Quick and easy chicken recipe, is a delicious 30-minute meal for busy weekdays. Succulent chicken breast paired with spinach and bell peppers and a creamy tomato sauce. Perfect for a quick lunch, snack, or cosy family dinner. Simple ingredients you can easily find at your nearby store.
🍗 Serves 4 | 🥩 High-Protein | 🌿 Gluten-Free | ⏱ 25-Min Meal
When I'm craving something different, I love having these quick favourites in my back pocket - maybe you'll love them too! My zesty lemon chicken recipe always saves the day when you need a bright, tangy kick. Those 15-minute udon noodles? I make them when you're starving and need something slurp-worthy FAST. On cozy nights when you want proper comfort food, my hearty turkey mince sitr-fry noodles hit the spot every time. And when you want to feel fancy without the effort, my pesto zucchini gnocchi tastes like it came from a little Italian trattoria!
💗 Why This Recipe Works
This one-pan wonder is weeknight magic – ready in 30 minutes with pantry staples. Juicy chicken swims in a velvety tomato sauce packed with sweet peppers and earthy spinach.
Perfect for:
• Busy cooks (faster than takeout!)
• Health-conscious families (high-protein, veggie-loaded)
• Meal preppers (tastes better next day)
• Diet needs (naturally gluten-free, low-carb option)
🌿 Dietary Notes & Adaptations
✓ 🥑 Keto-friendly (7g net carbs*) Double the spinach, add avocado garnish.
✓ 🥥 Paleo-approved (use all olive oil, no dairy) Ensure tomatoes have no added sugars.
✓ 3️⃣0️⃣ Whole30-compliant (check tomato can for additives) Skip paprika if it contains anti-caking agents.
✓ 🌾 Gluten-free (naturally grain-free)
🥘 Ingredients
- When picking chicken breasts, choose free-range, organic or corn fed, trust your eyes and hands – you want plump, pink cuts that feel firm, without any excess liquid in the package. If you’ve got an extra 15 minutes, a quick saltwater brine (just 1 tablespoon salt dissolved in 1 cup water) works wonders for keeping the meat juicy.
- Those colorful bell peppers aren’t just pretty – red, yellow and orange bring natural sweetness, while green adds a pleasant sharpness. For extra flavor, try quickly charring the skins over a gas flame before slicing.
- Spinach comes with options: fresh baby leaves stay bright and tender, while frozen spinach (make sure to squeeze it really well in a clean towel) gives deeper, earthier notes.
- Your paprika choice changes everything – sweet is the safe bet, smoked adds campfire richness (perfect if you’re using the grill), and hot brings the heat (start with half the amount if you’re unsure). However you choose, take 30 seconds to toast it in the oil first – it’s like waking up the flavor.
- For the tomato base, good-quality canned whole tomatoes (look for San Marzano if possible) blend up silky smooth. In summer, fresh ripe Romas work too if you roast them first. If the sauce seems thin, just let it bubble away uncovered for a few extra minutes – this trick never fails.
- And don’t forget – that final drizzle of fruity olive oil right at the end ties all the flavors together beautifully.
♻️ Substitutions
- Protein: Swap chicken or turkey breast for tofu, seitan, tempeh, beans, or lentils.
- Peppers: Use Romano or Poblano peppers.
- Tomatoes: Replace canned tomatoes with fresh diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, or passata.
- Spinach: Substitute spinach with fresh or frozen kale, or Swiss chard.
- Garlic: Use garlic powder or garlic paste if fresh garlic is unavailable.
- Olive Oil: Any cooking oil like vegetable oil or coconut oil can replace olive oil.
- Seasonings: Use alternative herbs and spices like Italian seasoning or chilli powder.
📋 Variations
This recipe is incredibly easy to change up, allowing for effortless adaptations and simple variations. You can easily choose your preferred option or stick to the original recipe for the first try to get a taste, then explore other combinations later.
- Make the sauce more creamy: Add cream or coconut milk to the tomato sauce.
- Add a spicy kick: Sprinkle red pepper flakes or add diced jalapeños.
- More herbs: Mix in fresh herbs like parsley for added freshness, or make it Italian-style by adding basil, oregano, and thyme to the tomato sauce.
- Mediterranean style: Toss in olives, capers, and artichoke hearts.
- Make it vegetarian: Replace chicken with extra veggies like mushrooms, zucchini, tofu or tempeh cutlets for a meatless option. Sautéing a mix of mushrooms like cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms along with the spinach will pair beautifully with the tomato sauce.
- Pasta Primavera: Add cooked pasta to the spinach and bell pepper chicken for a one-pot meal. Blanched vegetables like broccoli or peas will add extra nutrition.
👩🍳 How To Make Creamy Chicken with Spinach and Peppers
Ready to cook something delicious? Give our creamy spinach and pepper chicken a try! This quick and simple recipe is packed with tasty ingredients that will leave your taste buds wanting more. Just like this quick and easy lemon chicken.
Please take a peek at our handy guide, complete with step-by-step photos.
Step 1: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil, diced chicken (or turkey), and season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
Step 2: Cook the chicken covered for about 10 minutes until tender.
Step 3: Add chopped garlic and peppers to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes until peppers soften.
Step 4: Add the tomato sauce and let simmer for 5 minutes to thicken.
Step 5: Add spinach (thawed if frozen) and stir into the sauce. Cover and cook for 3 minutes until wilted.
Step 6: Serve with traditional Romanian polenta - mamaliga for a complete meal.
💭Expert Tips
- You know what makes this chicken truly special? Toasting the paprika in oil first - just 30 seconds until it smells like your grandma’s kitchen. That’s when I add the chicken, and wow, what a difference!
- Here’s my spinach trick - I stir half in early to melt into the sauce (sneaky veggie boost!), then toss the rest at the end so every bite has fresh green pops. If the sauce looks thin? Whisk 1 teaspoon cornstarch with a splash of water - it thickens up beautifully without changing the flavor.
- Confession time - I keep frozen pepper strips in my freezer for crazy nights, they work like a charm! And when we’re down to leftovers? Stuff them warm into pitas with crumbled feta - my family fights over these.
- For garlic lovers: sliced cloves give a gentle flavour, but when I’m feeling bold, I grate it straight into the pan. That’s the secret my Italian neighbor taught me!
- Oh, and double the batch - it freezes like a dream. I flatten it in ziplock bags so it reheats in 15 minutes for those “I can’t even” nights.
🥗 Serving Suggestions
Pair this creamy chicken with:
- Easy Lebanese vermicelli rice (ready in 20 mins)
- Simple Turkish bulgur pilaf for a nutty twist
- Crispy Parmesan potato wedges
- 3-ingredient no-knead bread (perfect for sauce-dipping)
Lighter options:
- Creamy Romanian polenta (Mămăligă)
- Cauliflower rice
❓FAQs
For your 80g frozen spinach, thaw and squeeze out all water before adding. This prevents a watery sauce. Add it when you'd normally use fresh spinach (last 3 minutes of cooking). if you love soinch you should try this easy cheese and tomato quiche recipe.
For 500g diced chicken/turkey:
Sear in 2 tablespoon olive oil (5 mins)
Add 3 sliced peppers and cook until tender (5-7 mins)
Simmer with 1 can blended tomatoes (5 mins)
Total: 15-17 minutes until chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
For the smoothest sauce:
Blend your 1 can tomatoes until silky (no chunks)
Strain if seedless texture is preferred
Simmer with 4 chopped garlic cloves and paprika to deepen flavor
The recipe is naturally dairy-free! For extra creaminess without dairy:
Stir in 2 tablespoon coconut milk with the tomatoes
Or add 1 tablespoon tahini for richness
Squeeze frozen spinach thoroughly
Simmer sauce uncovered for 2-3 extra minutes to thicken
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Tomato Chicken with spinach and bell peppers
Equipment
- Skillet or Pan
- Tongs or a Spatula
- Knife and Cutting Board
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken or turkey breast diced
- 3 peppers different colors, cut longitudinally
- 1 can of tomatoes blended
- 80 g fresh spinach or frozen spinach
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 4 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Paprika for added flavor
Instructions
- First, heat a large and deep skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Then, add diced chicken or turkey to the skillet, along with seasonings such as salt, pepper, and paprika. Allow the chicken to cook for approximately 10 minutes with the lid on, ensuring it becomes tender.500 g chicken or turkey breast, 4 tablespoon olive oil, Salt and pepper to taste, Paprika for added flavor
- Once the chicken is cooked, add chopped garlic and peppers that have been cut lengthwise to the skillet. Let the peppers soften and become slightly tender, cooking for an additional 5 minutes.4 garlic cloves, 3 peppers
- Next, pour tomato sauce into the skillet to create a base for the sauce. Allow the mixture to simmer for about 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly.1 can of tomatoes
- Finally, add fresh spinach to the skillet. If you're using frozen spinach, make sure it is properly thawed before adding it to the skillet. Stir the spinach into the sauce and cover the skillet with the lid. Let it cook for approximately 3 minutes, allowing the spinach to wilt and incorporate its earthy essence into the dish.80 g fresh spinach
Claudia Ciorteanu says
My family loved this!
Razvan says
This tomato chicken with spinach and bell peppers was so simple to make and quick for a busy weekday! Will be making this again! Loved it with mashed potatoes!
Rãzvan says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Swathi says
This is wholesome dish with chicken and spinach and pepper perfect with bowl of rice.