This Baked Tuscan Chicken Breast 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 down in the recipe card.
Table of Contents
This Tuscan Chicken Breast has been a long time coming!
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.
But I’ve never done any creamy delicious chicken like this in the oven or stove top.
Since this month is all about these perfect Baked Chicken Breasts, I wanted to share a few different ways that we can take a classic roast chicken breast and jazz it up without adding much prep time.
In the end, we’ll have multiple easy, toss-it-in-the-oven-and-forget-it chicken breast recipes that just need a simple salad or pot of pasta to make it an instant hit with the family.
For the first one, I definitely wanted something creamy and comforting. It’s still on the chilly side here, and we are game for a creamy baked chicken dinner full of garlic, Parmesan, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach any day of the year!
Check out this Baked Monterey Chicken or these 30 Easy Baked Chicken Recipes next!
It looks impressive, and yet it is so easy to make!
Perfect for guests when you don’t want to slave over the stove 😉
Don’t feel like turning on the oven? Try my Crockpot Tuscan Chicken instead! Or try this cheesy Spinach Stuffed Chicken Breast instead.
How to make Baked Tuscan Chicken:
- 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 towel: 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!
- Rub with oil and season well: we are keeping the seasoning simple again, but the sauce adds a ton of flavor!
- High heat for a short time: what I love most about this recipe is that 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! Just toss and go — the only thing we add after is the spinach.
- 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.
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.
- 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 a 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 were fresh.
If you stuck to the recipe and used heavy cream (low fat dairy cannot be frozen) you can also store in an airtight freezer container or zip-top bag for up to 3 months, maybe it a great freezer meal!
What to serve with Tuscan Chicken Breasts:
We love this 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.
Also, these Breadsticks do a great job of soaking up all that creamy sauce 😉
Note that 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
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. Cover pan and allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes while the spinach wilts.
- Uncover and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Liz Williams says
It turned out delicious. My husband said it is a keeper. I was leary about some comments of the gravy separating. Just a few stirs with a spoon and it was perfect. Thank you for such a quick and easy recipe 👍
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi liz! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Wendy says
Why did my cream turn to water??? I followed the recipe to the T any suggestions what went wrong?
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m not sure Wendy, maybe it was the type used? Which one did you use?
Peggy says
Loved this one, recipe easy to follow and tastes delicious. Didn’t have sun dried tomatoes used a well drained roasted red pepper from a jar.,diced. I’m keeping this recipe!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Peggy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Kathy mcgarrey says
I think the temperature is way too high. My cream broke so in my mind it’s ruined. There’s nothing worse than that. I should have known and had a feeling I should have cooked it on a lower temperature.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Kathy. The temperature has worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
Karen Arnold says
This recipe was fabulous and delicious! I did double the sauce, we like a lot of sauce! Served it over penne pasta! I like that it’s a one dish meal and that you don’t have to brown the chicken before completing the recipe. The chicken cooked up super moist! I will definitely make this again!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Karen! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Myra Gentry says
Hi can I skip spinach family doesnt like spinach. Can I sibstitute with parsley instead?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Myra! You could skip it or use something like arugula or kale, but both of those would change the flavor some. You could put parsley but it’s an herb so definitely don’t use 1/2 cup that would be too much. Enjoy!
Mirah says
absolutely delicious and easy to make! i used cream of mushroom as well as i don’t have heavy cream available. Will definitely make this recipe again! Thanks for the recipe
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Mirah! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Amber says
Wow…just wow!!! I followed the recipe as exact but doubled the ingredients because I had 6 full chicken breasts and the amount of ingredients were perfect. This was delicious!!! I served the chicken breast over a bed of white rice and a side of asparagus and it was heavenly. Thank you so much for this recipe!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Amber! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
MG says
My picky 16 year old actually picked up her head, looked at me, and said Mmmm… Sucess!!! Thank you so much for this recipe it is definitely a keeper in our book. I am a super busy mom who hates cooking but even I couldn’t mess this one up. It was so easy and quick to make and so delicious. Can’t recommend it enough! ***** 5 Stars!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi MG! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Ben says
Very good recipe! Great use of bkring chicken breasts. Really good over Penne as well, and found it kept well portioned out in glass microwavable dishes for lunches, giving the Penne time to absorb the flavor. I added a bit more garlic and a bit more paprika to taste. Ive added this recipe to the regular season roster. Will be making it regularly.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Ben! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Irma R says
I made this last night and it turned out perfect! So delicious. I served it with spaghetti squash, it was amazing. Great chicken recipe and easy too!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Irma! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Regan Donnell says
Omg. Exceptional. Even the youngest, most picky eater loved it. It was so pretty I had to take a picture.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Regan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Julie Gholston says
Delicious! I used an 8×8 pan since I had a smaller amount of chicken. I was out of fresh garlic so I used 1 tsp of garlic powder in the cream. No sun-dried tomatoes so a peeled and chopped garden-fresh tomato was added. No fresh spinach so I used some frozen. I used a heaping tsp of cornstarch since the fresh tomato was juicy. I used the full amount of sauce and it was perfect over pasta. Even with my changes, this recipe is a winner!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Julie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
PK Pablo Escobar says
No heavy cream, did cream of chicken instead. Can’t go wrong with CoC or CoM! Let y’all know how it turnt out.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hope you enjoyed it!
Terri says
I did the same with cream of mushroom 🍄 turned out wonderfully. Thank you
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Terri! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Terri says
Great idea👌
James Allen says
I’m a tough critic when it comes to food ,but this was a great recipe. Easy to follow and well explained. It’s in the rotation now! Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi James! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Slwf says
I’m not sure how anyone ended with a creamy sauce. I followed the recipe to a T. Heavy cream etc. The sauce was practically water, not exaggerating at all, with tiny lumps of curdles. The flavor would have been good if the sauce was anywhere close to expected.
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
Monique says
Mine also came out watery. When it was first pulled from the oven, the sauce was thick and creamy. Then, I added the spinach and covered it. When I took the foil off, it was watery. I’m not sure what happened. I was expecting it to be too thick because I didn’t have enough heavy cream, but used the same amount of corn starch. It was still watery, even after placing the leftovers in the fridge. It was still delicious though. So, I’ll take it!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Monique! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Kim says
Mine came out the same way, the cream curdled and the cornstarch seemed to make it think on the bottom of the pan, so the sauce stuck to it. The flavor was very tasty though
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear that you had trouble with the recipe, Kim. The amounts, flavorings and timing have worked well for myself (and others) so I wished it would have been a hit for you too! I know it can be so disappointing to try a new recipe and it does not turn out for you.
Taka says
I made this today for the first time. I followed the recipe, and it came out delicious!! I will definitely be making this again
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Taka! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Georgina says
Quick and easy and delicious, thank you
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Georgina! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Meg says
Lessons in reading… was going to do this on the crockpot- decided to bake- missed the heavy cream vs half and half. Can’t wait to try it again!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Enjoy Meg!
Connie G says
I’ve made this recipe of yours several times and always such a hit! My husband doesn’t always love spinach, so I’ll do some string green beans in as a substitute, the whole family enjoys it every time.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Connie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Angel says
I saw all the reviews and am so over thinking about what to make for dinner. This was extremely easy and fairly mess free. I couldn’t find fresh spinach so I used frozen loose spinach that I cooked in the microwave. I drained and chopped it up and added at the same time as the recipe said . I doubled the sauce recipe because we are saucey lovers here. It was amazing. It smelled like I was at a fancy Italian place. Served over bow tie pasta. Absolutely fantastic and will be a regular in my dinner rotation. Also it is amazing next day for lunch reheated with a little extra heavy cream!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Angel! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!