This Baked Tuscan Chicken Breast recipe is an easy meal ready in 30 minutes or less! With a creamy sauce that’s perfect over pasta, it’s one of our favorite chicken breast recipes.
See the step-by-step recipe video on the recipe card.
We’ve always loved the creamy Italian-inspired flavors of these Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe, this Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes, this Crockpot Tuscan Chicken and this Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake!
Table of Contents
This Baked Tuscan Chicken is an Italian-inspired dish that’s as effortless as it is impressive!
Juicy chicken breasts are bathed in a rich, velvety cream sauce infused with the bold flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, Parmesan, and fresh baby spinach.
Ready in just 30 minutes, it’s the perfect solution for a delicious dinner that feels fancy enough for guests but requires minimal effort.
Perfect for hosting friends or enjoying a cozy night in, this dish delivers big flavor without keeping you tied to the stove.
Why you’ll love this creamy Baked Tuscan Chicken:
- Quick and easy: Ready in just 30 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute dinners!
- Effortless: Almost all of the sauce ingredients are added right to the pan, and everything cooks at once. There’s no simmering on the stove or extra hassle!
- Comfort food: Juicy chicken and a creamy, flavorful sauce make this dish cozy and satisfying.
Ingredients for these baked chicken breasts:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: these are pounded thin for even cooking.
- Spices: I use a simple blend of Italian seasoning, paprika, black pepper, and salt.
- Heavy cream: the base for the creamy sauce! I don’t recommend going with low-fat dairy for this recipe.
- Minced garlic: adds a depth of flavor. You can use pre-minced garlic or mince it yourself.
- Corn starch: this acts as a thickening agent to make our sauce nice and thick.
- Sundried tomatoes: these are more concentrated than regular tomatoes, adding a tart and tangy flavor to the sauce! Use the kind that comes packed with oil and spices for the best flavor.
- Parmesan cheese: shredded parmesan cheese melts right into the sauce, giving it a tangy flavor! You can buy shredded Parmesan or shred it yourself from a block.
- Fresh spinach: adding chopped spinach is an easy way to get your veggies in!
How to make Baked Tuscan Chicken:
This recipe couldn’t be simpler to whip up! Just follow the easy steps below—check out the recipe card for all the details.
- Flatten chicken breasts to an even thickness.
- Whisk cream, garlic, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Stir in sundried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese. Pour around the chicken.
- Bake until the chicken is cooked through.
- Stir fresh spinach into the sauce and let the chicken rest, covered with aluminum foil. Stir the sauce again if needed, then serve.
Recipe Tips
- Flatten your chicken breasts so they are roughly the same size: this will ensure they cook evenly and that one side doesn’t end up completely dried out! Simply cover in plastic wrap and use a rolling pin or a small frying pan to flatten the thick end slightly.
- Dry with paper towels: we want our chicken to roast and be golden and flavorful, so we don’t want any of the excess water that might be on it. Drying it before seasoning will give the best results!
- Cover and let rest: at least 10 minutes! You can even let it rest for 20, and I promise it will be so juicy and hot. This keeps the juices inside the meat and gives the spinach a chance to wilt down in the sauce without becoming overcooked and slimy.
- Internal temperature: use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 165ºF before eating.
Variations and substitutions:
- Boneless chicken thighs: You can absolutely swap for boneless chicken thighs without changing the rest of the recipe! You will likely want to use twice as many thighs as the breasts called for.
- Cheese: If you don’t want to use parmesan cheese, you could swap it with asiago, Romano, or pecorino cheese!
- Cream: I know it’s tempting to swap the heavy cream for a lighter variety, but be careful because lower-fat dairy cannot be cooked at a high temperature without curdling.
- Sun-dried tomatoes: I know these can be hard to come by at times, but I just love the subtle flavor they add! A couple other options would be fresh cherry tomatoes or jarred roasted red peppers — they’ll both add a nice pop of flavor!
- Seasoning: You can absolutely play with the seasoning as long as you choose herbs and spices that pair well with the sauce.
- Spinach: You can leave it out if you want. I love that it adds a pop of color and a boost in the nutritional value. You can swap for other vegetables if you prefer: green beans or mushrooms could be added at the beginning of the cook time for a new twist!
How to store leftovers:
This Tuscan Chicken Breast is a great option for prepping ahead because it stores easily and is delicious reheated!
You can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, provided all of your ingredients are fresh.
If you stuck to the recipe and used heavy cream (low-fat dairy cannot be frozen), you can also store it in an airtight freezer container or a freezer bag for up to 3 months!
What to serve with Tuscan Chicken Breasts:
We love this chicken breast recipe with plain, simple pasta, but you can also serve over these Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes for a touch of indulgence or these Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes for a make-ahead option.
This Instant Pot Brown Rice is also a great complement for a healthier, gluten-free option.
You can also keep it low-carb with cauliflower rice!
Also, these Breadsticks do a great job of soaking up all that creamy sauce 😉
Note
The chicken is as saucy as it is in these photos — it is enough sauce for us to serve with pasta, but the pasta is not drowning in sauce. If you want a lot of sauce, I would multiply the sauce recipe by 1.5 (so instead of 1 cup cream, use 1.5 cups, etc.)
Baked Tuscan Chicken Breast
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (breast halves)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Cream Sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅓ cup sundried tomatoes (chopped)
- ¼ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup chopped fresh spinach
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Place chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Use a rolling pin, smooth meat mallet or small frying pan to flatten the thick side of the chicken so that it is roughly an even thickness.
- Place chicken breasts in a 9×13" baking dish (or a larger one if you are using very large chicken breasts — you don't want them smushed together or they will take longer to cook).
- Combine ½ teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, paprika and ⅛ teaspoon pepper. Drizzle chicken with oil and rub with seasoning (I just do the top, since the bottom will be sitting in sauce).
- Whisk together cream, garlic, corn starch, salt and pepper until combined. Stir in sundried tomatoes and Parmesan cheese and pour around the chicken in the baking dish (it shouldn't cover the chicken completely, but it won't hurt anything if it does).
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 16-20 minutes, until an internal temperature of 165 degrees F is reached in the thickets part of the chicken (the exact cook time will depend on the size of your chicken breasts).
- Remove pan from oven and stir spinach into sauce. The sauce may separate as it cooks (it is NOT curdled!) — just give it a stir and it will come together. Cover pan and allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes while the spinach wilts.
- Uncover and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Michelle Waye says
My family loved this!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Michelle!
Maryellen says
Delicious! Just emailed this recipe to my daughter-in-law. My husband isn’t big on chicken unless it is very tender and flavorful. This is perfect! I really like your recipes! This Baked Tuscan Chicken Breasts is a keeper. Yummy!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Janette Farrell says
Used 4 1/2 to 5 chicken breast and wasn’t enough really for four people. Next time I will make more chicken and times the sauce by 1.5. other than that, recipe was delicious and it’s on my keeper list. My guests loved it also.
Ashley Fehr says
THanks for sharing!
Judi says
Made this last night for dinner and it was FANTASTIC!! I did only make 2 chicken breasts as I was cooking for two but I made the sauce as directed and used an 8 x 8 pan and it all fit perfectly. Also appreciate your suggestions for swapping out veggies and added green beans instead of using spinach. Can’t wait to have it again!!!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m glad you liked it Judi!
Christi Lynn Budd says
Oh this was beyond yummy!!!!
Ashley Fehr says
Yay! Thank you!
Bill says
Outstanding meal!!!
Thank you!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you!
Jaime McCracken says
This meal comes together so quickly and is one of our favorites!! Absolutely delicious!!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed it!
Cindy Lemak says
This worked exactly as written and is one of our family favorites. I make this at least once a month. So easy to make and it is delicious!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Cindy!
Joanne says
Very good! Family enjoyed it. Didn’t have spinach and seasoned the chicken with a few other spices. My sauce was tasty but a little on the thick side. Next time I’ll decrease the cornstarch or add a little more cream. Thanks for a tasty and quick recipe 😊
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Joanne!
Nicole Zilic says
Delicious!! Had it with a side of mashed potatoes.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Freddie Wiemer says
Hello!
Can I bake this the day before and reheat the next day? If so what oven temp and how
long? I assumed it would be covered!
Cath says
Hi Freddie,
I wouldn’t cook it 10 minutes less than directed if you plan to reheat it the following day. Then, when you reheat it the next day, it would be a good idea to cover the tray with foil so that it doesn’t dry out. If the top isn’t brown enough to your liking, then you place the tray (without foil) on the broil setting for approximately 35 seconds.
Ashley Fehr says
Yes you can bake it and reheat. I would add a splash or water or broth so the sauce doesn’t burn, cover and heat at a low temperature, like 300-325.
Tricia says
My family loved this! I am very generous with the sundried tomatoes and the oil in the jar. This is quick and easy to assemble.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Tricia!
Kim Godshall says
Do you put the breasts in the oven raw?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes
CDCD says
My family loved this!
Ashley Fehr says
Yay!
Tracey says
This was so very good and easy, after baking I removed the chicken from the pan added my cooked spaghetti to the pan of sauce and tossed the spaghetti coating it in the sauce. My picky son told me this is how I need to make spaghetti from now on!
Ashley Fehr says
I love that idea!
Susan Schaben says
My family loves it and it’s fast/easy and delicious. Sometimes we don’t have spinach and it’s fine without it.
Ashley Fehr says
THanks for sharing Susan!
Christina says
You’re 12 and made this?!?! Wow, you should be very proud of yourself! Way to go!
Rita Finegan says
Made this tonight it was excellent! I am a seasoned cook. This recipe was simple and quick but tasted like a delicious all day cooked dinner!
From an old lady always ready to learn from the you people ❤️
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you for your review Rita!
Sue says
This is a great recipe. So easy and delicious. And fast! Even if you’re home late this is a quick meal with little effort. It’s one of my regulars now. Family loves it.Leftovers heat up great too.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Sue!
Kristy says
I always double this recipe. I’ve been using it for a couple of years now. We always make fettuccine with it and make the same cream sauce for the fettuccine. I hadn’t made it for quite some time and my husband asked for it specifically, so I’d have to say it’s memorable! Thanks for sharing.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for your review Kristy!