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Chicken with Feta & Tomatoes

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Submitted by solig26

Greek-style chicken with feta and tomatoes simmered in a paprika-oregano cream sauce, finished with crumbled feta and black olives over rice. Mediterranean weeknight dinner ready in 30 minutes.

YIELD

4 servings

PREP

10 min

COOK

20 min

READY

30 min

Greek flavors translated into a creamy weeknight skillet. Cubed chicken breast gets dusted with paprika and oregano, browned in butter, then simmered in a milk-thickened pan sauce that’s spiked with chunks of fresh tomato and crumbled feta cheese at the very end. Sliced black olives go on top right before serving for that briny finishing punch.

The key technique is the order of operations. Browning the chicken first builds the foundation, then the same pan picks up the onion and garlic, then a quick roux of flour and butter thickens the milk into a creamy sauce. Stirring in the feta only at the end (and just for a minute) is what keeps the cheese from breaking down completely. You want visible chunks of feta melting into pockets of salty richness, not a uniformly cheesy gravy.

Use imported Greek feta in brine if you can get it. Domestic feta tends to be drier and less tangy, and the difference shows in a dish where feta is doing this much heavy work. Drain it from the brine, then cube it before adding so the chunks stay intact during that final minute of cooking.

Pro Tips

  • Drain the canned tomatoes well. Excess liquid thins the sauce and the dish ends up soupy instead of creamy.
  • Don’t boil the sauce after adding the feta. Vigorous heat splits the cheese and turns the sauce grainy.
  • Cut chicken into uniform bite-sized cubes so they cook evenly. Mixed sizes mean some pieces overcook while others stay raw.
  • Salt cautiously. Feta and olives are both salty, so taste before seasoning.

Variations

  • Add a handful of baby spinach to the pan in the last minute for a Greek-style lemon-spinach finish (squeeze fresh lemon at the table).
  • Swap rice for orzo or couscous for a more authentically Greek base.
  • Stir in a tablespoon of capers with the olives for an extra briny kick.

Ingredients

1 237
CUP ML RICE
long-grain
1 ¼ 296
CUPS ML BONELESS CHICKEN BREAST
without skin, boned
½ 118
CUP ML PAPRIKA *
1 5
TEASPOON ML OREGANO
¼ 1.3
TEASPOON ML BLACK PEPPER
¼ 59
CUP ML BUTTER
1 1
MEDIUM MEDIUM ONION
chopped
2 30
TABLESPOONS ML ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1 ½ 355
CUPS ML MILK
14 404.6
OUNCES ML/G TOMATOES
drained
6 173.4
OUNCES ML/G FETA CHEESE
½ 118
CUP ML BLACK OLIVES
sliced *

Directions

Cook rice in 2 cups boiling water for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut chicken into bite-sized cubes.

Combine flour with paprika and oregano.

Dust chicken cubes with flour mix lightly, reserving remaining flour mixture.

In a large deep skillet, melt half of the butter.

Cook chicken until lightly browned.

Remove and reserve.

Add remaining butter to pan.

Add onions and garlic. Cook 3 minutes.

Sprinkle on 2 tablespoons remaining flour.

Cook 2 minutes. Stir in milk.

Bring to a boil.

Add chicken pieces and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Cut tomatoes into chunks.

Drain and dice Feta cheese. Add tomatoes and cheese to chicken.

Cook one minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve chicken over rice, sprinkle with olives.

* not incl. in nutrient facts Arrow up button

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Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 331g (11.7 oz)
Amount per Serving
Calories 499 38% from fat
 % Daily Value *
Total Fat 21g 33%
Saturated Fat 13g 65%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 99mg 33%
Sodium 460mg 19%
Total Carbohydrate 17g 17%
Dietary Fiber 2g 9%
Sugars g
Protein 51g
Vitamin A 26% Vitamin C 20%
Calcium 28% Iron 9%
* based on a 2,000 calorie diet How is this calculated?
Trans-fat Free
 
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