skillet chicken with tomato basil ragu

You’ll love the simple flavor fest with this skillet chicken with tomato basil ragu. Starting with fork-tender chicken breast that’s seasoned & seared, then covered with the tastiest ragu!

The slight heat from the red pepper, the acidity of the lemon and white wine, and the sweetness of the tomato and basil come together to pack a punch!

You could use this ragu on chicken or any white fish. The chicken takes minutes to prepare, as does the ragu, so this is a great weeknight meal!

How to make skillet chicken with tomato ragu

Chicken: I cut mine into 3rds. I slice off the bottom third of the chicken on the bias and put aside. That leaves me with 2/3 of the thickest part of the breast. I slice that in half horizontally. This creates 3 pieces that are about the same size which makes it easier to cook evenly.

Once the chicken is sliced, I pound it with a meat tenderizer to flatten it a little more. After that, I salt and pepper both sides. Now it’s ready to pan fry.

To get the right temp, place a pan on the stove and heat at a medium to medium high temperature. Don’t go too high, too fast or the heat will not be even.

To know when the pan is the right temperature, pour 1/8 teaspoon of water in the pan. If it jumps around and then comes back together to form one small ball that bounces around, you’ve got the perfect temp!

Now add your oil (turn the heat down slightly) and it should cover the bottom of the pan and shimmer! Add the chicken and cook for approx. 3-4 minutes per side.

Making the tomato basil ragu

I found beautiful yellow and red grape tomatoes at the farmer’s market so I used those for extra color! Cherry tomatoes would work also.

This recipe calls for white wine however I don’t typically cook with that because I would drink more than what goes in the recipe. Instead, I substitute with white wine vinegar plus chicken broth. Note, don’t add more than a tablespoon of vinegar as it’s much more potent than wine. That still creates the zing that you’d get from the wine.

Putting the chicken with tomato basil ragu together: Once ragu is finished, spread on top (or even below) of chicken. I’ve served with greens on the side or sitting on a bed of greens. Both ways were delicious!

tips for chicken with tomato basil ragu

What should I serve chicken with tomato basil ragu with? To keep it light, you can serve with greens on the side or on a bed of greens. If you’d like a little more substance, brown rice, quinoa or noodles work great!

What oil should I use to saute chicken with tomato basil ragu? You can use olive oil or a high heat oil like avocado, coconut or grape-seed oil. If you really want to jazz it up, use my herb-infused olive oil!

If you like this recipe, check out my grilled chicken or caprese salad with homemade croutons.