Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 600 g chicken breast fillet, pounded to even thickness
- 30 ml olive oil
- 4 g salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 2 g dried oregano
Tomato Spinach Sauce
- 150 g yellow onion, finely diced
- 15 g garlic, minced
- 400 g crushed tomatoes, canned
- 120 ml chicken broth
- 100 g baby spinach, fresh, washed and dried
- 2 g dried basil
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 392 kcal
- Protein
- 35 g
- Carbohydrates
- 15 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 822 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 5 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 12 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 4 g
- Cholesterol
- 100 mg
- Potassium
- 1000 mg
- Calcium
- 171 mg
- Iron
- 4.7 mg
- Magnesium
- 105 mg
- Phosphorus
- 381 mg
- Zinc
- 1.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 176 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 21 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.6 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin K
- 138 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.6 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.20 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.32 mg
- Niacin
- 16.3 mg
- Folate
- 74 mcg
- Water
- 164 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels to ensure a good sear. Season evenly on both sides with half of the salt, all the black pepper, and the dried oregano. Wash hands and all surfaces immediately after handling raw poultry to prevent cross-contamination.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken breasts and sear until deeply golden brown and cooked through, reaching a safe internal temperature of 74°C/165°F. Remove the chicken to a clean plate to rest.
Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add the finely diced yellow onion and saute until softened and translucent, scraping up any browned bits left by the chicken.
Add the minced garlic to the onions and cook just until highly fragrant, being careful to stir constantly so the garlic does not burn and turn bitter.
Pour the chicken broth and crushed tomatoes into the skillet. Stir in the dried basil and the remaining salt. Bring the liquid to a gentle bubble, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer, allowing the flavors to meld and the sauce to thicken slightly.
Add the fresh baby spinach to the simmering tomato sauce in large handfuls. Gently fold the greens into the hot liquid until they are completely wilted and tender.
Return the rested chicken breasts to the skillet along with any juices that accumulated on the plate. Spoon the hot tomato and spinach sauce generously over the chicken and simmer for a final minute to ensure everything is heated through.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Serve immediately, ensuring each portion receives a generous coating of the vegetable-rich sauce.
Chef's Notes
- Pounding your chicken breasts to an even thickness before cooking ensures they cook at the exact same rate, preventing the tapered ends from drying out while the thick centers finish.
- The golden crust left on the bottom of the pan after searing the chicken is called 'fond'. Do not wash the pan; the moisture from the onions and broth will dissolve this fond into your sauce, creating incredible depth of flavor.
- If the crushed tomatoes taste overly acidic, stir in a tiny pinch of sugar or a splash of heavy cream at the very end to round out the harsh notes.
- Using fresh spinach is vastly superior to frozen spinach in this preparation, as frozen spinach can water down the sauce and provide a stringy texture.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store in an airtight container. The spinach may darken slightly over time but remains safe and flavorful to eat.
Freezer: 2 months — Freeze in a sealed container. The texture of the spinach will soften further upon thawing, and the sauce may need a gentle stir to re-emulsify.
Reheating: Warm gently in a skillet over medium-low heat until the chicken reaches 74 degrees Celsius, or microwave in 1-minute bursts.
Troubleshooting
Chicken is dry, tough, or chalky
Cause: The meat was left in the pan too long and overcooked past the safe temperature.
Fix: Cannot be fixed once fully cooked, but shredding the overcooked chicken into the sauce will help mask the dry texture.
Prevention: Use a digital meat thermometer and remove the chicken immediately once the thickest part hits 74 degrees Celsius.
Sauce is too thin and watery
Cause: The tomatoes carried excess water or the spinach released too much moisture while wilting.
Fix: Remove the chicken to a plate again, turn the heat up to medium-high, and boil the sauce for 2 to 3 minutes to evaporate the excess liquid.
Prevention: Ensure the sauce simmers and reduces adequately before adding the spinach back in.
Cultural Context
The combination of tomatoes, garlic, and wilted greens is a cornerstone of rustic Mediterranean cooking, designed to stretch a modest portion of protein into a satisfying meal. By building a robust pan sauce using the exact same vessel the meat was seared in, this technique captures every drop of savory flavor, reflecting a traditional philosophy of resourceful and mindful home cooking.
