These Sauteed Chicken Tenders are paired with a garlic tomato sauce and tossed with pasta for a quick weeknight dinner. It is one of my favorite recipe for chicken pasta dishes and is packed with protein and flavor.

Hero Image for Sauteed Chicken Tenders with Garlic Tomato Sauce.

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❤️ Why you'll love it
🥘 Ingredients
🔪 Instructions
🥄 Equipment
🥫Storage
📖 Variations
💭 Tips
📚 Related Recipes
🍽 Serve with...
🏫 The last word
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

❤️ Why you'll love it

✔️ This easy chicken dinner is one of the best ways to make a quick and easy meal on busy weeknights and leftovers are great the next day.

✔️ It is a healthy meal that is an easy recipe for the beginner cook.

✔️ This is one of the best chicken tender recipes for kids and the whole family will love it.

🥘 Ingredients

Chicken tenderloins: these cook fast and make it easy on weeknights.

Black pepper: to season the chicken when cooking.

Olive oil

Garlic cloves

Fresh parsley, I like to use fresh herbs for fresher flavors, but dried parsley can be used as well.

Diced tomatoes with liquid, don't drain the liquid for this recipe.

Vegetable broth (or chicken broth)

Chicken bouillon cube, intensifies the flavor of the sauce and adds saltiness.

Tomato paste, this adds deeper flavor and aids in thickening the tomato sauce.

Bucatini pasta, this is what I used (I love i!), but you can use any pasta you have in the pantry.

Sauteed Chicken Tenders in a skillet. — Canned diced tomatoes are something most people already have on hand and make weeknight dinners easy.

Diced canned tomatoes. — Canned diced tomatoes are something most people already have on hand and make weeknight dinners easy.

🔪 Instructions

On a large skillet over medium high heat, heat olive oil until hot. Place chicken tenders in hot oil and season with black pepper.
In a large pot over high heat, cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup pasta water to make the tomato sauce.
Cook tenders for 4 minutes on each side, reducing heat to medium heat if needed. Remove chicken pieces from pan and set aside.
Leave oil from cooking chicken in pan. Add garlic to the oil and stir-fry for one minute.
Add chopped parsley and stir-fry another 30 seconds. Add diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, water, and chicken bouillon cube.
Bring tomato sauce to a boil then reduce heat. Place sauteed chicken tenders back in the skillet and simmer covered for 15 minutes.
Remove cover, remove chicken and set aside.
Add tomato paste and whisk into the sauce to combine. Simmer tomato sauce uncovered for 5 minutes or until sauce reduces in volume and thickens.
Return chicken to the sauce along with cooked pasta and toss to coat.

🥄 Equipment

Large skillet

Tongs

🥫Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 4 days.

📖 Variations

Bread the chicken breast tender in an egg wash and coat with bread crumbs. Fry in the skillet as instructed. Do not return to the skillet, rather make the sauce and then serve the sauce with pasta and crispy chicken strips. Top with fresh grated parmesan.
Saute ½ onion and red bell pepper, and mushrooms with the garlic to add chunky vegetables to the sauce.
Substitute chicken thighs, chicken cutlets, for the tenders. If using chicken breast, cut into strips or small pieces to enable quick cooking.
To add more flavors, season the chicken tenders with onion powder and garlic powder along with the black pepper when sauteeing.

Featured image for sauteed chicken tenders.

💭 Tips

Be sure to use a large enough pan, you want a large skillet with tall sides so you can cook the strips and the sauce in the same pan.
Make your own breast tenders by slicing a chicken breast into strips.
No need for a meat thermometer for this chicken recipe as the tenders are cooked long enough in the tomato sauce to ensure they are well cooked. However, if you use a larger cut (such as a chicken breast) be sure to check the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
Reduce fat by using olive oil cooking spray instead of olive oil.

Cheesy Penne Chicken Pasta

Cajun Chicken Pasta - a copycat recipe

Thai Peanut Chicken and Noodles

Baked Ziti with Italian Chicken Sausage

🍽 Serve with...

Serve these chicken tenders in tomato sauce with a green salad and side of homemade soft white bread or cheesy garlic bread.

🏫 The last word

I do not season the chicken tenders with salt when cooking due to the use of chicken bouillon. The bouillon adds enough salt to balance the flavors out. If more salt is needed, I recommend it be added to taste by each individual serving.

When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

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📖 Recipe