Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken

Some dinners feel like a special occasion even on a Tuesday. This creamy sun-dried tomato chicken is exactly that kind of meal.

You get juicy, golden-seared chicken breasts smothered in a rich, velvety sauce packed with sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, Parmesan, and fresh basil. The whole thing comes together in one pan in about 30 minutes — and it tastes like something you’d order at a restaurant.

It’s the kind of recipe you’ll make once and then put on permanent rotation. The sauce alone is reason enough.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

If you love one-pan creamy chicken dishes, you’ll also want to try this Marry Me Chicken — it has a very similar vibe and is equally impressive for a weeknight dinner.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Every ingredient here pulls real weight. Nothing is filler.

For the Chicken

• 2 large chicken breasts — boneless, skinless. Pound them to an even thickness if they’re very thick so they cook evenly.
• 1 tsp paprika — adds color and a gentle warmth to the crust.
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• Salt and black pepper — season generously on both sides.
• 2 tbsp olive oil — for searing.

For the Sauce

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced — fresh is best here.
• ⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and roughly chopped — the oil-packed kind are more tender and flavorful than dry-packed.
• ½ cup chicken broth — adds depth and helps deglaze the pan.
• 1 cup heavy cream — for a rich, velvety sauce.
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese — freshly grated melts much better than pre-grated.
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes — optional, but adds a nice background heat.
• Fresh basil — to finish.

How to Choose the Best Chicken Breasts

The chicken is the star, so it’s worth picking it carefully.

• Go for medium-sized breasts (around 6–8 oz each). Very large ones take longer to cook through and can dry out before the center is done.
• Even thickness matters. If one end is much thicker than the other, place the breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound the thick end lightly with a rolling pin or meat mallet until it’s uniform.
• Pat them completely dry before seasoning. Moisture on the surface creates steam instead of a sear, and you’ll miss out on that golden crust.
• Room temperature chicken sears better. Pull the chicken from the fridge 15–20 minutes before cooking for a more even crust.
• Organic or air-chilled chicken tends to have better flavor and texture if you have access to it.

How to Make Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

Step 1 — Season the Chicken

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Mix the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper together, then rub the mixture evenly over both sides of each breast. Don’t rush this step — a well-seasoned crust is the foundation of the whole dish.

Step 2 — Sear the Chicken

Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet (cast iron works best) over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering and hot, add the chicken. Cook for 5–6 minutes per side without moving them — you want a deep golden crust. The chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked through yet. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Step 3 — Sauté the Aromatics

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the same pan. Once melted, add the minced garlic and cook for about 60 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant. Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and stir for another minute so they soak up the butter and garlic.

Step 4 — Build the Sauce

Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan — that’s pure flavor. Let it simmer for 2 minutes. Then pour in the heavy cream, add the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes, and stir everything together.

Step 5 — Add the Parmesan

Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the grated Parmesan a little at a time, letting it melt fully before adding more. This gives you a smooth, glossy sauce rather than a clumpy one. Let the sauce simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon.

Step 6 — Return the Chicken

Nestle the seared chicken breasts back into the sauce. Spoon the sauce generously over the tops. Cook for another 5–7 minutes over medium-low heat, turning once, until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F / 74°C).

Step 7 — Garnish and Serve

Remove from heat. Scatter fresh basil leaves over the top and add an extra pinch of Parmesan if you like. Serve directly from the skillet or plate individually with the sauce spooned generously over each piece.

Why This Recipe Works

There are a few techniques here that make a real difference.

• The sear first, sauce second method gives you a crispy, caramelized crust that holds up even after simmering in the sauce.
• Deglazing with broth pulls up all those browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the pan — that’s where a huge amount of flavor lives.
• Sun-dried tomatoes in oil are already concentrated and deeply flavorful. They don’t need much cooking — just enough heat to bloom in the butter and infuse the sauce.
• Adding Parmesan off a rolling boil prevents the cheese from seizing or turning grainy. Medium-low heat is the secret to a silky sauce.
• Finishing the chicken in the sauce rather than fully cooking it in the sear means it absorbs all that flavor while reaching a perfect, juicy internal temperature.

Best Side Dishes to Serve With It

You need something to soak up that sauce. Here are the best options.

Variations to Try

• Dairy-Free: Swap the heavy cream for full-fat coconut cream and use a dairy-free Parmesan or nutritional yeast. The flavor is slightly different but still incredibly rich.
• Gluten-Free: This recipe is naturally gluten-free as written — just double-check your chicken broth label.
• Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on thighs for even more flavor. Sear skin-side down first for 7–8 minutes to crisp the skin, then proceed as written.
• Add Spinach: Stir 2 big handfuls of fresh baby spinach into the sauce just before returning the chicken. It wilts in about 60 seconds. Similar to this Creamy Chicken Florentine that we absolutely love.
• Spicy Version: Double the red pepper flakes and add a pinch of cayenne to the seasoning rub for a dish with a real kick.
• Stuffed Version: Butterfly the chicken breasts and fill them with a spoonful of sun-dried tomatoes and Parmesan before searing. Check out our Creamy Spinach Stuffed Chicken for a similar approach.

Storage, Meal Prep & Reheating

Storing Leftovers

Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken in the fridge — that’s normal.

Freezing

Cream-based sauces don’t freeze perfectly — they can separate when thawed. If you want to freeze it, do so in individual portions and reheat slowly over low heat, stirring constantly. It’s still delicious, just slightly different in texture.

Reheating

The best method is low and slow on the stovetop. Add a splash of chicken broth or cream to the pan, place the chicken and sauce in, and warm over medium-low heat for 5–7 minutes. The microwave works in a pinch — use 60% power and cover the dish to keep the chicken from drying out.

Meal Prep Tips

You can season and sear the chicken up to a day ahead. Store it separately from the sauce. When ready to eat, make the sauce fresh (it only takes 10 minutes) and finish cooking the chicken in it. This actually gives you better results than reheating the fully made dish.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping the pat-dry step. Wet chicken steams instead of searing. Always pat completely dry before seasoning.
• Moving the chicken during the sear. Leave it alone. Moving it too early tears the crust and prevents browning.
• Boiling the cream sauce. A rolling boil will break your sauce and make it grainy. Keep the heat at medium-low once the cream is in.
• Adding all the Parmesan at once. It clumps. Add it gradually and stir between each addition.
• Not deglazing the pan. Those browned bits at the bottom are flavor gold. Always scrape them up when you add the broth.
• Overcooking the chicken. Use a meat thermometer. Pull the chicken at exactly 165°F (74°C) — it will carry over slightly as it rests.

Nutritional Information

Per serving (based on 4 servings, sauce included, no side dishes):

Serving & Presentation Tips

A few small touches turn this from a weeknight dinner into something that looks genuinely impressive.

• Serve in the skillet if you have a good-looking cast iron pan. It looks rustic and dramatic on the table and keeps everything warm longer.
• Spoon the sauce dramatically over the top of each breast right before bringing it to the table — the glossy drip is visually stunning.
• Finish with fresh basil torn rather than chopped. The irregular shapes look more natural and vibrant.
• Add a pinch of flaky sea salt right at the end — it gives a little pop of contrast and makes the flavors sing.
• Warm your plates before plating. A warm plate keeps the sauce from thickening too fast and makes the whole meal feel more restaurant-quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Final Thoughts

This creamy sun-dried tomato chicken is one of those recipes that earns a permanent spot in your weeknight rotation. It’s fast, it’s made in one pan, and it tastes far more impressive than the effort it requires.

The sauce is the real magic here — rich, garlicky, tangy from the sun-dried tomatoes, and impossibly creamy. Once you make it, you’ll find yourself wanting to put it on everything.

Whether you serve it over mashed potatoes, pasta, or just with a piece of crusty bread to scoop up every last drop, this is the kind of dinner that makes people ask for the recipe before they’ve even finished eating.

Try it this week and let us know how it goes in the comments below. We’d love to hear which side dish you paired it with!

Easy

Chicken Dinner Italian-Inspired One Pan 30-Minute Meal

Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

Juicy golden-seared chicken breasts smothered in a rich, velvety Parmesan cream sauce with sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil — all in one pan in 30 minutes.

10 minPrep

20 minCook

30 minTotal

4Servings

~490Calories

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp onion powder
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil

For the Sauce

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

To Finish

• Fresh basil leaves, to garnish
• Extra grated Parmesan, to serve

Instructions

1. 1
   Season the chicken. Pat chicken breasts completely dry. Mix paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper and rub all over both sides of each breast.
2. 2
   Sear until golden. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken 5–6 minutes per side until deep golden brown. Transfer to a plate — the chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked yet.
3. 3
   Sauté the aromatics. Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same pan. Once melted, cook garlic for 60 seconds, then add sun-dried tomatoes and stir for 1 minute.
4. 4
   Deglaze and build the sauce. Pour in chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits. Simmer 2 minutes. Add heavy cream, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
5. 5
   Melt in the Parmesan. Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir in Parmesan gradually until fully melted and the sauce is silky and smooth, about 3–4 minutes.
6. 6
   Finish the chicken in the sauce. Return chicken to the skillet. Spoon sauce over the tops. Cook 5–7 minutes, turning once, until chicken reaches 165°F (74°C) internally.
7. 7
   Garnish and serve. Top with torn fresh basil and extra Parmesan. Serve immediately, spooning sauce generously over each portion.

📝 Charlotte’s Notes

For the silkiest sauce, grate your own Parmesan from a block — pre-grated cheese has anti-caking agents that make it clump rather than melt.

If your sauce thickens too much before serving, loosen it with a splash of warm chicken broth or cream.

This recipe doubles beautifully for a crowd — just use a larger pan and give the sauce a few extra minutes to thicken.

Recipe by Charlotte · Sip Savory Recipes

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