Chicken in Honeyed Tomatoes

Pounded chicken breasts seared golden, then braised in a chunky tomato sauce sweetened with honey and sharpened with dry white wine. Black olives, thyme, and tarragon push this firmly into Mediterranean territory, and the whole thing comes together in one skillet.

Pounding the chicken to an even thickness is the first step, and it matters more than you’d think. Uneven breasts cook unevenly: thin edges dry out while thick centers stay underdone. A few good whacks between waxed paper fixes that and cuts the cooking time down.

The sauce needs a full 15 minutes of simmering to thicken properly. The honey caramelizes slightly into the tomatoes, creating a glossy, sweet-savory glaze that clings to the chicken when it goes back in for the final 3 minutes.

Pro Tips

• Drain the canned plum tomatoes well before chopping. Excess liquid thins the sauce and it won’t thicken in 15 minutes.
• Don’t skip the browning step. That sear adds flavor to the chicken and leaves fond in the pan that dissolves into the sauce.
• Return the chicken to the sauce for only 3 minutes. Longer than that and the already-cooked breasts dry out.
• Use good black olives, Kalamata or Nicoise. Canned black olives taste like nothing.

Variations

• Add capers alongside the olives for extra briny punch.
• Swap honey for maple syrup for a deeper, more amber sweetness.
• Serve over couscous or orzo to catch all the sauce.