A quick sauté with the classic tomato, basil, and garlic combination of ingredients brings you this delicious cast iron chicken pomodoro. The juicy chunks of chicken and light tomato sauce can be served with bread or a pile of pasta for a speedy dinner.
If I'm not eating local in-season tomatoes right off of the cutting board (in a tomato sandwich or simple tomato salad), I am making this pomodoro sauce. A light and fresh sauce with a short cook time is my favorite way to prepare tomatoes. There's no overly complicated list of ingredients here, letting the tomato flavor shine right on through.
I love tomatoes and in the winter months I rely on this Baked Gnocchi with Sun Dried Tomato Cream to get my fix. Using preserved sun dried tomatoes is a great way to get that tomato flavor any time!
Jump to:
Ingredients
I include ingredient notes here when I think they’ll be helpful, including ways to source, any preparation tips, or why I've chosen a particular ingredient. Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and their quantities!
- Chicken Thighs - Chicken thighs will stay tender and juicy after a sauté, and I prefer them to chicken breasts in almost all of my recipes.
- Garlic Cloves - Fresh garlic is so nice in this recipe, as the thin slices will get tender and sweet while coking.
- Basil - Use large leaves of basil and slice them thinly before chopping into small pieces. If you stack the leaves on top of one another and roll them like a cigar, you can slice then into thin ribbons easily. This is called a "chiffonade" of basil.
- Tomato - I like a large Beefsteak tomato for this recipe, they have fewer seeds. You can also use Roma or plum tomatoes, but remove the seeds before chopping these types of tomato.
- Salt and Pepper - Basil, tomatoes, and garlic are doing the heavy lifting in flavoring this recipe, so simple kosher salt and pepper are all that are needed.
- Olive Oil - Use an olive oil blend for cooking the sauce and save some extra virgin olive oil for drizzling over the finished dish.
Instructions
Get any sides started before beginning to make the chicken pomodoro; it's ready in 20 minutes!
Preheat your cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
Add the olive oil to the skillet, give it a swirl to coat the surface, and then add the seasoned chicken.
Cook the chicken until browned on all sides and almost all of the juices have evaporated. Remove the chicken to a plate.
Add the diced tomatoes, sliced garlic, and chopped basil to the juices in the cast iron skillet. Cook this mixture for about one minute, stirring constantly and scraping the pan to bring up any browned bits from the surface.
Add the chicken back into the skillet over the top of the tomatoes. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the skillet and cook for 5 minutes.
Remove the lid and stir the chicken to coat with the sauce. If you prefer a thicker sauce, simmer for 1-2 minutes with the lid removed.
Transfer the chicken pomodoro to a serving dish, drizzle it with a bit of olive oil, and garnish with extra basil.
The pomodoro sauce can be cooked to your liking, leaving it thinner for sopping up with bread or reducing it a bit for tossing over pasta.
Serve it with Crusty Bread
This chicken pomodoro can be served with a simple veggie side like green beans or broccoli and slices of a rustic Italian bread. Better yet, make the grilled bread from my Grilled Bread Panzanella and use that to soak up that savory tomato sauce!
Serve It with Pasta
Chicken pomodoro is perfectly delicious when spooned over pasta. Prepare cherry tomato confit pasta or this Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Tomatoes and pair it with the chicken for a easy and tomato-packed entrée.
Variations and Substitutions
This recipe is made up of just a handful of ingredients, so there's room for a some extras to make it perfect for your palate. Here are some suggestions:
- Use Chicken Breasts- If you have chicken breasts on hand, you should absolutely use them! This is a quick sauté method, so the chicken breast pieces are more likely to stay tender and juicy.
- Add Burrata or Mozzarella - Adding a layer of cool, creamy, and mild cheese would be super delicious here. Break open a ball of burrata over the finished dish and drizzle it with olive oil, a sprinkle of salt, and a dusting of black pepper. Or, add slices of fresh mozzarella to the chicken at the end of the simmering step and replace the lid for a couple of minutes to get it perfectly melted for that coveted cheese pull.
- Add Spice - If you like your tomato dishes to come with a bit of spice, add some dried crushed red pepper to the skillet along with the tomatoes, basil, and garlic so that the spice can bloom and melt into the sauce.
Equipment
I love to use my cast iron skillet for this recipe. I've read warnings that using an acidic ingredient like tomatoes in cast iron cookware can break down the seasoning, but I've not had any issues. This recipe is quick cooking, so the tomatoes aren't sitting in the skillet for a long simmer like in a traditional tomato pasta sauce.
You can absolutely use a regular skillet for the preparation of your chicken pomodoro, no changes to the recipe are needed.
Make This Recipe Kid Friendly
If you have kids (or grown-ups!) at your table that don't like tomatoes, put a portion of the cooked chicken to the side before adding it back to the tomato, basil, and garlic mixture. Serve the chicken chunks with a favorite dipping sauce (barbecue sauce would be popular at our house) and some veggie sticks. This is an easy accommodation so that the whole family can enjoy dinner together.
Storage
Any leftover chicken pomodoro will be good for 2-3 days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. I would avoid freezing any leftovers.
FAQ
Yes, for short cooking times tomatoes will not damage the seasoning of a well-seasoned cast iron skillet. This chicken pomodoro recipe takes about 20 minutes, so a cast iron skillet is a great choice.
I reserve this recipe for when tomatoes are in season, so I prefer fresh tomatoes. Diced and canned tomatoes can be used in place of the fresh tomatoes, however the sauce will typically be sweeter and thicker.
Yes, you can use dried basil. Use about 1 tablespoon of dried basil as a swap for ¼ cup of fresh basil, as dried herbs are more concentrated in flavor.
Related Recipes
Here are some recipes you might try next for a family meal that combines plenty of color and fresh flavor:
Pairing
Prepare a delicious meal with a summery starter, fresh salad, and sweet treats:
Try It and Share
I hope you give this Chicken Pomodoro a try and that it's a hit at your table. I want to see your results! Tag your photo with #planeatpostrepeat and mention me @planeatpostrepeat on Instagram or Facebook so that I can give you a virtual high five and thank you for cooking one of my recipes. Comment below with any questions and please leave a review so others can find this recipe more easily!
Recipe
Quick and Easy Cast Iron Chicken Pomodoro
Equipment
- 1 10" cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (cubed into bite-sized pieces)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- ¼ cup basil leaves (chopped, plus extra for garnish)
- 1 cup tomato (diced, about 1 medium beefsteak tomato)
Instructions
- Preheat the cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the olive oil. Season the cubed chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add them to the skillet.
- Cook the chicken until browned on all sides and almost all of the juices have evaporated, then remove the chicken to a plate.
- To the skillet add the garlic, basil, and tomato. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly to scrape up any browned bits and prevent the garlic from burning.
- Add the chicken to the skillet on top of the tomato mixture. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cover the skillet and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the sauce further to your desired consistency by removing the lid and simmering 1-2 more minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Spoon the tomato sauce over the chicken and garnish with additional chopped basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
Nutrition facts are sometimes provided below and are calculated using an online calculator. With specific brands of ingredients and additions, omissions, or substitutions the nutrition facts may change. We encourage you to use your own nutrition facts caculator to obtain the most accurate nutrition facts for your meal.
Cassie Waltman says
My favorite way to eat this dish is to soak up the sauce with grilled bread. How do you enjoy it most?
Carrie says
I think I could handle this one and I love the ingredients. Your blog is beautiful and the pictures bring me joy even though the cooking part doesn’t 😆
Cassie says
Thank you!!! You could definitely tackle this recipe, I have full confidence. 🙌🏻