We love an easy dinner recipe that gives complex flavor with no heavy lifting and a little heavy cream. Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken is a one-pan wonder you'll want in regular rotation. Skillet chicken breasts are super moist, and you'll be amazed how good this sauce is just from zhuzhing up canned tomatoes with a spark of fresh basil. And yes, a little heavy cream.
Pat chicken very dry, then pound to an even thickness. To do so, place one chicken breast onto a sheet of parchment paper, then fold the paper over the chicken. Use a rolling pin to pound the chicken breast to an even thickness of about 1”. Set aside and repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
Combine the salt, pepper, basil, garlic powder, and onion powder in a small bowl. Mix until well combined. Season the chicken all over with the seasoning blend.
Heat a 12” skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil and butter and heat until the butter melts then foams. Add the chicken breasts in a single layer. Sear 5 minutes until golden brown, then flip and sear on the other side 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken using tongs to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, until very fragrant.
Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, then add the diced tomatoes. Bring the liquids to a simmer and cook at least 10 minutes and up to 20; stir the sauce occasionally, and when doing so, gently crush the tomatoes with the back of a wood spoon. Continue cooking and gently crushing until the sauce thickens and the tomatoes are deep red.
Pour in the heavy cream and 2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, then stir to combine. Nestle the chicken into the pan sauce. Cover and cook 5 minutes more, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches 165°F using an instant read thermometer.
Serve immediately over rice or fresh pasta. Garnish with the remaining 2 tablespoons of fresh basil and serve immediately.