What to Make With Chicken and Tomatoes: 3 Fast Weeknight Dinners
Chicken and tomatoes can be fresh and burst in a skillet, or canned and simmered into a short sauce. Both are weeknight food. Don't cook the chicken into threads. Brown it, make the tomato taste like more than a can, and put the chicken back in to finish. A skillet, a sheet pan, and a small soup. Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Quick picks: 3 dinners with chicken and tomatoes in 30 minutes or less
Fastest option: a 20-minute dinner
20 min
Chicken tomato soup
Total time, start to plate · One pot · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Canned or fresh tomatoes, onion, and cooked chicken in a short simmer.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked chicken
- 2 cups tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
Steps
- Soften the onion. Add the tomatoes, water, and salt.
- Simmer 10 minutes. Crush the tomatoes against the pot.
- Stir in the chicken to heat it.
- Taste. Tomato soup without enough salt tastes like tin.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days.
One-pan or sheet-pan option
28 min
Sheet-pan chicken and tomatoes
Total time, start to plate · One sheet pan · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Chicken and tomato halves roast until the tomatoes slump and the chicken browns.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken
- 2 cups tomatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cloves garlic
Steps
- Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss small chicken pieces and halved tomatoes with oil and salt.
- Spread them in one layer.
- Roast until the chicken is cooked and the tomatoes have slumped, about 16 minutes.
- Stir the garlic into the juices on the pan. Spoon those juices over the chicken.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days.
The other dinner
25 min
Skillet chicken and burst tomatoes
Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Chicken sears, then fresh tomatoes burst in the same skillet into a quick sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken
- 2 cups tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Steps
- Cut the chicken small, salt it, and sear it. Set it aside.
- Add the tomatoes to the skillet. Let them blister and burst.
- Stir in the garlic and crush the tomatoes into a sauce.
- Return the chicken for a minute. Taste. Fresh tomatoes can be sharp until the salt is right.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days.
Make it with leftovers
Cooked chicken warms in the sauce at the end. Canned tomatoes are the reliable start. Leftover fresh tomatoes that are soft belong in the skillet, not on a long sheet-pan roast where they turn to water. Don't recook chicken for the full simmer.
Pantry staples you'll need
- Salt
- Oil
- Garlic
- Onion
- Olive oil
No tomatoes: garlic chicken still works. See chicken and spinach. No chicken: eggs and tomatoes isn't on this list. Use the tomato in the beef and pasta pot if you have beef.
Picky-eater and healthy tweaks
A plain piece of chicken with tomato sauce on the side looks like a familiar plate. Fresh burst tomatoes are sweeter and less saucy. Skip onion in the kid's portion.
Tomato and chicken don't need cream or a pile of cheese. Salt and garlic are the sauce. A spoon of olive oil is enough.
Have something else in the fridge?
Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Snap your fridgeRelated dinners
Questions
What can I make with chicken and tomatoes in 20 minutes?
Chicken tomato soup takes 20 minutes, start to plate. Canned or fresh tomatoes, onion, and cooked chicken in a short simmer.
What's the easiest dinner with chicken and tomatoes?
Skillet chicken and burst tomatoes is the low-fuss one: one skillet, 25 minutes. Chicken sears, then fresh tomatoes burst in the same skillet into a quick sauce.
Can I make this with leftover or cooked chicken?
Cooked chicken warms in the sauce at the end. Canned tomatoes are the reliable start. Leftover fresh tomatoes that are soft belong in the skillet, not on a long sheet-pan roast where they turn to water. Don't recook chicken for the full simmer.
What else can I add to chicken and tomatoes for a full meal?
The cards already use chicken, tomatoes, garlic. A piece of fruit or a handful of frozen vegetables is enough if you want more on the plate. Don't make a second shopping trip.
Is chicken and tomatoes a healthy dinner?
Tomato and chicken don't need cream or a pile of cheese. Salt and garlic are the sauce. A spoon of olive oil is enough.
How do I make chicken and tomatoes kid-friendly?
A plain piece of chicken with tomato sauce on the side looks like a familiar plate. Fresh burst tomatoes are sweeter and less saucy. Skip onion in the kid's portion.
Can I make chicken and tomatoes in one pan or a sheet pan?
Sheet-pan chicken and tomatoes uses one sheet pan and takes 28 minutes. Chicken and tomato halves roast until the tomatoes slump and the chicken browns.
What if I don't have tomatoes?
No tomatoes: garlic chicken still works. See chicken and spinach. No chicken: eggs and tomatoes isn't on this list. Use the tomato in the beef and pasta pot if you have beef.