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!
This Baked Tuscan Chicken is an Italian-inspired dish that’s as effortless as it is impressive!
Juicy baked 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.
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.
Creamy Baked Chicken Breasts ingredients:
- 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!
Love these flavors? Try them in my Tuscan Chicken Noodle Soup!
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.
Tips for the best baked chicken breast
- 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.
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 leftover chicken 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 this chicken breast recipe:
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 😉
Like it extra saucy?
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.
Video
Notes
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!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Tried this recipe?
Tag @thereciperebel or hashtag #thereciperebel — I love to see what you’re making!
Tag @thereciperebelMore baked chicken breast recipes:
- The Easiest Lemon Chicken Recipe — with a creamy lemon parmesan sauce.
- Baked Monterey Chicken — with barbecue sauce, bacon and fresh tomatoes.
- Baked Chicken Breast — simply seasoned and perfect for meal prepping.
- Baked Honey Garlic Chicken — sweet and tangy.
Diana says
I following this recipe to the T, but my fear is that the raw chicken won’t cook in 20 minutes😭
Ashley Fehr says
Raw chicken will definitely cook in 20 minutes if the directions are followed and your oven temperature is correct. It is always a good idea to check the internal temperature of the chicken with a meat thermometer to be sure.
Joanne says
I’m Planning to make this recipe tonight I picked up 18% cream will that work
Shelley Blades says
Lick the plate delicious!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Shelley!
Daniela says
Loved this recipe, entire family loved it. I used heavy cream but did not have corn starch and my sauce was not creamy like in this picture and broke do you think that’s the reason it broke? What are some other reasons a sauce would break apart just trying to figure out what I did. Thank you sooooo much.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Daniela! I don’t think the sauce should break if heavy cream was used. Heavy cream is very resistant to that and isn’t usually affected by high heat. I would just give it a stir after cooking and I’m sure it will come together 🙂
Helen says
This recipe has been a go to for me for crowds, so I do it in the crockpot. If I do it in the oven, can’t I just add the spinach in the beginning so that it wilts through in the sauce? I would guess just to add extra so it doesn’t cook away to nothing, right?
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Helen! You could add it at the beginning but it will still be quite soft, so it just depends on your preferences.
Diane says
Perfection! Both times I’ve made it I cut up the chicken into small pieces, otherwise I followed exactly as stated. Delicious!
Diane says
*Forgot to mention: I served it with wide egg noodles. YUM!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Diane!
Deanna says
What kind of pasta was used in the picture! Will try this recipe this weekend. Looks delicious.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you! I used pappardelle
Anita G says
I made this and followed the recipe. I doubled the sauce so we had extra! It was great and easy to follow and make! I think next time I will add mushrooms though!!
Ashley Fehr says
Mushrooms are a great addition!
Holly says
I made this tonight! I did omit the spinach because my husband doesn’t eat it but OH MY GOSH! This is so good! So glad I gave it a try! Def will be making this again and I’ve already added it to my cook book!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Holly!
Eileen Quigley-McKenna says
Followed this recipe and it tasted wonderful. However, the sauce separated and I needed to whisk it and add butter to try to recover it. Any suggestions? I’d like to make it again.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Eileen! Can you confirm that you used heavy whipping cream? Heavy cream should not separate, but lower fat cream can and should not be used in this recipe.
Kathleen says
Can you add fresh mushrooms? If so, how would you add them. Thank you
Ashley Fehr says
Definitely! I would likely saute them first and add them with the chicken, or just add them with the chicken and the sauce and go from there.
Jasmine J says
I’m sorry but this is one of the best recipes I’ve ever made and I’m a good cook!!! Mine turned out perfectly cooked and baked. Will be cooking more recipes from now on.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Jasmine! I’m so glad!
Angelica says
Probably a silly question, but can this recipe be done in my slow cooker in low?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes absolutely! I would give it about 3 hours on low
Julie says
I used 1/2 and 1/2 and my sauce broke. I will try again with heavy cream. I may also try browning the chick just a little first so the chicken isn’t so pale.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Julie! The chicken shouldn’t be pale unless it is completely covered in sauce. The exposed portion of the chicken does brown in the oven 🙂
Joanne says
Can I use 18% cream?
Ashley Fehr says
You can, but it may not thicken quite as much
Chelsey says
Another family hit! I’ve tried three of your chicken recipes and all have been enjoyed by adults and kids. I used chopped cherry tomatoes and thawed frozen spinach, which also worked really well! Served it with linguine and everyone loved it.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Chelsey! I’m so glad!
Pam D. says
I can’t wait to try these chicken ones. They sound amazing
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Pam!
Heather Maehren says
This recipe was amazing- so easy to prepare, super flavorful, and simply delicious! It was a restaurant quality recipe prepared in the convenience of my kitchen. I loved the ease of this- literally getting everything in one pan- awesome!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Heather! We love it too!
Diane says
I must agree with heather Maehren. This dish couldn’t be better or more easy!!! Restaurant quality. I used green beans and mushrooms. Delicious!!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Diane!
Joanne says
I made this last night and it was delicious!!! This recipe will definitely be made regularly in our home. Thank you.
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Joanne!
Russ says
I cooked this last night and it was very good! Very easy to make. The family loved it. I will cook it again and again.. One question, I was expecting a more and thicker sauce. What might have I did wrong?
Thank you really easy and very good recipe..
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Russ! The chicken sauce should be thick but there is not a lot of excess sauce. It will be as saucy as is shown in the pictures 🙂 Please see my note in the post about the amount of sauce in the recipe and what to do if you want more sauce. The sauce will only be thick if you use heavy whipping cream.
Jan says
Could you use half and half?
Ashley Fehr says
You can but the sauce will not thicken.
SP says
Can I sub the canola oil with avocado oil? Also, I’m wanting to do boneless thighs.. 8 of them? The recipe doesn’t need to be altered otherwise for this change does it?
Ashley Fehr says
I never use avocado oil so I can’t speak to how it handles high heat for extended periods of time. You can definitely use 8 chicken thighs instead! The cook time should be about the same, but it’s always a good idea to check the temperature before consuming.
Teresa says
Made this tonight. Followed recipe exactly and it was SO GOOD! Zero leftovers! Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Teresa!