Lemon and tomatoes? They’re actually a match made in heaven—particularly when the lemons are of the salty, funky, a little bit floral preserved variety. Finely chopped, they add their savory notes to a simple tomato sauce that you can cook your chicken breasts in directly. The result is a foolproof, weeknight-friendly recipe you’ll make all tomato season long (and maybe even longer, as the preserved lemon can really revitalize a sad midwinter tomato). Don’t skimp on the couscous as you’ll need something to sop up every last drop from the skillet.
Cook’s Note: Preserving lemons softens their rind and pith such that the whole fruit is edible—save for the seeds, which you will need to remove while chopping. If you can find preserved lemon paste at your grocery store (which is just the fruit blended to a smooth purée), save yourself the prep step and add ¼ cup scoop instead.
What you’ll need
Large Straight-Sided Skillet
$200 At Amazon
Tongs
$18 $14 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$9 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
40 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Pat 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1½ lb.) dry with paper towels, then season on both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Step 2
Heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil in a medium high-sided skillet over medium-high. Add breasts and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate (they won’t be cooked all the way through at this point).
Step 3
Reduce heat to medium. Drizzle a little oil into same pan, add 1 lb. cherry tomatoes (about 1¼ pints), and season with salt. Cook, tossing occasionally, until blistered, about 2 minutes. Add 1 preserved lemon, seeds removed, finely chopped, and 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced, and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pan and pressing down on tomatoes to help them burst, until combined and fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Step 4
Add 2 Tbsp. double-concentrated tomato paste and ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, until paste deepens in color, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1½ cups water and bring to a simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Step 5
Add 4 sprigs oregano or 2 tsp. dried oregano and chicken breasts along with any juices from plate and cook, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking, until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through, 10–12 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice. Serve saucy chicken with steamed couscous.
Recipe notes
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