Recipe: Skillet Pizza Chicken

This recipe is straight from Chef Laura Lea’s healthy and delicious blog, LL Balanced and part of our SB Challenge “Back to the Table” where we feature seven recipes each Sunday, for three weeks, and challenge our readers to gather around a home-cooked meal each night! Her cookbook is wildly popular and available right here for $20.40. With a whopping 380+ reviews and average five-star rating, this is a cookbook you’ll love using time and again. We highly recommend buying it as well as subscribing to LL Balanced for recipes that you’ll enjoy.

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For this recipe, Laura Lea says, “Simmering hallmark pizza spices with my creamy tomato ‘broth’ creates a rich, flavorful sauce that rivals any classic ‘za. Taking time to sear the chicken tenders is also key. Not only does it golden-crustify the chicken; it yields delectable crunchy brown bits, just asking to be scraped up and mixed into the sauce.”

She also adds, “I also adore the versatility of this dish. Throw it over rice, quinoa, boxed noodles, zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash (or gently set atop, stuff’s hot!). If you have a good pizza crust recipe or frozen crust, you can treat it like a pizza topping. Or simply enjoy it as-is, with a simple green salad or a side of roasted veggies or sweet potato fries.

“You can also play with add-ins and toppings. I’ve made this without cheese or pepperoni, and it was still absolutely delicious. Sautéed mushrooms would be fabulous, or handfuls of fresh spinach stirred in at the end. Sky’s the limit with this pie!”

If you make this dish, please tag Laura Lea on Instagram at @lauraleabalanced, StyleBlueprint at @styleblueprint and use the hashtags #sbchallenge #mySBplate. We want to cheer you on!

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To see the original posting of this recipe with side notes like, “The ingredient list might look long, but most items are pantry staples, so don’t let yourself be daunted” and more, check out LL Balanced here.

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Skillet Pizza Chicken

Laura Lea of LL Balanced

Total time: 60 minutes.

No ratings yet

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Course Main Course or Side

Cuisine American/Italian

Servings 6

Calories 359 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 teaspoon freshly minced rosemary can omit
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt plus more to taste
• 1 cup full-fat or light canned coconut milk
• 1 15- oz can organic diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons coconut sugar sub honey or maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon low-sodium Tamari sub soy sauce
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1 cup yellow onion approximately 1 medium-large onion
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter sub olive oil
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch
• Optional: 2 ounces pepperoni slices
• 2 ounces grated mozzarella
• fresh basil
• red pepper flakes

Instructions

 

PREP:

• In a small mixing bowl, whisk together rosemary, oregano, basil, 1 teaspoon of sea salt and black pepper. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together coconut milk, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, coconut sugar, tamari and chicken stock. Set aside.
• Dice onion and garlic and set aside, keeping separate.
• Trim chicken breasts of excess fat and slice into 1 inch thick strips. Place slices on a piece of saran wrap or aluminum foil near your stove, along with a dish towel and a baking sheet or large heat-proof bowl.

COOK:

• Heat a large skillet (something with sides that are at least a few inches high) to medium-high heat and add olive oil and butter (or all oil). When fat is bubbling, add half of your chicken strips to the pan, leaving a little space between each. Sprinkle strips with a pinch of salt. If you have a ventilator on your stove, turn it out.
• Allow chicken to cook without stirring 3-4 minutes. Use dishtowel to clean up any spatters of fat. Adjust heat slightly if it seems too "spattery." Chicken will let you know it's ready to be flipped when it no longer sticks to the pan. It should be golden brown underneath.
• Flip chicken and cook another minute (it's okay if this side isn't golden), then add strips to the baking sheet or plate you've set aside. Repeat cooking/seasoning process with remaining chicken strips and add those to the sheet/plate as well.
• Turn heat to medium-low and add onion and a splash of water. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up any of the brown bits on the pan. Cook onions, stirring, until softened and translucent (3-4 minutes). Add garlic, spice mixture and another splash of water and cook, stirring constantly, another 30 seconds.
• Add chicken back into pan in an even layer, then carefully pour tomato/stock mixture into the pan. It should fill almost completely up, but not enough to splash over the side. Gently stir to mix everything together (it's okay if it's not totally mixed — it will be easier in a few minutes).
• Turn heat up a little to medium and bring to a "loud" simmer (between a simmer and a boil). Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring every few minutes until liquid/sauce has thickened and reduced by 1/3. Turn oven to broil setting.
• In a small bowl, whisk arrowroot or cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water until dissolved. Pour into sauce (try not to pour right on chicken) and stir to incorporate. Sauce should thicken even more in about a minute.
• Remove skillet from heat and top with pepperoni and cheese, if using. Place under broiler for 1-2 minutes, watching, until cheese is bubbling. Serve immediately (be careful though, it's hot!) with fresh basil and red pepper flakes, if using.

Nutrition

Calories: 359kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 38gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 1039mgPotassium: 1042mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 978IUVitamin C: 18mgCalcium: 99mgIron: 3mg

Keyword chicken, Pizza, Skillet

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See six more recipes, that are all part of our week-one SB healthy dinner challenge, below where it says “More Articles You’ll Love.”