Tender pan-seared chicken in a rich, creamy coconut and sun-dried tomato sauce with bright lemon and wilted spinach; savory, tangy, and slightly sweet, ideal spooned over rice or cauliflower rice.
Creamy Coconut & Sun‑Dried Tomato Skillet for Busy Nights
A quick, dairy‑free skillet dinner that balances silky coconut cream, tangy sun‑dried tomatoes, and bright lemon — perfect spooned over rice or cauliflower rice.
This skillet lives somewhere between comfort and speed: tender, pan‑seared chicken pieces get tucked into a rich, coconut‑based sauce studded with chewy sun‑dried tomatoes and a hit of garlic and smoked paprika. The result is savory and slightly sweet, with a fresh lemon finish that keeps the richness from feeling heavy — all without a drop of dairy. It’s exactly the kind of weeknight dinner that feels a little special while still coming together in about 30 minutes.
The method is simple and purposeful. Cutting the breasts into 1‑inch pieces and searing them in a hot pan builds those brown, flavor‑packed bits; deglazing with chicken broth pulls those into the sauce. Sun‑dried tomatoes add concentrated tomato flavor and a pleasant chew, while smoked paprika gives a warm, savory backbone. Finish the pan with a squeeze of lemon to lift the whole dish and keep the flavors bright.
For the sauce, full‑fat canned coconut milk makes it luxuriously silky; a little arrowroot slurry cooks in quickly to give a glossy, clingy finish that coats each bite of chicken. Stir in a handful of spinach at the end so it just wilts into the sauce — you want vibrant green, not mush. Taste and adjust salt and lemon at the finish; coconut milk can mute acidity, so a final squeeze helps everything sing.
This one is great for make‑ahead dinners: it stores well in the fridge and reheats gently on the stove (add a splash of broth or water if it tightens up). Serve over steamed rice or cauliflower rice to keep it light. Small swaps work too — swap in extra veggies or use rotisserie chicken for an even faster weeknight shortcut.
Ingredients
How to Make Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Skillet
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken and cut into 1-inch pieces; season evenly with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil; working in a single layer and in two batches if needed, sear the chicken until golden on the outside and just cooked through, about 3–4 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining 0.5 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet, then add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes; stir in minced garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits, then stir in the full-fat coconut milk and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Mix the arrowroot starch with the cold water to make a smooth slurry, then whisk it into the simmering sauce and cook 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Return the seared chicken (and any accumulated juices) to the skillet and simmer 4–6 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce coats the pieces; an instant-read thermometer should read 165°F for the chicken.
- Stir in the baby spinach, lemon juice, and chopped fresh basil; cook just until the spinach wilts, then taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the sun-dried tomato chicken skillet hot, spooned over rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice and garnish with additional basil if desired.
Recipe Card
Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Skillet
Tender pan-seared chicken in a rich, creamy coconut and sun-dried tomato sauce with bright lemon and wilted spinach; savory, tangy, and slightly sweet, ideal spooned over rice or cauliflower rice.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken and cut into 1-inch pieces; season evenly with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil; working in a single layer and in two batches if needed, sear the chicken until golden on the outside and just cooked through, about 3–4 minutes per side, then transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the remaining 0.5 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet, then add the chopped onion and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes; stir in minced garlic and chopped sun-dried tomatoes and cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
- Pour in the chicken broth to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits, then stir in the full-fat coconut milk and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
- Mix the arrowroot starch with the cold water to make a smooth slurry, then whisk it into the simmering sauce and cook 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Return the seared chicken (and any accumulated juices) to the skillet and simmer 4–6 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce coats the pieces; an instant-read thermometer should read 165°F for the chicken.
- Stir in the baby spinach, lemon juice, and chopped fresh basil; cook just until the spinach wilts, then taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve the sun-dried tomato chicken skillet hot, spooned over rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice and garnish with additional basil if desired.
Nutrition
- Carbohydrates
- 10
- Saturated Fat
- 11.5
- Sodium
- 760
- Fiber
- 1.5
- Unsaturated Fat
- 13
- Protein
- 53
- Fat
- 26
- Cholesterol
- 150
- Trans Fat
- 0
- Calories
- 480
- Sugar
- 5