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The creamy sun-dried tomato chicken recipe I’m sharing today is inspired by those days when you just don’t feel like cooking. This is especially true in the warm summer months. The days are long and warm, the sun shines late into the evening, and the last thing you want to think about is turning on your oven. Who wants to spend time slaving away in the kitchen when you can be outside enjoying the nice weather?
This is probably one of the reasons why grilling is so popular. You get to be outside while you’re doing it and you end up with yummy food. Win, win.
Most of us don’t grill every day though, so what do you do for dinner on a busy weeknight? Summer or not, a skillet chicken dinner is my answer. It should be your answer, too.
Let’s talk specifics. Let’s talk about this creamy sun-dried tomato chicken skillet.
The sauce is a decadent combination of coconut cream, chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, and garlic. The chicken is perfectly seared until it’s golden, then we add the ingredients to make the creamy sauce. Quick and easy. I cut my chicken into strips to have more flexible serving sizes, but you can make it with whole chicken breasts, too.
Sun-dried tomato cream sauce is a classic favorite, but this one is even better because it’s healthy! Coconut cream replaces traditional heavy cream to make it paleo and to incorporate all the benefits of coconut. Since we’re adding chicken broth, a little arrowroot powder thickens the sauce to a creamy consistency. You can also use xanthan gum if cutting carbs further is important to you, but I chose the arrowroot powder as a more natural option. Just make sure you whisk it thoroughly in the broth before adding it to the pan, to avoid lumps.
Of course, I had to add fresh basil to the sauce. It’s summertime, people. Why wouldn’t you throw fresh basil into everything you can? If you do want to make this in the winter, don’t worry. It’s actually an excellent year-round dish. You can always substitute dried basil if that’s what you have, but needless to say, fresh will always win out. If you’re making this sun-dried tomato chicken in the summer months, you’d better grab that fresh basil while it’s around!
This easy sun-dried tomato chicken dinner goes from preparation to table in under 20 minutes. Add a salad or just some raw veggies to munch on, and you have a complete meal. Even better, the only dishes to wash afterward are a single skillet and a cutting board. When all you want to do is finish dinner so that you can get back outside, this is the kind of time saver you need.
Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Chicken Recipe (Paleo, Low Carb, Gluten-free):
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- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 4 large Chicken breasts (whole or cut into strips)
- 1/4 cup Chicken broth
- 1 tbsp Arrowroot powder
- 2 cloves Garlic (minced)
- 1/2 cup Coconut cream
- 1/2 cup Sun-dried tomatoes (drained if packed in oil)
- 1/2 cup Fresh basil (chopped)
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Season chicken breasts on both sides with sea salt and black pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and sear on both sides until golden (about 3 minutes on each side). Remove, cover with foil to keep warm, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, vigorously whisk the arrowroot powder into the chicken broth. (Sprinkle it evenly on top, then whisk fast - don't just dump it in.)
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet (add a little more oil if it's dry). Cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the arrowroot/broth mixture, coconut cream, sun dried tomatoes, and half of the fresh basil. Increase the heat to bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and spoon the sauce over it. Cook for about 1 minute. Top with the remaining fresh basil before serving.
Net carbs per serving: 7g
*One serving is a large chicken breast (6 oz). You can easily halve the serving size depending on what you serve it with.
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Want more low carb, gluten-free ideas for chicken? Try these:
[email protected] says
Looks SO good, Maya!! Love creamy chicken recipes with the sharp acidic sun dried tomatoes. May need to add olives!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Thank you, Carol! Olives sound like a wonderful addition, too!
Kim | Low Carb Maven says
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 says
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!
Judy says
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 says
Thank you, Judy! That sounds like a delicious combination!
Barbara says
What is coconut cream, and where do you get it?
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
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.
Amy Stevens says
Can you use gluten free cornstarch instead of arrowroot powder in this recipe?
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
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!
Jody says
I’ve tried it twice now and both times it works perfectly.
Amanda says
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 shot sometime. Any ideas as to what might have gone wrong?
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
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!
Lisa Ann Peters says
I made this last night. Super easy and delicious. This will be a repeat for sure. Also, I added fresh spinach.
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Thank you, Lisa! I’ll need to try fresh spinach next time, too.
Susan says
I made it with shrimp. Delicious!
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
Thank you, Susan!
Julianne says
I don’t have arrowroot on hand. Can I sub with tapioca flour?
Maya | Wholesome Yum says
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.
Museurbaine says
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 says
Thank you! I’m glad that you liked it and found it helpful with your special diet!