Chicken pizzaiola is a super quick, easy, and healthy Italian dish made with only chicken breasts, tomatoes, mozzarella and a few other simple pantry ingredients. Best of all, you can cook it all in one pan in less than 30 minutes. It’s a perfect go-to midweek dinner that the whole family will love!

What’s chicken pizzaiola?

This tasty italian chicken, tomatoes and mozzarella dish is believed to have originated in sunny southern Italy, where they call it “pollo alla pizzaiola.” But now, chicken pizzaiola is a popular Italian-American dish that you can find in many restaurants and pizzerias around the world.

Originally, the dish was made with beef or veal and served as a hearty main course for family meals and special occasions. Over time, more affordable chicken was substituted and the pizzaiola sauce was simplified to be made with simple pantry ingredients such as canned tomatoes.

which makes it a perfect easy midweek meal for the whole family!

Why you’ll love it

✔ A quick and super easy recipe ready in under 30 minutes and using only 6 simple pantry ingredients (plus a little oil and salt and pepper!). A great dinner option for busy weeknights!

✔ Crowd pleasing ‘pizza flavors’ make it a family friendly dinner. Who doesn’t love chicken, rich tomato sauce and oozy mozzarella cheese?

✔ Make it on the stovetop in just one pan. No need to turn on the oven!

✔ A nutritious and satisfying dinner, and relatively economical, too!

About the ingredients

Olive oil: For any dish where a homemade pizza sauce is included, I like to start with plenty of good quality extra virgin olive oil.

Chicken breasts: Try to choose small to medium if available. The recipe below is for 2 people, but you can easily add more breasts to the pan as long as it is large enough (and of course you would then double the sauce as well).

Garlic: I prefer to slice it finely for this recipe. Choose 4 fresh large cloves for the best results.

Canned cherry tomatoes: These are usually available alongside regular canned tomatoes at the supermarket. If you can’t find them, try a European style deli. I feel like canned cherry tomatoes offer a sweeter flavor, firmer texture, and vibrant appearance compared to canned chopped tomatoes. But of course, it’s absolutely fine to use good quality canned regular chopped tomatoes instead if you’re struggling to find cherry tomatoes.

Balsamic vinegar: Just a drizzle (around a tablespoon) to add depth to the flavor of the pizzaiola sauce.

Honey: This is entirely optional, but I like to add just a little honey to any homemade tomato sauce to balance out the acidity of the tomatoes. Alternatively add a small teaspoon of sugar.

Fresh basil: I usually add most of a bunch of basil to the sauce. Since there are so few ingredients in this recipe, it’s essential to the flavor. It’s fine to use dried basil instead (or another herb such as dried oregano) if you don’t have fresh.

Salt and pepper: Add this to the sauce to taste. Taste at the end and add more if you like.

Mozzarella cheese: You can either use fresh sliced mozzarella, or grated mozzarella is fine, too.

And that’s it – see, so simple! If you like, however, you can add an extra ingredient or two to the sauce to make it your own. See below for ideas!

How to make it

The step-by-step guide below should help you make the recipe perfectly first time. Scroll down to the end for the full recipe including ingredient amounts.

What I really love about this meal (apart from how truly simple and tasty it is!) is that you only need to use one pan – and on the stovetop, so it’s perfect for those days when you don’t really want to turn on the oven.

And there are only a few very simple steps! Here’s what you need to know.

Firstly, add plenty of olive oil to a large skillet/heavy pan (at least a tablespoon or two). Then pan-fry the chicken breasts on a medium high heat for a couple of minutes on each side.

Then add the garlic to the pan and let it cook for just a minute or two (you don’t want it to burn).

Then pour the canned cherry tomatoes into the pan, all around the chicken. Add the balsamic vinegar, honey (if using) and basil and plenty of salt and pepper too.

Let the sauce and chicken simmer for around 5 minutes. Then turn the chicken over with chicken tongs and let simmer for another 5 minutes on the other side.

Now here’s where the magic happens! Top each chicken breast with a slice or sprinkle or two of mozzarella cheese and… broil/grill until bubbling and oozy!

Serve the chicken breast pizzaiola with crusty bread or any of the suggestions below. How easy is that?

How to serve

My favorite way to serve this pizzaiola chicken is with these 10-minute frozen green beans (or any fresh or frozen vegetables) and either crusty fresh bread, these 2-minute olive oil toasts or (my top choice if you have time!) this no-knead Italian focaccia bread.

If you have an air fryer, air fried garlic bread is an easy choice.

Another easy side dish option is a green salad such as this easy Greek lettuce salad.

That’s all it needs! So delicious!

If you’re in the mood for potatoes – no worries! Throw these mini roast potatoes AKA parmentier potatoes into the oven!

Alternatively, you can serve with your favorite pasta. Of course, spaghetti is always a great choice! I’d stir a little of the serve through the cooked pasta first, then top with the chicken and the rest of the sauce.

Sprinkle over a little parmesan cheese and extra fresh basil if you like to serve.

Variations

If you travelled to different regions in Italy you may come across different variations and adaptations of a chicken pizzaiola recipe.

Which means it’s very easy to adapt and make your very own! Here are some suggestions.

• Add a small handful of capers, chopped olives, jarred roasted red peppers or anchovies to the chicken pizzaiola sauce.

• Add extra fresh or dried herbs. I’m thinking oregano, thyme, parsley or mixed dried Italian herbs.

• Add a little chopped bacon or chorizo to the pan while you’re pan-frying the chicken – for lots of extra yummy flavor!

• Similar to the above, top the chicken with pepperoni slices as well as the mozzarella… for extra pizza-y vibes!

• Be brave and switch out the chicken for steak. Remember that traditionally pizzaiola was made with steak!

• Swap the mozzarella for a different cheese. How about gruyère, feta or a strong cheddar? Or simply add a sprinkle of parmesan to the mozzarella.

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