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 down in the recipe card.
You might also like this stovetop Creamy Tuscan Chicken Recipe, Tuscan Chicken Pasta Bake or this One Pan Tuscan Orzo with Chicken!
Table of Contents
This Tuscan Chicken Breast recipe 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 breast recipes 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 ๐
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 recipe:
- 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 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.
Also, these Breadsticks do a great job of soaking up all that creamy sauce ๐
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.)
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Pin this recipe to your favorite boardBaked Tuscan Chicken Breast
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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Doris Giles says
This is my favorite recipe of all time. Iโve served it with pasta and rice. I double the sauce recipe because o love it so much. My young grandkids love this too.
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, Doris! Thank you!
Cheryl Armstrong says
This is probably the best Italian dish I have ever made! It will be added to the rotation for sure. I will make more sauce next time and serve over Orzo, as we are big fans of that versatile little pasta. The sundried tomatoes are key, whether you generally cook with them or not. Do not skip.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Cheryl!
Kris Owons says
Fantastic recipe! Made this for my family who are very selective eaters and they loved it! My son in law never eats leftovers but he came home for lunch the next day to eat what was left!
The Recipe Rebel says
Yay! Love to hear that, thank you Kris!
Jan says
Great go-to recipe. Love it!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Jan!
Shane says
Quite simply my familyโs new favourite meal. So easy and so amazingly delicious!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Shane!
Malinda says
Are you suppose to cover the dish before baking or bake it uncovered?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Malinda, you won’t cover it till Step 7. Enjoy!
Unique says
This recipe is AMAZING!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you!
Nadia says
Amazing, Delicious it was a hit.
Thank you
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, thank you Nadia!
Sue says
Great one dish recipe! I dry rubbed the chicken for several hours first, but followed the remaining instructions and doubled the sauce. I also topped with sliced mozzarella and broiled a couple minutes then garnished with fresh basil. It is so convenient not to have to brown the chicken first or dirty another pan making a separate sauce. Very flavorful!
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear! Thank you!
Yvonne says
I made this and it was fabulous! Unfortunately, I didn’t have tomatoes on hand so I used sun dried tomato pesto and it was amazing!!!! Thank you so much for sharing. A new family fav!!!! ๐
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, thank you Yvonne!
Camille cerria says
This is So delish & So easy! To cut down on calories, I used evaporated milk instead of heavy cream. To make extra sauce, I added another 1/2 of all ingredients. I did same with seasoning mix. Just fabulous! Thank you!!!๐
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks Camille!
missy says
You could use regular milk instead of cream to save calories much cheaper than evaporated and less processed In Alfredo sometimes I’ll do 50/50 milk/cream
Ashley Fehr says
Regular milk can’t be used in this recipe because of the long cook time and high heat — it will curdle. In a stovetop alfredo sauce, yes milk can be used if you add something to thicken it.
Kaeberley says
Very delicious!! However mine curdled so didnโt look too appetizing . Not sure if itโs because I had to use flour instead of corn starch or if it was my Parmesan but will try making it again soon!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks for the feedback!
Mrs. P says
This is my go to recipe. I used to make it on the stove top but this oven baked version is so much easier and delicious. Itโs the one meal my kids and husband love and get excited to eat. And thereโs never left overs. Only thing I do is make extra sauce.
Christine says
One of our favourite meals. The chicken always comes out so succulent. ๐
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Christine!
B says
Parmesan cheese didnโt mix
Jo says
If you use authentic Italian Parmigiano Reggiano it will! ๐
The Recipe Rebel says
It could be the type used, B.
Amy says
This is one of the most flavorful recipes Iโve made in a long time. I was worried the chicken would be dry. Boy, was I wrong! Tender and moist. This is a keeper and itโs really quick and easy. Iโll be making this for our next family gathering.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Amy!
Liza Abbott says
AMAZING & so easy to make!! I doubled the sauce recipe and had it with spaghetti, DELICIOUS! Donโt omit the sundried tomatoes! Iโm not a huge fan of them but in this dish, wow!! So much flavour! Thank you for this recipe!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Liza!
Carol says
Have you ever tried this with artichokes? Iโm looking for something to make today, but I donโt have any sun-dried tomatoes on hand and I found artichokes in my pantry
The Recipe Rebel says
I have not but it sounds tasty. Let us know if you do!
Susan Mayfield says
Best chicken recipe Ive tried in a long time. My husband loved it!
I was short on time and subbed cream of chicken soup for the heavy cream and cornstarch, but Im sure that would be better.
I used the oil packed sun dried tomatoes.
Yum!
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, Susan!
Kaitie Wilson says
One of our favourites! We just moved into our first home and this is a go-to recipe for my hubby and I ๐ฉท
Is it possible to make the sauce and let the chicken marinade in it over night, and cook for dinner the next day?
The Recipe Rebel says
It’s not something I’ve tested out, so it would be hard for me to say for sure. Glad you enjoyed it!
Linda says
This is such a delicious and flavorful meal my family absolutely loved it and asked me to please put it in our rotation. Thank you for sharing it!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Linda!