Excellent chicken marinara sauce is easy with these step by step photo instructions. Bursting with great flavor that everybody will love. Whip up a quick, healthy meal tonight.
Editor’s Note: Originally Published January 29, 2010. Last Updated June 17, 2018, with re-edited text and photos.
Yummers according to my wife. Somewhat inspired by an American Test Kitchen recipe called Quick Tomato Sauce that is a quick, flavorful marinara which they state will cook in about the time of cooking the pasta.
The only trouble with that recipe was no meat. We are meatasauruses at this house, and chicken is the favorite. So instead of about 15 minutes, it took 30 minutes. Not bad, not bad at all.
My Rating:
I did a 5 rating initially but went back to a 4. But it’s a high 4.
Recipe Notes for 30-Minute Chicken Marinara Sauce
Let’s talk about the major components of this recipe. The biggest are the chicken and the tomatoes. For the chicken, I chose the classic skinless boneless chicken breasts. Cut into smaller cubes so they are bite size and will cook quickly. But chose the meat what you want.
The crushed tomatoes will go a long way to making this recipe great. So pick your best. The texture varies greatly and is more of a “personal taste” thing. I want mine more of a thicker sauce thing. You might want more chunky. You might also decide to use sauce or diced tomatoes. Make the sauce yours.
I followed the ATK suggestion of grating the onion to release the flavor faster. A very nice trick for a quick recipe like this. If you don’t want to grate, just a good dice will do but try the grating. It is worth the slight extra work.
Other Great Italian Recipes
Crock Pot Chicken Marinara Sauce
Italian Sausage Marinara Sauce
Trim chicken breast of any fat. Cut into slices across the grain of the meat about 3/8 inch thick then cut again the other way to make more bit size pieces.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick frying/saute pan over medium-high heat then add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds before adding chicken.
Shred onion with the large side of a shredder. You can also chop the onion instead. After cooking the chicken for about 5 minutes, add the onion and continue to cook until some browning of the chicken and clearing of the onion (about 10-12 minutes total). Check some of the larger pieces with an instant-read thermometer to be sure you get to a safe 165 internal temperature on the chicken.
Add all other spices and the tomatoes. Simmer until your pasta is cooked.
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Chicken Marinara Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 cloves garlic - minced or crushed
- 1 onion - medium shredded or diced
- 28 oz crushed tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons dry basil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper - optional to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Trim chicken breast of any fat. Cut into slices across the grain of the meat about 3/8 inch thick then cut again the other way to make more bit size pieces.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick frying/saute pan over medium-high heat then add garlic and cook for about 30 seconds before adding chicken.
- Shred onion with the large side of a shredder. You can also chop the onion instead.
- After cooking the chicken for about 5 minutes, add the onion and continue to cook until some browning of the chicken and clearing of the onion (about 10-12 minutes total). Check some of the larger pieces with an instant-read thermometer to be sure you get to a safe 165 internal temperature on the chicken.
- Add all other spices and the tomatoes. Simmer until your pasta is cooked.
Have a question or something not clear? Ask in the comments.
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Nutrition is for one serving. Number of servings is stated above and is my estimate of normal serving size for this recipe.
All nutritional information are estimates and may vary from your actual results. This is home cooking, and there are many variables. To taste ingredients such as salt will be my estimate of the average used.
If you like this recipe or find it useful, the pleasure of a nice 4 or 5 rating would be greatly appreciated.
Originally Published January 29, 2010.
Unknown
September 14, 2011 at 6:45 pmThanks!!!! This was an yummy. I added a little bit of rosemary and parsley.
Chris
January 30, 2011 at 8:31 amGreat way to save time cooking and cleaning. My wife will appreciate this one!
Steph@PlainChicken.com
January 29, 2011 at 10:26 pmLooks great. We love a good chicken pasta dish. Your tomato basil sauce sounds perfect!
Sherry
January 29, 2011 at 12:41 pmI’ve never made homemade pasta sauce; always figured it would take too long, but this look promising. Thanks1