Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt (to taste)
- Freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or other neutral oil)
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
- ½ cup grated fresh parmesan cheese (at room temperature)
- 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes (preferably packed in oil)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (more or less to taste)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
Garnish
- Chiffonaded fresh basil
- Grated fresh parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Prepare and Sear the Chicken: Trim and pound the chicken breasts to even thickness. Pat dry and season generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear chicken breasts for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden but not fully cooked. Transfer to a plate and set aside without draining the skillet.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and adjust racks so the skillet can sit in the center.
- Make the Sun-Dried Tomato Cream Sauce: Lower skillet heat to medium-low and sauté minced garlic for 30 to 60 seconds until fragrant. Add chicken broth and scrape up browned bits from the skillet bottom. Remove skillet from heat and cool for 2 to 3 minutes, then whisk in heavy cream until combined. Add grated parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Return skillet to medium-low heat and stir for 1 to 2 minutes to warm sauce through. Stir in sun-dried tomatoes, dried oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes. Adjust seasoning as desired with salt, pepper, oregano, or red pepper flakes.
- Simmer and Coat Chicken: Bring sauce to a gentle simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Return the chicken breasts to the skillet and flip them multiple times to coat thoroughly with sauce.
- Bake the Chicken: Place the skillet with the coated chicken in the preheated oven. Bake for about 13 minutes, then check doneness with an internal thermometer, aiming for 160°F (71°C) in the thickest part. Continue cooking as needed, checking often.
- Finish and Rest: Once the target temperature is reached, remove skillet from oven. Spoon extra sauce from the skillet onto chicken breasts. Let chicken rest in the skillet for 5 minutes to reach a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) through residual cooking.
- Serve: Transfer chicken to plates. Spoon remaining sauce over the top, garnish with chiffonaded fresh basil and additional parmesan if desired. Serve immediately with your favorite sides like potatoes or asparagus.
Notes
- Use low-sodium chicken broth to control the saltiness of the sauce.
- Allow cream and parmesan cheese to be at room temperature to ensure proper melting and incorporation into the sauce.
- If using a leave-in meat thermometer probe, insert it before placing the skillet in the oven to accurately monitor chicken temperature.
- Do not overcook the chicken during searing as it will finish cooking in the oven and during resting.
- Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil provide richer flavor; drain excess oil before adding if desired.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian-American
