Chicken Sorrentina (Pollo alla Sorrentina)

4.84 from 6 votes

Chicken Sorrentina is a super easy and comforting dish. Chicken baked Sorrento style in a tomato and basil sauce with creamy mozzarella cheese.

Prep Time10

Cook Time50

Total Time1

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: servings

Cut the chicken into strips and sprinkle with salt. Dredge the chicken in flour and shake off any excess.
4 chicken breasts, 2-3 tbsp olive oil, Flour for dredging
Add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to a large pan on a medium-high heat. Fry the chicken until browned on both sides then set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper (you will need to fry the chicken in 1-2 batches and add more oil as needed).
Carefully wipe your pan clean or give it a rinse and dry well. Add 1-2 tsp of olive oil to the pan then add the garlic. Fry the garlic until fragrant (don’t let it brown) then add the tomatoes.
2 garlic cloves
Add a pinch of salt and pepper to the tomatoes and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 400F/200C.
28 oz canned chopped tomatoes
After 10 minutes, turn off the heat, tear up the basil leaves and add them to the sauce. Cut 1 ball of mozzarella into cubes and add that to the sauce along with the chicken. Stir to combine everything in the sauce.
1 large handful fresh basil
Continue using your pan or skillet if it's oven safe otherwise transfer the chicken to a baking dish.
Top with the remaining mozzarella (I just tear it up into pieces). Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the mozzarella is melted and the sauce is bubbling.
Let it rest for 5 minutes then serve.

High quality tomatoes are a must! - it's so important to buy a good brand that you can trust such as Mutti or Cirio. Low-quality tomatoes will not give you a good tasting recipe.
Don't use grated or dry mozzrella - you need to use fresh balls of mozzarella so it melts into the sauce.
Don't dredge in advance - dredge the chicken just before frying, if it sits for too long it will start to absorb the flour and change the texture.
Leftovers & freezing - leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop or oven until piping hot. You can also freeze the chicken for up to 3 months.