Need a quick dinner idea? Try this one-pan chicken pizzaiola with marinara sauce and mozzarella that tastes just like pizza!
This 6-ingredient one-pan chicken pizzaiola is a firm family favorite!
It comes together in just about 20 minutes, and both kids and grown-ups absolutely love it.
Tender chicken breast cooked in a simple marinara sauce and topped with gooey melted mozzarella, I mean, what's not to love?
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What is Chicken Pizzaiola?
Chicken pizzaiola or as we call it in Italy "pollo alla pizzaiola" is a variation of the traditional Neapolitan dish steak pizzaiola, "carne alla pizzaiola" in Italian language.
The pizzaiola sauce is simply the pizza tomato sauce used to top Neapolitan pizza, and it calls for just 4 simple ingredients: canned tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and extra-virgin olive oil.
This pizza-style chicken is just chicken breast cooked in marinara sauce and topped with fresh mozzarella, just like a pizza!
Pollo alla Pizzaiola Ingredients
All you need is 6 ingredients to make this easy chicken with tomato sauce and mozzarella recipe:
- Tomatoes: I use canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, you can also opt for tomato passata.
- Chicken: You can use thin-sliced chicken breast, or whole chicken breast, it will just need to cook a little bit longer.
- Garlic: Keep it whole to add a subtle flavor that is not overpowering, you can also add it thinly sliced or finely chopped.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Use a good extra-virgin olive oil to add flavor to your sauce.
- Oregano: Freshly-dried oregano sold in branches is more flavorful, but can be tricky to find, so you can substitute it with fresh oregano.
- Mozzarella: Use homemade mozzarella or fresh mozzarella balls (I recommend buffalo mozzarella). Pat them dry before use to absorb the liquid in excess.
Additional ingredients:
This simple recipe is incredibly tasty and flavorful as it is, but if you like, you can add some extra ingredients:
- Bell peppers: you can cut them into thin strips and add them together with the tomatoes.
- Black or green olives: pitted olives add a nice layer of flavor.
- Capers: I like to add salt-preserved capers every now and then, make sure you rinse them well before use!
- Red pepper flakes: add a spicy kick to your pizzaiola with a pinch of red pepper flakes.
How To Make Chicken Pizzaiola
This mozzarella chicken in tomato sauce is an incredibly easy dish and takes about 20 minutes from start to finish.
Scroll until the end of the post for the full printable recipe.
STEP 1. Heat the olive oil and garlic in a skillet over medium-low heat.
STEP 2. Add the tomatoes and crush them gently with a wooden spoon. Season with oregano, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then.
STEP 3. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes (or more depending on the thickness of the meat).
STEP 4. Turn the chicken halfway through the cooking time. Top with mozzarella slices, and cover with a lid until the cheese has melted.
Once ready, remove from the heat, season with extra oregano, and serve.
Storage Tips
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 day. You can use any leftover pizzaiola sauce to serve it with pasta cooked al dente the next day.
What To Serve With Pizzaiola Chicken?
Chicken pizzaiola is a well-balanced meal and we often eat it simply with grilled ciabatta bread on the side.
If you want to serve it with some extra veggies here are a few recommendations:
- Potatoes: Chicken and potato is the perfect match! Serve your chicken pizzaiola with potato mash, baked purple sweet potatoes, or quick roasted potatoes on the side.
- Salad: For a well-balanced meal, serve with a green salad, panzanella salad or this quinoa salad.
- Extra veggies: A classic ratatouille, or sauteed veggies such as these sauteed broccolini, would also work great!
More Italian Dinner Recipes To Try
- Traditional Italian Pasta e Fagioli
- Pollo alla Cacciatora (Chicken Cacciatore)
- Ricotta Meatballs - Italian Recipe
- Pumpkin Risotto
- Traditional Bolognese Sauce- Beef Ragu'
- Polpette - Italian Meatballs
- Asparagus Risotto
- Authentic Italian Potato Frittata
- Ossobuco alla Milanese
Did You Try This Recipe?
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Chicken Pizzaiola
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove
- 8 whole canned tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 4 chicken breast slices, about 4 oz ( 120 g) each
- 2 mozzarella balls
Instructions
- Heat the extra-virgin olive oil and garlic in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Add the tomatoes and crush them gently with a wooden spoon. Season with oregano, cover with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes over low heat, stirring often.
- Add the chicken breast slices to the skillet and cook for 5 minutes (or more depending on the thickness of the meat).
- Turn the chicken halfway through the cooking time. Once ready, top the chicken with mozzarella slices and cover the pan with a lid until the cheese has melted.
- Remove the pan from the heat, discard the garlic, season your chicken pizzaiola with more oregano and extra-virgin olive oil if you like, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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