Creamy Tomato Artichoke Chicken (Whole30, Paleo)
Posted: 09/12/18
Updated: 09/30/22
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This creamy tomato artichoke chicken is absolutely delicious. Whole30, paleo, and dairy-free, the recipe is simple but big on flavor and so dang good! Made with only 7 ingredients, this creamy tomato artichoke chicken is a fantastic paleo or Whole30 dinner, but everyone would love it!
What Makes This Recipe So Good
- It’s a 7-ingredient, 30-ish-minute, one-pan meal that’s completely Whole30, paleo, and dairy free. What more do I need to say??
- We’re talking a restaurant-quality, creamy, tangy tomato sauce that swaddles tender, juicy, perfectly-cooked chicken breasts that have been seasoned simply but beautifully. It’s rich but not too, too heavy. Bright and so satisfying. Easy yet company-worthy. Seriously, do I need to go on?
- Oh, and since this creamy tomato artichoke chicken is so incredible all on its own, you only need a simple side or two to pair with it. Try Italian green beans, air fryer asparagus, sautéed spinach, broccolini, or your favorite Whole30 potato dish.
Chef’s Tips
- If a tomato-y sauce isn’t your style, check out my recipe for Creamy Whole30 Tuscan Chicken with Artichokes. It’s very similar to this creamy tomato artichoke chicken, but uses sun-dried tomatoes instead of crushed, giving you more of a white “cream” sauce.
- Make sure your chicken breasts are roughly the same size and thickness, otherwise they won’t cook evenly. If they vary wildly in thickness, pound them thinner with a meat tenderizer (or a rolling pin) or halve them into evenly thick cutlets.
- For a really golden sear, pat the chicken breasts completely dry with a paper towel before seasoning them. Don’t worry, removing that outer moisture won’t dry them out. It’ll actually give you a better sear, which will lock in those natural juices, keep the chicken breasts nice and moist.
- Your cook times will vary slightly depending on the size and thickness of the chicken you use, and on the size and age of the skillet. Use an internal meat thermometer to make sure the chicken’s cooked to a safe-to-consume temperature (165°F for chicken) before serving.
Serve Up Even More Whole30 Deliciousness
- Whole30 Marry Me Chicken (Paleo, Dairy Free)
- Whole30 Burgers with Spicy Mayo
- Paleo Meatloaf (Whole30, Low Carb, Gluten Free)
- Whole30 Creamy Garlic Chicken (Dairy Free, Paleo)
- Whole30 Lasagna Soup
Creamy Tomato Artichoke Chicken (Whole30, Paleo, Dairy Free)
Whole30, paleo, and dairy free, this recipe is simple but big on flavor and so dang good!
servings
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons avocado oil or other neutral oil, divided
- 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts approximately 6 ounces each, see Notes
- 2 teaspoons dried basil divided
- 2 teaspoons salt divided, more or less to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper more or less to taste
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 14.5-ounce can crushed tomatoes
- 1 14-ounce can artichoke hearts drained
- ½ cup coconut cream see Notes
- chopped fresh parsley or chopped fresh basil, for garnish
Equipment
- Cutting board
- Paper towels
- Small bowl
- Whisk or silicone spatula
- Large skillet
- Tongs
- internal meat thermometer
- Plate
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts on cutting board and pat chicken dry on all sides with paper towels.
- In small bowl, whisk together 1 teaspoon dried basil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, until ingredients are well distributed. Liberally season chicken breasts on all sides with spice mixture. Set chicken aside.
- Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. When skillet is hot, add 2 teaspoons avocado oil and swirl pan to coat bottom with oil. Heat oil over medium-high heat until oil is hot and shimmering.
- When oil is hot, add seasoned chicken breasts to skillet. Cook chicken, undisturbed, 8 minutes, or until bottom of chicken is golden brown and releases easily from skillet. If chicken sticks to skillet, continue cooking until chicken releases easily.
- When chicken is ready, flip chicken breasts over and cook until chicken is cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Internal temperature of chicken should read 160° to 162° Fahrenheit according to internal meat thermometer. Transfer cooked chicken to plate and set aside.
- Move skillet from heat and let cool 2 to 3 minutes, then return skillet to heat. Add remaining 2 teaspoons avocado oil to skillet and swirl pan to coat. Heat oil over medium-high heat until oil is hot and shimmering.
- Add minced garlic to hot oil. Sauté garlic, stirring constantly, just until garlic is fragrant, approximately 30 to 60 seconds.
- When garlic is fragrant, add crushed tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and coconut cream to skillet. Gently stir until ingredients are fully combined and cream is completely incorporated. Let mixture come to low boil, then reduce heat and simmer until sauce is thickened, approximately 5 minutes.
- Return chicken breasts to skillet and spoon sauce over tops of chicken. Simmer just until chicken is warmed through, then garnish chicken with chopped parsley or basil. Serve warm with desired sides and plenty of sauce.
Notes
- Chicken: To cook evenly, chicken breasts should be evenly sized and not too thick. Trim or pound chicken breasts as needed.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs would also work here. Adjust the cook time as needed to accommodate.
- Coconut Cream: Make sure to use coconut cream, not coco lopez (cream of coconut) or coconut creamer. Coconut cream comes from a can of coconut milk that’s been refrigerated overnight – the cream is the thick top layer that separates from the liquid in the can.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 478kcal, Carbohydrates: 15g, Protein: 40g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 12g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 5g, Trans Fat: 0.02g, Cholesterol: 109mg, Sodium: 1875mg, Potassium: 1049mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1269IU, Vitamin C: 34mg, Calcium: 82mg, Iron: 4mg, Net Carbs: 10g
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
I liked this – speedy and tasty! I added mushrooms because I had ’em and next time I might add some sliced olives for a little more briny flavor. While the recipe doesn’t specify when to add the chicken back (as someone slyly noted above!) I figured during the last 5 mins simmer was a good time to take the chicken off the plate 😉
Oops, so sorry about that Maria – thank you for bringing it to our attention! We’ve updated the recipe instructions to include the step of adding the chicken back to the sauce.
What can be substituted for the coconut milk? I have coconut and tree nut allergy.
Are you paleo, on a Whole30 round, or dairy free? If none of those, heavy whipping cream would work!
Wondering if this could be made into a soup somehow? I am great at following a recipe but not much on my own. Any ideas please?
We’d probably just follow the recipe and just add some chicken broth at the end & return the chicken back to the pot! You could shred or cut the chicken up into bite-sized pieces after it’s cooked.
I used fresh basil and cut up rotisserie chicken (was short on time)… it was AMAZING!! Even better the next day.
What can you put this over that is Whole30 besides potatoes?
Zoodles or cauliflower rice. 🙂
This is the most delicious recipe and I’ve made it many times with chicken. Tonight I made it with 3 pieces of mahi-mahi fish instead of chicken. It came out wonderful and we loved it! The fish was like a piece of chicken — chicken of the sea! Thank you, Cheryl, for a very versatile and tasty recipe!
Thanks for the awesome review!
The recipe is delicious, but there wasn’t enough food for 4, and three days later, we had to throw out chicken that was still on the plate.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Terry 🙂 Depending on how much sauce you still needed, you can definitely increase how much you make to accommodate more chicken next time!
Made this recipe with my balsamic zoodles and it was simply divine!!! Thank you for sharing this game-changer!
Thanks for sharing this review!
Weeknight dinner effort, fancy meal result. Will be in my rotation!
That’s the goal!