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 Italian Instant Pot Chicken Breasts, this Crockpot Chicken and Potatoes , and this Instant Pot Italian Chicken Pasta.
Table of Contents
- Why you’ll love this creamy Baked Tuscan Chicken:
- Ingredients for this easy Baked Tuscan Chicken recipe:
- How to make Baked Tuscan Chicken recipe:
- Recipe Tips
- Variations and substitutions:
- How to store leftover Tuscan Chicken:
- Reader Rating
- What to serve with Tuscan Chicken Breasts:
- Note
- Baked Tuscan Chicken Breast Recipe
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 this easy Baked Tuscan Chicken recipe:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: these are pounded thin for even cooking.
- Canola oil: this binds with the spices to create a rub to coat the chicken and lock in flavor!
- 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 recipe:
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. You may be able to swap for evaporated milk if you are looking for a lower-calorie option, but it may not thicken like heavy cream does, and your sauce may be thinner.
- 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 leftover Tuscan Chicken:
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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Callie T says
Added this to our recipe rotation about a month ago and we’ve already had it 2-3 times! SO delicious and easy. I am wondering if there’s a way to do this in a crock pot for busy days? Or would the cream part be an issue. I did see the bake ahead comment, but figured I’d ask anyway!! Thanks!!
Ashley Fehr says
Absolutely! My crockpot version is here: https://www.thereciperebel.com/crockpot-tuscan-chicken/
Alan W Cahoon says
This was just okay for me. I like the concept but the issue for me is that the chicken breasts do not get seared on the outside cooking this way. If I am going to make this type of dish with these flavors, I would prefer to make it a skillet dish so that I can cook the chicken pieces individually in the skillet and brown them to give them extra flavor. Also, cooking them individually allows you to check each piece for doneness individually so that each piece is cooked correctly.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Alan! The chicken breasts should brown on the top in the oven which would give that extra flavor. Nonetheless, you may like my stove top version more: https://www.thereciperebel.com/creamy-tuscan-chicken-recipe/
Judy French says
Fabulous and SO easy! I can see that this recipe can be flexible depending on your taste and what you have on hand. Tonight I used chicken tenders (not breaded), zucchini and some green onion. I served it with mini penne pasta.
I would recommend this recipe as a quick weeknight meal or something you would serve to guests.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Judy!
Aida Bonner says
My family loved this!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad to hear that!
Lindsay E says
My family loved this! Added more tomatoes but came out juicy and delicious
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Lindsay!
Carla says
Thank you for this recipe! This was our New Years’ Day Meal and it was a big hit! I did do a couple things differently. I added Moscato Wine to my sauce (and I will definitely do that again, it gave it great flavor) and instead of using canola oil on my chicken breasts, I used the oil from my sundried tomato jar.. That was definitely the way to go. Thanks again for the recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
I love those ideas!
Kaile says
This worked exactly as written, thanks! I am 12 and I made this and my whole family loved it!
Ashley Fehr says
Wow, that’s awesome!
Lynn says
For the 4 chicken breasts in the Baked Tuscan Chicken recipe, approximately how many total ounces?
Ashley Fehr says
About 2 lbs
Nancy says
Can the chicken breasts be cubed or cut in strips for guests wanting smaller portions instead of the whole piece of chicken breast?
Ashley Fehr says
Absolutely. If you cut before, it will just need a shorter cook time
Tim Linneman says
My family loved this!
Ann says
Do you think this can be made for 10?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes definitely, but I would use two pans.
ฤถim says
My family loved this!
Hazel Horsley says
hello ; i am thinking of buying an air frier ; and was just looking at easy recipes. ,.Does the casserole dish go in the air frier. Sorry i am a complete novice .i need confirmation .
Ashley Fehr says
No, this is not an air fryer recipe. You can see my air fryer recipes here: https://www.thereciperebel.com/category/mains/air-fryer/
Casey says
My family loved this! Easiest recipe and a hit with my kids.
Melissa says
Can I use frozen spinach instead of fresh?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes you can. I would just thaw and squeeze dry first
Heather Haas says
Do you know if you could make this the day before and have it ready? I am serving it for Christmas Dinner and wondering if I could prep it on Christmas Eve.
Ashley Fehr says
Absolutely, it will reheat well covered at a low temperature
NICOLE says
Second time making this is about a year and wondering why it’s not on my weekly rotation!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad you liked it!
Trish says
This is a great recipe! My family loved this. It was easy to make and used minimal dishes which is a plus! I added some basil paste to the chicken breast seasoning, added about 1 tsp of sun-dried tomato pesto and a 1/2 tsp more minced garlic to the sauce and it was great! This recipe is going into rotation.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Trish!
Wayne says
This worked exactly as written, thanks! Super quick, easy, tasty.
Ashley Fehr says
Yay! I’m glad you liked it!
haile says
Wow!!! this recipe is sooooo good. My husband and I loved it. I did add a little bit more of the spices it calls for and some garlic & onion powder as well. I would definitely double the recipe for the sauce as it is so good and I wanted it to coat our pasta noodles.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing!