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A thick and creamy Sun Dried Tomato Parmesan Chicken with Mushrooms. NO heavy cream — or ANY cream — at ALL! Plus dairy free and gluten free options.
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Parmesan Chicken with NO CREAM and PACKED with flavor! For another delicious chicken dish, check out our Creamy Chicken With Herbs, which also features tender chicken breasts cooked to perfection.
Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Parmesan Chicken
There’s so much flavour happening in this pan right now, and only a quarter of the fat and calories when compared with typical creamy sauce recipes. Pan fried garlic followed closely by sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms AND melted parmesan cheese through this sauce makes this dinner incredible.
How to make a creamy sauce with no cream
To make the creamy sauce for this recipe, you’re going to use evaporated milk. You can use full fat or reduced fat. You can also use plain milk if you like, but please take care that you don’t boil your sauce rapidly or it will curdle. Keep it to a very low and gentle simmer.
- First, coat your chicken breasts (or thighs), in a mixture of flour and parmesan cheese. You can use all purpose, plain flour or Tapioca Flour to cut back on gluten. Tapioca Flour is made from cassava root and incredible for gluten free cooking and baking.
- Once your chicken is coated in the flour / parmesan mixture, fry them in a skillet (or pan) until golden browned on both sides and cooked through.
- Then add the sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms, sautéing them until the mushrooms are soft and the pan is filled with sun dried tomato flavours.
Creamy Sauce for Chicken
Do you see how creamy this sauce is? And how without cream? Using normal, humble milk. That’s it. That’s the BIG secret that’s really no secret. Milk mixed with cornstarch when it’s simmering = a beautiful, thick and creamy sauce without the fat and calories of thickened or heavy based creams. A beautiful, weeknight OR weekend meal that FEELS like a cheat meal withOUT any cheating.
WATCH HOW WE MAKE Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Parmesan Chicken HERE!
Love Creamy Sun Dried Tomato? Try these recipes!
Creamy Tuscan Shrimp | Chicken with Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Parmesan Sauce (With Cream) | Sun Dried Tomato Cheesy Meatballs (Low Carb)
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Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Parmesan Chicken (No Cream)
Ingredients
For The Chicken:
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts halved horizontally to make 4 fillets
- 2 tablespoons Tapioca flour or all purpose or plain flour
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese finely grated fresh, do not include for dairy free option
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch cracked pepper
For The Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons sun dried tomato oil or olive oil
- 2 tablespoons garlic minced
- 7 ounces sun dried tomato strips in oil jarred, drained, reserve 2 tablespoons of oil for cooking
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced
- 1 1/2 cups evaporated milk reduced fat or full fat milk
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch cornflour mixed with 2 tablespoons of milk
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese do not include for dairy free option
- 2 teaspoons Italian herbs optional for added flavour
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil shredded, to serve
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Dredge in the flour mixture; shake off excess and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Fry the chicken until golden on each side, cooked through and no longer pink (about 5-6 minutes each side, depending on the thickness of your chicken). Transfer onto a warm plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet; sauté the garlic until fragrant (about 1 minute). Add the sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms; fry until the mushrooms are just soft.
- Reduce heat to low heat, add the milk (or cream if using) and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to your taste and add the milk/cornstarch mixture to the centre of the pan. Continue to simmer while quickly stirring the mixture through until the sauce thickens. (Only use cornstarch if using milk for your sauce.)
- Add in the parmesan cheese; allow sauce to simmer for a further minute until cheese melts through the sauce. Add the chicken back into the pan; sprinkle with the fresh basil and a little extra pepper (optional), and serve over pasta, rice or steamed veg.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Your recipes are always full of flavor and easy to follow, and this one is no different! The only thing I’ll do differently next time is add less of the milk/cornstarch mixture. When I did this, my sauce over-thickened and turned into mush. I was able to save it a little by adding more milk, but I’m curious what I did wrong.
Fantastic Elley! Let me know how the recipe turns out next time.
I’ve made this before and it’s delicious. How can I make this dish ahead?
Everyone asked me for this recipe. It is great.
I have a critical question. I am serving it to a group who just eats Halal prepared food. What can I substitute for the Parmesan Cheese. There is a rendition that is Halal but I need to buy it online and it is really expensive. Any ideas for substitutions?
Hi Rebecca,
For a Halal-friendly substitute for Parmesan cheese in your creamy sun-dried tomato chicken recipe, consider the following options:
Nutritional Yeast: This is a popular vegan option that adds a cheesy flavor. Use about the same amount as the Parmesan called for in the recipe.
Plant-Based Parmesan: Many brands offer dairy-free Parmesan alternatives made from nuts, seeds, or soy. This can be a good option if you can find it at a lower price.
Grated Pecorino Romano: If you’re looking for a cheese similar to Parmesan but want to ensure it meets Halal requirements, check to see if the brand you are considering offers Halal-certified options.
Homemade Cashew or Almond Parmesan: Blend raw cashews or almonds with nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and a little salt to create a delicious and nutty cheese substitute.
Grated Mozzarella or Ricotta: While they don’t mimic the taste exactly, these cheeses can provide a creamy texture. Adjust the amount according to your taste preferences.
You can use these alternatives in the same quantities as the Parmesan in the recipe. Enjoy your meal!
This was absolutely one of the most amazing recipes I have ever made. I followed the recipe and the chicken was perfectly tender and moist. The sauce was delicious. I had a family dinner with out of town guests and therefore was taking a risk making a dish that was new to me, however it was an outstanding hit. I made smashed potatoes with parmesan cheese and sauteed green beans with butter and garlic. Fantastic dinner with loads of compliments. Everyone asked for the recipe.