Stewed Tomato and Chicken Skillet
This meal happened the day before grocery day and I was just trying to come up with something for dinner. After staring in the fridge for a few minutes, it started to come together for me. I knew I had a great base with the carrots, onion and celery but then I saw tomato paste and tomatoes and I knew I could make a hearty and comforting dish. This stewed tomato and chicken skillet is a healthy family-friendly dish that is perfect for a busy weeknight.
*originally posted 10/8/18, updated 9/10/19
I used chicken thighs for this recipe because that is what I had on hand, but it worked out really well because they became so tender but still had that perfect crispy skin. I use my favorite trick to cook the chicken (and skin) perfectly! It gets cooked skin side down in a super hot skillet and then you let it finish in a preheated oven (still skin side down). It comes out perfectly every time.
The sauce only has a few simple ingredients, but as they simmer, they build so much flavor. Carrots, onions, and celery are the base of most dishes for a reason. Together they make magic. Building the sauce in the pan that the chicken is cooked in adds even more richness to the dish. Then letting that chicken simmer in the sauce, I’m telling you it’s incredible. A classic dish that everyone will love.
Used in This Recipe:
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Braised Cabbage with Kielbasa & Bacon
One-Pan Chicken Fajita Skillet
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Stewed Tomato and Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- 2 Tbls Oil or fat of choice
- 4 Chicken Thighs bone-in, skin on
- 1 Tbls Ghee
- 2 Carrots Peeled and Diced
- 2 Celery Stalks Diced
- 1 cup Yellow Onion Diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Tbls Tomato Paste
- 28 oz Can of Whole Peeled Tomatoes
- 1/2 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1/4 cup Basil fresh, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425'
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. Season the chicken with a little salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp of oregano and cook skin side down for 5 minutes. The transfer to oven, keeping skin side down for 10 minutes. Flip chicken over and cook another 5 minutes
- Once the chicken is done, remove from the pan and set aside. Heat ghee in the pan over medium heat and add in the carrots, onion and celery. Cook for 5-7 minutes until onion is translucent and veggies are slightly tender. Add in the garlic and cook another minute
- Add in the seasonings and tomato paste and cook while stirring for 1 minute to incorporate the paste, then add in the can of tomatoes (including liquid) and the broth and the basil
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes, add the chicken thighs back in and cook for 10 more minutes
- Serve over cauliflower rice and top with basil
Why are you preheating the oven?
You finish cooking the chicken in the oven in the first step