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Skillet Chicken Breasts with Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce

By Matthew Fairman

Published on March 5, 2024

Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Skillet Chicken Breasts with Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

CHICKEN

1 tablespoon herbes de Provence 2 1⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon pepper 4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

SAUCE

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 4 garlic cloves, sliced thin3 anchovy fillets 1 pound cherry tomatoes 1⁄2 cup dry white wine 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, divided3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt 1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces and chilled

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe with Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If using table salt, use half the given amount. Serve with rice, egg noodles, or crusty bread.

Instructions

    for the chicken

  1. Combine herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle evenly with herb mixture.
  2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place chicken in skillet and cook, flipping every 3 minutes, until chicken is well browned and registers 160 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for about 10 minutes.
  3. for the sauce

  4. Meanwhile, heat oil, garlic, and anchovies in now-empty skillet over medium heat until garlic is just beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes, breaking up anchovies with wooden spoon. Add tomatoes, wine, 1½ teaspoons oregano, salt, and pepper flakes and bring to simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of tomatoes have burst, about 5 minutes.
  5. Uncover skillet and cook, breaking up tomatoes with back of wooden spoon, until juices are thickened and saucy, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in butter until evenly incorporated. Top chicken with sauce and sprinkle with remaining 1½ teaspoons oregano. Serve.
Skillet Chicken Breasts with Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Elle Simone Scott.

Skillet Chicken Breasts with Burst Cherry Tomato Sauce

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Time

45 minutes

Yield

Serves 4

Ingredients

CHICKEN

1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
2 1⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

SAUCE

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
3 anchovy fillets
1 pound cherry tomatoes
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, divided
3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces and chilled

Ingredients

CHICKEN

1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
2 1⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

SAUCE

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
3 anchovy fillets
1 pound cherry tomatoes
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, divided
3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces and chilled

Ingredients

CHICKEN

1 tablespoon herbes de Provence
2 1⁄4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
4 (6- to 8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

SAUCE

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin
3 anchovy fillets
1 pound cherry tomatoes
1⁄2 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano, divided
3⁄4 teaspoon kosher salt
1⁄4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces and chilled

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted a supremely makeable, easily approachable recipe that delivered deep flavor and surprisingly satisfying results. These skillet herb-crusted chicken breasts with a fast, easy cherry tomato sauce fit the bill. Seasoning our chicken breasts with herbes de Provence couldn't be easier, yet it delivered all the flavor of a half-dozen or more herbs and created a delectable crust on our skillet-seared chicken. Turning the breasts every 3 minutes kept the crust from getting too dark and yielded evenly cooked, juicy meat. Finally, we layered surprising depth into our quick-cooked cherry tomato sauce by adding savory anchovies and aromatically complex white wine and finishing with butter to add body and balance the sauce's acidity.

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe with Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. If using table salt, use half the given amount. Serve with rice, egg noodles, or crusty bread.

Instructions

    for the chicken

  1. Combine herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper in small bowl. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle evenly with herb mixture.
  2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place chicken in skillet and cook, flipping every 3 minutes, until chicken is well browned and registers 160 degrees, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer chicken to cutting board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for about 10 minutes.
  3. for the sauce

  4. Meanwhile, heat oil, garlic, and anchovies in now-empty skillet over medium heat until garlic is just beginning to brown, 1 to 2 minutes, breaking up anchovies with wooden spoon. Add tomatoes, wine, 1½ teaspoons oregano, salt, and pepper flakes and bring to simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of tomatoes have burst, about 5 minutes.
  5. Uncover skillet and cook, breaking up tomatoes with back of wooden spoon, until juices are thickened and saucy, about 5 minutes. Off heat, stir in butter until evenly incorporated. Top chicken with sauce and sprinkle with remaining 1½ teaspoons oregano. Serve.

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