Baked Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken

Baked Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken with fresh basil and garlic is a comforting dinner recipe, perfect for those who love their chicken saucy! This dairy-free, gluten-free recipe is rustic and dreamy! Serve it up with your choice of side dishes (steamed or roasted veggies, rice, noodles, etc.) for a winning meal!

I present to you a dish that is not only boisterous in flavor, but also high protein, satiating, and comforting! Creamy sun-dried tomato chicken is also known as Tuscan Chicken, or Marry Me Chicken, because it really is that good!

Tender chicken is engulfed in big flavor on account of the creamy sauce for an impressive main dish that is easy enough to whip up on a busy weeknight, yet fancy enough for a special occasion.

Dairy-free, grain-free, paleo and low-carb, this simple yet flavorful dish is designed to make you feel energized!

This Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken, my Creamy Mushroom Chicken, Dairy-Free Sausage Gravy, Creamy Pesto Chicken and my 30-Minute Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken all have one thing in common.

They utilize full-fat canned coconut milk to generate the creamy sauce in place of half & half or heavy cream.

This easy creamy sun-dried tomato chicken is a great main dish for anyone who loves saucy chicken. It comes together relatively quickly, which is essential for busy weeknights!

Let’s discuss the simple ingredients. The full list of ingredients can be found at any grocery store.

Ingredients for Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken:

Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: The main event and the reason we’re all here! You’ll want to pick up 1 ½ to 2 pounds of boneless skinless chicken cutlets. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you’d like!

Yellow Onion & Fresh Garlic: Everyone’s favorite flavor makers. Onion and garlic add to the richness and rustic flavor of the dish.

Avocado Oil: Used for sautéing the onion and garlic, we use avocado oil because it has a high smoke point and neutral flavor.

Coconut Milk: Full-fat canned coconut milk is a great dairy-free replacement for a thick cream sauce! Be sure to use full-fat canned coconut milk, as coconut milk from the carton will not contain the same fat content, flavor or consistency. It’s the fat that provides the creaminess and rich flavor.

Chicken Broth: To add more volume to the sauce, I use chicken stock. Any type of stock or broth will work.

Cider Vinegar: It may sound strange, but a touch of acidity provides a nice tang to the sauce, which makes the flavor more reminiscent of a traditional cream sauce. You can replace the cider vinegar with rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, or lemon juice.

Tapioca Flour or Gluten-Free Flour: Used to thicken the sauce, 1 to 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour or a gluten-free flour blend is useful in generating that thickness we all love so much in a cream-based sauce. Tapioca flour keeps it grain-free for those who need it.

Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Bright, cheerful sun-dried tomatoes bring a deep flavor to the sauce that is completely unparalleled! 

Kalamata Olives (Optional): Adding briny flavor to the sauce, kalamata olives add to the flavor profile of the meal. While I love the addition of kalamata olives for more flavor, they aren’t necessary, as the sun-dried tomatoes go a long way in providing flavor.

Italian Seasoning: Dried herbs add that earthy flavor to any chicken dish. I like using Italian seasoning because it contains a variety of herbs, but you can easily replace it with dried oregano or parsley.

Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Used to enhance the flavor of the dish. Everyone has different tastes when it comes to the salt content they enjoy so add it to your personal taste.

Spinach: Providing a boost of Vitamins, baby spinach is an easy addition to bring a powerful nutrient punch to the meal. It also provides some additional rustic vibes.

Fresh Basil: Serving the chicken with chopped fresh basil adds a marvelous brightness to the dish. Go big with the basil if you like it!

Recipe Customizations:

• If you aren’t gluten-free, you can use regular all-purpose flour.
• Swap the canned coconut milk for 1 2/3 cups of heavy cream or half & half.
• For a kick of spice, add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes to the sauce.
• Prepare the recipe in a large skillet rather than baking it in the oven.
• Add cherry tomatoes, or swap out the sundried tomatoes for cherry tomatoes if you’d like.
• Mix in more fresh herbs, like fresh parsley, fresh thyme, or fresh rosemary.

Let’s make it!

How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Heat the avocado oil in a thick-bottomed pot or skillet over medium-high heat and add the chopped onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.

Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, Italian seasoning and sea salt and bring the mixture to a full boil. Transfer the spinach to the pot and cover it for 1 to 3 minutes to allow it to wilt before stirring it into the sauce. 

Stir in the tapioca flour (or gluten-free flour) and whisk the sauce well until the clumps of flour are out. Continue cooking the sun-dried tomato cream sauce at a boil, stirring frequently, until it has thickened substantially, about 5 to 10 minutes total. Taste the sauce for flavor and add more sea salt and/or vinegar to taste.

Transfer the chicken breasts to a large casserole dish and sprinkle them lightly with sea salt.

Pour the creamy sun-dried tomato sauce over the chicken breasts and give everything a little stir until the breasts are well-coated in sauce.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of a breast to check for doneness.

Give it a sprinkle of fresh grated parmesan cheese (if you aren’t dairy-free) and enjoy it with a glass of wine along with my Caramelized Onion Roasted Garlic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes! 

Crusty bread or garlic bread is an amazing accomplish to sop up that amazing sauce!

Looking for more side dishes? Here are my top recommended ways to serve this easy main dish.

Serving Suggestions:

What to eat with sun-dried tomato chicken? If you do rice, my Lemon Garlic Rosemary Rice is a great companion as it is flavorful in its own rite and soaks up the delicious sauce.

If you’re like me and you eat veggies at every meal, my Garlic Herb Roasted Vegetables or my Easy Sautéed Vegetables are perfect go-to side dishes for any meal.

Fan of keeping it low-carb? My Jalapeno Ginger Cauliflower Rice or my Spanish Cauliflower Rice are lovely keto friendly sides.

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

The way I see it, this is the perfect meal prep recipe because it can be made in bulk, and the flavor improves the longer it sits. I love it as a make-ahead meal to keep weeknight dinners fun and interesting!

Enjoy your chicken dinner!

Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Recipe

4.38 from 8 votes

A creamy rustic chicken recipe that is anything but boring! Serve it up with your favorite sides – mashed potatoes, noodles, or rice are phenomenal – and make the most of that sauce!

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Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 ½ to 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 4 large breasts
• 1 Tbsp avocado oil
• 1 large yellow onion finely chopped
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 1 (15-oz) can full-fat coconut milk
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar or rice vinegar
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes drained
• ⅓ cup kalamata olives finely chopped, optional
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 3/4 tsp sea salt to taste
• 4 cups baby spinach optional
• 1 to 2 Tbsp tapioca flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour as needed for thickening
• ⅓ cup fresh basil chopped

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Heat the avocado oil in a thick-bottomed pot or skillet over medium-high heat and add the chopped onion. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and sauté for another 2 minutes.
• Add the coconut milk, chicken broth, vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, Italian seasoning and sea salt and bring the mixture to a full boil. Transfer the baby spinach to the pot (or skillet) and cover it for 1 to 3 minutes to allow it to wilt before stirring it into the sauce. 
• Add the tapioca flour (or gluten-free flour) and whisk the sauce well until the clumps of flour are out. Continue cooking the sauce at a boil, stirring frequently, until it has thickened substantially, about 5 to 10 minutes total. Taste the sauce for flavor and add more sea salt and/or vinegar to taste.
• Transfer the chicken breasts to a large casserole dish and sprinkle them lightly with sea salt.
• Pour the sun-dried tomato sauce over the chicken breasts and give everything a little stir until the breasts are well-coated in sauce.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Serve the chicken with your choice of side dishes. Steamed rice or noodles are amazing to soak up the sauce! Cauliflower rice and roasted or sautéed vegetables are great options as well.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1of 4 · Calories: 544kcal · Carbohydrates: 17g · Protein: 58g · Fat: 25g · Fiber: 3g · Sugar: 9g

Author: Julia

Course: Main Dishes

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: anti-inflammatory, baked chicken recipe, creamy sun dried tomato chicken, dinner recipe, healthy dinner, low-carb, low-inflammatory, whole30

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