Tomato Basil Chicken is easy and quick to prepare, and bursting with fresh flavor. Seven simple ingredients and less than 40 minutes is all it takes. It’s a must if you’re looking for more easy keto dinners.
On the hunt for ways to use up some fresh garden tomatoes? Then look no further than this keto friendly tomato basil chicken. It embodies the best of late summer produce.
And best of all, it’s so easy to make, you can have dinner on the table in less than 40 minutes.
Fresh from the garden
My tomatoes have been off the hook this year. They took a while to get going, but once they started to ripen, it was a veritable tomato explosion. Ripe, red, and so incredibly juicy and sweet. There are so many coming in at once, I need ideas to use them all.
And our basil is doing what it does every year, which is to grow like a weed. We cut it back regularly and it seems to be full and lush again the very next day.
Goodness knows that tomato and basil go together like… well, like tomato and basil! So it was time to create a delicious skillet dinner that made the most of those wonderful flavors.
Are tomatoes keto friendly?
Tomatoes sometimes get a bad rap when it comes to the keto diet, but they are actually quite low in carbs and high in fiber. The confusion seems to stem from the fact that many processed tomato products like sauce included added sugars.
And items such as tomato paste are cooked down so much that they concentrate the natural sugars and should be uses sparingly.
But fresh tomatoes are an excellent choice. A medium red tomato has only 4.8g of carbs, and 1.5g of fiber. And they contain plenty of antioxidants and Vitamin C.
Since this creamy tomato basil chicken uses fresh tomatoes, it makes the most of all that wonderful nutrition.
How to make tomato basil chicken
You’re going to love this super easy one pan meal! Here are my best tips for getting it right:
- Seed the tomatoes. The seed pockets of tomatoes contain a great deal of liquid. By removing the seeds and the associated liquid, the sauce will be thicker and required less cooking. Simply cut the tomatoes into sections and run your fingers down the seed pockets to push them out. Then you can dice them nicely after that.
- Blend the tomatoes. Blending up the tomatoes first helps break them down so you can get dinner on the table that much faster.
- Sear the chicken. Get the oil nice and hot, and brown the chicken thighs on both sides. Make sure they are cooked through and not showing any pink before you remove them from the pan.
- Stir in the tomato puree and garlic. Simmer the tomatoes for 5 minutes or so to thicken the sauce and concentrate the flavors.
- Add the cream and basil. Plenty of fresh basil really takes this recipe to new heights!
- Add the chicken back in. It will only take a few minutes to warm the chicken back up.
- Sprinkle with parmesan. I highly recommend a good Parmigiano Reggiano for the tangy contrast it provides with the sweet tomatoes.
Frequently Asked Questions
While I recommend fresh for flavor, you can certain make this with canned tomatoes. Use diced canned tomatoes and drain off the liquid, then measure out 2 ½ cups. Blend as directed. It will raise the carb count by about 0.5g per serving.
With a few easy substitutions, this tomato basil chicken can be dairy free too. Use canned coconut cream (the thick part from the top of the can) for the heavy whipping cream. If you want to replace the Parmesan, try using some nutritional yeast.
Certainly. But chicken breasts are quite large and take longer to cook through so I recommend cutting them in into thinner cutlets by slicing through the middle.
So many delicious possibilities! We served ours with some grilled zucchini salad, but it would be wonderful over cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, or any kind of keto pasta.
I didn’t try but I can’t see why not. Both cooked chicken and tomato sauce freeze well. I’d leave off the Parmesan until you’re ready to serve.
More amazing keto tomato recipes
- Tomato Goat Cheese Tart
- King Ranch Chicken Soup
- Roasted Tomato Bisque
- Fish Saltimbocca with Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Easy Chicken Caprese
- Cheesy Baked Tomatoes
Tomato Basil Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups diced fresh tomatoes seeds and liquid removed
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoon avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil lightly packed
- ¼ cup Finely grated parmesan
Instructions
- Make sure to remove as much of the seeds (and the liquid from the seed pockets) from the tomatoes as you can. Place in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Add the oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken and cook until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Add the tomatoes and garlic to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Simmer 5 minutes to thicken. Stir in the cream and basil.
- Add the chicken back int to heat through, about 2 minutes. Top with grated parmesan.
Shelly Baker says
O M G! So delicious, it moved me to tears. T_T
My cast iron is not huge, so I cooked the chicken in two batches. The “drippings”, leftover in the pan after plating the chicken, looked absolutely divine. The fresh tomato puree, fresh chopped basil and the cream were so pretty in the pan. I cut the chicken up into strips before reincorporating back them into the pan. I doubled the parmigiana, because, why not? Anyhow, I could go on and on… Thank you Carolyn, it turned out beautiful, as always.
Carolyn says
So glad you enjoyed it that much!
Maggie H says
This chicken dish is quick, easy and very flavorful! Even though I left out the Parmesan cheese by mistake, 🤦♀️ it was great! Thank you for this wonderful recipe! Two thumbs up!
Laurie says
We loved this tonight! Thank you!
Sherry says
Looks delicious. Is there a dairy free substitute for the whipping crème that would work?
Carolyn says
Coconut cream.
Beverly Harper says
This is a fantastic recipe. Added fresh mushrooms and minced onions. Substituted 1 tablespoon of dried basil for the fresh. Beverly Served over cauliflower rice and a garden salad. Easy, easy, easy.
Erica Lynch says
Just made this diner. So easy to delicious even with canned tomatoes.
Tena Severeyns says
Oh The Flavor!! This was fantastic – so simple but the fresh basil really elevates it. This is definitely going in the rotation! Thank you!
Stacey says
Just made this wonderful dish tonight, it was fabulous, such flavor. My first bite I thought to myself “wow, like something you would get in a better/ favorite restaurant “. Took a picture but don’t know how to
Upload!!
Anyway Carolyn, thanks sir another excellent recipe, and rather quick and easy too.
Carolyn says
So glad you liked it!
Pamela A Vienneau says
Can this be made in the instant pot, adding cream and basil after cooking chicken and boiling down tomatoes?
Carolyn says
Probably but I will warn you that Instant Pots force so much moisture out of meat, it may end up a bit soupy.
Deej Fuentes says
What is the recipe for the eggplant?
Carolyn says
What recipe for eggplant? This is a chicken recipe.
Sandra says
There’s a link in the “Frequently Asked Questions” section to the grilled zucchini recipe 🙂
Janice says
I’m going to try this with chicken breast, since my hubby doesn’t like thighs😁
Louise Beatson says
So quick easy and yummy, I added a sprinkle of chilli flakes served it over palm of heart rice