This creamy Italian chicken in tomato sauce is Keto and you can make it in just 20 minutes, so it’s also super easy, healthy, and incredibly delish.
Hey Foodies,
Today I going to show you how to make Italian chicken in creamy tomato sauce. This is one of the best Italian chicken recipes ever because it’s super easy, takes just 20 minutes to make and it’s so delicious.
Furthermore, it’s very popular among all types of foodies, which is great if you’re cooking for a crowd because you just can’t go wrong with it.
Also, this creamy chicken recipe is low carb which makes it perfect for the Ketogenic diet or any other low carb diets out there.
More Keto Chicken Recipes:
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps With Tahini Sauce
- Greek Chicken With Tzatziki SauceÂ
- Creamy Chicken And Mushrooms In White Sauce
And to help you make the best creamy Italian chicken recipe, I’ve put together a list of super useful tips & tricks where you’ll find many interesting things like what to serve with Italian chicken, how to make a super easy Italian chicken marinade or which ingredients you can change in this quick and easy Italian chicken recipe.
So without further ado, let’s dive in, shall we?!
How to make creamy Italian chicken in tomato sauce – Best Tips & Tricks
1. Start with an easy Italian chicken marinade
The easiest Italian chicken marinade is made of Italian seasoning, salt & pepper, and some good extra virgin olive oil. You just have to season the chicken with Italian seasoning, then rub it well with olive oil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
It is best to leave it overnight if you can, as this will make it super tender, flavorful and juicy.
Now let’s move on to my next tip…
2. Which ingredients can be changed in this quick and easy Italian chicken recipe
Let’s start with the cheese.
I used Pecorino but you can replace it with parmesan or any other hard, matured cheese like Grana Padano, Regianitto (Argentina’s parmesan), Dry Jack (California’s parmesan) or American Grana.
Next, you can replace the olives with your favorites, which don’t necessarily have to be Italian. Sorry Italian foodies, but everyone has their own tastes and I gotta take this into account 🙂
So you can make this creamy chicken recipe with Greek olives (like Kalamata), black olives, Spanish or Italian, whichever you like best. That said, I strongly recommend using Nocellara olives as their so huge and delicious (my favorites, of course 🙂 )
Moving on, you can also substitute the chicken breast with thighs or turkey steaks (0.5inch/1.5cm slices should be just perfect).
3. Which sauce is best for this creamy chicken recipe
I made this creamy Italian chicken in a store-bought tomato-basil sauce but you can use homemade tomato sauce if you have available. A great alternative would be marinara sauce.
You can also make it with diced tomatoes but I prefer tomato sauce because it’s smoother and thickens faster.
It’s worth mentioning here that you should look for low sodium sauces, as the pecorino cheese can be quite salty so it may not need extra seasoning. Keep this in mind and always give it a taste.
Now let’s move on and see what to serve with this Italian chicken in creamy tomato sauce.
4. What to serve with creamy Italian chicken
If you want to keep it diet-friendly, you should try it with a fresh chopped veggie salad.
In Tuscany, they make this salad with fresh veggies like tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, basil and bread. It’s called Panzanella or Tuscan tomato and bread salad. This would go so well with our creamy Italian chicken in tomato sauce, so you definitely got to try it.
Another great side for the Italian Chicken in tomato sauce would be these roasted smashed potatoes with garlic and parmesan.
Now here’s one last tip before getting to the recipe.
To make this Italian chicken in creamy tomato sauce even more delicious, add plenty of herbs like parsley, thyme and basil. Trust me, this will make it super flavorful.
Now that I’ve shared all my secret tricks with you, it’s time for the best part, the creamy chicken recipe and video.
And if you like this creamy Italian chicken recipe video and want to see more like it, please Subscribe to my YouTube Channel.
Creamy Italian Chicken in Tomato Sauce (Keto Recipe)
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts - (about 1 1/2 lb. / 650g)
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- sea salt and pepper - to taste
- 2 Tbsp olive oil - divided
- 1 Tbsp ghee or clarified butter
- 1 medium onion - diced
- 2-3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 jar (15 Oz / 450ml) tomato-basil sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup green olives - pitted if desired
- 1/4 cup grated Pecorino cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded pecorino cheese
- a small handful of fresh chopped parsley or basil - to garnish
Instructions
- Season and rub the chicken on all sides with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 Tbsp of olive oil and the chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes on each side, or until nicely browned and no longer pink on the inside. Then set aside on a plate.
- In the same preheated skillet add the remaining oil and ghee. Add in the onion and garlic, and sauté until it softens, about 2-3 minutes.
- Pour the tomato sauce and heavy cream, then stir in the olives and ground Pecorino cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed (keep in mind that the pecorino is salty enough), then simmer for a few minutes to thicken.
- Return the chicken to the skillet and cover it in sauce. Top with shredded cheese and let it simmer for a couple more minutes, until hot and bubbly.
- Sprinkle with fresh chopped herbs and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- You have to marinate the chicken to make it more tender, juicy and flavorful. See my easy Italian chicken marinade at Tip #1.
- Replace the cheese and olives with your favorites, and I listed a few great ideas at Tip #2. You can also change the Italian chicken breast with thighs, or turkey steaks (0.5inch/1.5cm slices).
- You can make this recipe with canned or homemade tomato based sauce, marinara, or diced tomatoes. See more at Tip #3.
- This Italian chicken in creamy tomato sauce goes perfectly with a fresh chopped salad, Panzanella, or roasted smashed potatoes. See more at Tip #4.
Nutrition
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This recipe is pretty high in carbs for being a keto…it’s over half your carbs for the day for one serving.
Hi,
First of all, thanks for checking out my recipes.
The carbs are indeed over half the daily serving, but the fat to carbs ratio is pretty high, and it all depends on what else you eat throughout the day. If this is your only carb intake for the day, then you shouldn’t have a problem getting in a state of Ketosis.