to mince the garlic for this recipe.
Small Bowl – This set of stainless steel bowls has several different sizes so you have the perfect sized small bowl to make this dinner recipe.

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Recipe

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61 Comments

Dennis
0 April 12, 2022Reply

Delicious dish. Added some asparagus. It was so good. I can’t wait to make again.
Michelle Hinton-Davis
0 March 15, 2022Reply

The smooth taste of garlic, basil, and sun dried tomatoes in a light cream sauce makes this chicken dish one of my family favorites! Simple to make and most of the ingredients I keep on hand. It makes a nice change to the plain chicken meal. I made Brussels sprouts and a nice garden salad and it paired nicely with this dish!
Sloan
0 February 15, 2022Reply

Do you mix the xanthan gum with the chicken broth as instructed with the arrowroot flour?
- Wholesome Yum D
  0 February 16, 2022Reply
  
  Hi Sloan, Yes you use the xanthan gum the same way as the arrowroot powder.
Elaine
0 January 25, 2022Reply

You could format recipes to fit on 1 page.
Amy L Huntley
0 January 21, 2022Reply

This dish is so filling and flavorful! So simple to make too!
Kristyn
0 January 19, 2022Reply

Yum!! This reminds me of a dish I would get at Cheesecake Factory! It would be great over pasta, too!
Taylor
0 January 19, 2022Reply

This chicken is unreal!! I love the creamy texture and bold flavors from the sundried tomatoes and basil. I can’t wait to make it again and again!
Toni
0 January 19, 2022Reply

This is really perfect!! My family enjoyed this delicious meal! Thanks for the recipe!
Tammie Rainworst
0 January 19, 2022Reply

One of my favorite chicken dishes, I make it all the time now!
Claudia
0 November 21, 2021Reply

This was an easy recipe and SO delicious. Absolutely saved to My Favorites!
Tabitha Weidner
0 September 10, 2021Reply

This was such an easy and DELICIOUS recipe! I served it over white rice with naan on the side. The sauce was so good I was licking my plate clean!
Brenda Clark
0 August 29, 2021Reply

I was looking for a new recipe to prepare chicken breast, and found this one on the app. I’ve never really cooked with sun dried tomatoes, but they made this dish so flavorful and paired well with the sweetness of the coconut cream! I didn’t have fresh basil, so I used a couple tablespoons of dried basil and still loved it.
Dawn Mannion
0 August 1, 2021Reply

When using the coconut cream in this recipe should you use canned and only use the top of the cram that is thick or all of it and does it need to be refrigerated?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 August 2, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Dawn, Yes, you are correct. Only use the thick portion of the coconut cream. The rest of the can is coconut water, you can save this for other applications (like a smoothie) or throw the excess liquid out. If you decide to save it for later, it will need to be refrigerated.
  - Dawn Mannion
    0 August 4, 2021Reply
    
    Thank you. I made it tonight and it was a hit! My husband went back for seconds.
Connie
0 July 11, 2021Reply

Hi Maya, This sounds really good. My question is how long do you cook it It says sear on both sides for 3 minutes, so that is 6 minutes and then after you make the sauce it says cook for 1 minute more. So cook time seems to be 7 minutes total. Is that correct? I have made several of your recipes and have enjoyed them all. Thank You
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 July 12, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Connie, Please keep in mind that cook times will be approximate. I used chicken strips and that was the timing I used, it will need to increase a bit if you are using whole breasts. The best way to know if your chicken is done would be to test it with an internal thermometer. Chicken is fully cooked at 165 degrees F. I hope this helps.
Debra Betz
0 March 28, 2021Reply

Love your recipes but CAN’T always print them. Any suggestions?
- Wholesome Yum M
  0 April 16, 2021Reply
  
  Hi Debra, There is a ‘Print It’ button in the recipe card. That is the easiest way to print out the recipes. I hope this helps!
Mary Alice Stopyra
0 June 7, 2020Reply

Thank you for this great recipe. This was delicious! The delicate sweetness of the sun dried tomatoes and the creaminess of the coconut cream made this super tasty. I ended up using 6 oz of the coconut cream in stead of 4 oz and it didn’t harm the ratio of the sauce thickness.. I did chicken strips instead of of whole chicken breast and I would do it again that way. Cooked even faster and every bite was covered in that delicious sauce. I was trying to determine if I could taste coconut (because no one in my familiar likes that flavor except me) and other than the first bite where there was a slight taste, I couldn’t taste it at all. I’ll be trying it on the rest of my family next time. Also note that this did great reheating in the microwave the next day. I used 70 and 80 percentage power and stirred in between until it was hot.
Dawn Bieschke
0 June 22, 2019Reply

This is one of the best chicken recipe’s EVER healthy or nonhealthy, one of the best!!!!!!! Everyone loved it!!!!!!!!!!! Dishes like this make it easy to be healthier thank you!!!!
Eva
0 July 22, 2018Reply

Could I substitute almond flour for the arrowroot powder? If so, will it be the same amount?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 July 23, 2018Reply
  
  Hi Eva, Sorry, no. Almond flour does not work to thicken. You can use xanthan gum instead if you prefer, but you’d need much less – about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp, and whisk it in a little water or almond milk before adding to the pan.
Melissa
0 July 16, 2018Reply

Just curious if it tastes anything like coconut with the coconut cream? I’m not a huge fan of coconut flavor.
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 July 17, 2018Reply
  
  Hi Melissa, I don’t detect it but depending on how sensitive you are to the coconut taste, there might be a very slight hint of it. If you aren’t dairy-free, you can also use heavy cream instead.
Olivia
0 July 4, 2018Reply

Hello Maya, I made this recipe for myself and my parents (they do not follow a paleo diet) the other night, and we were all completely wowed by it. My mom made mashed potatoes (with chicken stock and lard) to go with it, and the meal reminded me of chicken marsala from the Italian restaurants I used to eat at before going paleo. Thank you so much for this recipe, it is truly scrumptious! We have added it to our selection of favorite recipes to revisit again!
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 July 6, 2018Reply
  
  Thank you so much, Olivia! I’m honored that the whole family was wowed by it.
Dan
0 June 18, 2018Reply

Simple, delicious an quick to make. A hit! All the best from New Zealand
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 June 18, 2018Reply
  
  Hi Dan! I love to hear that! Thank you!
Stefanie Krause
0 May 8, 2018Reply

I made this tonight and it was delicious!
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 May 10, 2018Reply
  
  I am so happy to hear that, Stefanie! Have a great day!
Emily McCombs
0 April 17, 2018Reply

Made this for dinner tonight. I added mushrooms and spinach. It was delicious!
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 April 18, 2018Reply
  
  I love that you added mushrooms and spinach, Emily! YUM!
Melinda
0 February 26, 2018Reply

What’s a good paleo substitute for arrowroot powder?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 March 7, 2018Reply
  
  Hi Melinda, Arrowroot powder is paleo. Is there some other reason you don’t want to use it?
  - Dawn Mannion
    0 August 1, 2021Reply
    
    Can you use tapioca starch instead?
    - Wholesome Yum M
      0 August 2, 2021Reply
      
      Hi Dawn, Tapioca isn’t strictly keto, but it will thicken this dish in place of arrowroot or xanthan gum.
      - Dawn Mannion
        0 August 4, 2021
        
        Thank you. I am not keto so that is good to know for the future. I made this tonight and used corn starch since I did not have arrowroot. It was a bit thicker than I would have liked even though I used much less so I added a little more broth and coconut cream and it was a hit. My husband went back for seconds. I also added some sautéed onions which added some extra flavor and crunch. I will be making this again.
Museurbaine
0 September 5, 2017Reply

I am so glad I cam across this recipe! I have to follow a special diet for 3 weeks in order to investigate potential intolerances…this dinner was just perfect ! (Gluten and Lactose free!) Thank you!
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 September 5, 2017Reply
  
  Thank you! I’m glad that you liked it and found it helpful with your special diet!
Julianne
0 August 30, 2017Reply

I don’t have arrowroot on hand. Can I sub with tapioca flour?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 August 31, 2017Reply
  
  Hi Julianne, Yes, that should work. I’m not sure if the amount would be exactly the same, you can start with a little and add more as needed.
Susan
0 June 27, 2017Reply

I made it with shrimp. Delicious!
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 June 27, 2017Reply
  
  Thank you, Susan!
Lisa Ann Peters
0 March 21, 2017Reply

I made this last night. Super easy and delicious. This will be a repeat for sure. Also, I added fresh spinach.
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 March 21, 2017Reply
  
  Thank you, Lisa! I’ll need to try fresh spinach next time, too.
Wholesome Yum A
0 January 31, 2017Reply

I don’t know what I did wrong to this, but it definitely did not turn out creamy. It’s more of gelled, oily mess in the pan. I only used about a tablespoon of oil plus a little extra when I started the garlic. The arrowroot powder seemed to make everything gooey and slimy, and the sundried tomatoes and basil are all clumped together. I’m sure it’s a great dish when done right, so I’ll have to give it another try sometime. Any ideas as to what might have gone wrong?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 June 7, 2017Reply
  
  Hi Amanda, Sorry that I missed your comment until now, and that it didn’t work out for you! It’s hard to know what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you, but most likely the arrowroot powder didn’t mix well enough with the chicken broth in step 3. There shouldn’t be any clumps at that point (or at all, really). Then, make sure to mix well again when adding the slurry (arrowroot/broth mixture) to the pan in step 4. I haven’t had an issue with gelling or clumping when doing it this way, but if you do, you could try adding the coconut cream and slurry first and mix those together well before adding the sun-dried tomatoes and basil. I hope you’ll get the chance to try it again!
- Julianne D
  0 January 10, 2018Reply
  
  Mine gelled too. I think the heat in the pan might have been too hot when I added the mix. I whisked cornstarch with the broth, it wasn’t clumpy going in and whisked once added. I did think I should’ve added the coconut to the mix, there was a delay adding it. It was a good flavor, despite my goof! My husband said it’s one of the better diet dinners we’ve had!
Jody
0 January 31, 2017Reply

I’ve tried it twice now and both times it works perfectly.
Amy Stevens
0 October 26, 2016Reply

Can you use gluten free cornstarch instead of arrowroot powder in this recipe?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 October 26, 2016Reply
  
  I haven’t tried it, but you probably can. Cornstarch does sometimes thicken a little less in acidic preparations (the tomatoes in this case), but the result should still be close. Let me know how it turns out!
Barbara
0 August 8, 2016Reply

What is coconut cream, and where do you get it?
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 August 8, 2016Reply
  
  Hi Barbara, Coconut cream is made from shredded coconut and comes in a can. I like to use the kind without preservatives, as they are not necessary. You can purchase it here, or your local grocery store may also have it.
Judy
0 July 9, 2016Reply

This is absolutely delicious, Maya. I made this dish for dinner this evening with boneless, skinless chicken thighs and made more sauce by adding more coconut milk. With this dish I also made coconut lime jasmine rice, and a crunchy simple green salad with a light lime honey dressing. I will definitely make this again and again. Thank you Maya for a beautiful thing.
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 July 9, 2016Reply
  
  Thank you, Judy! That sounds like a delicious combination!
Kim | Low Carb Maven
0 June 28, 2016Reply

I love dishes like this. I think you hit it out of the park with this one. I like that you used coconut milk instead of the traditional cream. I admit that we have been riding the dairy train a little too long and need to start swapping in some other choices. I bet it gives the dish a nice flavor…Pinned!
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 June 28, 2016Reply
  
  Thank you so much, Kim! We eat a lot of dairy at our house too, but I also like to make paleo low carb dishes. The coconut cream works really well to replace traditional cream, but you could definitely use regular cream if you wanted to. Thanks for pinning!
Carol@studiobotanica
0 June 27, 2016Reply

Looks SO good, Maya!! Love creamy chicken recipes with the sharp acidic sun dried tomatoes. May need to add olives!
- Maya | Wholesome Yum
  0 June 28, 2016Reply
  
  Thank you, Carol! Olives sound like a wonderful addition, too!