Pizza Chicken Is My Favorite 20-Minute Dinner

You know what’s frustrating? When you spend time and money creating a meal only to watch it get pushed around with a fork—played with but never eaten. The way I’ve dealt with this dilemma is by serving French fries at every meal. Just kidding. It’s by making sure everyone gets a little bit of something they like. 

I am a huge fan of pizza. So much so that I wrote a cookbook about it. If I could serve pizza at every meal, I probably would (in fact, I pretty much did while I was writing my book—just ask my family). My daughter requests chicken for dinner every chance she gets, and my husband can’t get enough cheesy pasta dishes. 

To please the whole family, I developed this 20-minute skillet pizza chicken, which checks everyone’s boxes and is gone in mere minutes. Serve with freshly cooked pasta and/or a big salad and let everyone add their toppings of choice.

Tips for Making My Pizza Chicken

• The Flour Matters. I love the simple technique of lightly coating chicken breasts in flour before sautéing. It locks in moisture but also adds flavor and texture.
• Add the Marinara Off the Heat. The skillet will be super hot and so will the oil left behind, so if you add the marinara, it’ll sputter and pop. It’s messy and can cause a burn or two. Let the oil cool off a bit, then slowly add the marinara to prevent splatters.
• Choose the Right Marinara. Go for one that you love because it’s a prominent flavor in the dish. Add extra garlic, dried herbs, or fresh basil to boost the flavor if needed. Any extra from the jar can be transferred to a freezer bag and stored for another use. 
• Add Some Toppings. My version is basic, but you can absolutely experiment with your favorite pizza toppings. Try sliced roasted red bell peppers, sliced olives, artichoke hearts, baby spinach, pepperoni, and/or sausage.
• Use the Broiler. If you want a little extra color and bubbly cheese, move your oven-safe skillet to the oven and broil for a few minutes.

Prepare the chicken:

If using whole chicken breasts, slice them in half horizontally to make 4 cutlets. Season the cutlets all over with salt and pepper. Add the flour to a shallow bowl or plate and coat each cutlet in flour, shaking off the excess.

Cook the chicken:

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add half of the chicken in a single layer and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan (you’re just browning one side of the chicken) and place on a plate. 

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil and cook the remaining chicken pieces in the same manner, transferring them to the plate once browned.

Assemble the dish and heat:

Take the skillet off the heat and let cool slightly. Slowly add 1 cup of the marinara, stirring to release any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Return the skillet to the stove and set over medium-low heat. 

Nestle the cooked chicken in the sauce, browned-side up, then dollop the tops with the remaining 1/4 cup of marinara sauce. Scatter the mozzarella over the top, then cover with foil and cook until the cheese is melted and the chicken registers 165°F in the thickest parts, 3 to 5 minutes.

Uncover and remove the skillet from the heat and garnish with basil and black pepper.

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!