Baked Tuscan Chicken Breasts

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 servings

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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.

baked tuscan chicken breasts in a baking dish covered in sauce.

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.

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.

baked tuscan chicken breasts in baking dish topped with spinach and sauce.

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.
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Ingredients for this easy Baked Tuscan Chicken recipe:

ingredients needed for baked tuscan chicken breasts in bowls and plate.
  • 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!
large dish filled with four baked tuscan chicken breasts.

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!

Reader Rating

“My family loved this!” Aida

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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.)

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Baked Tuscan Chicken Breast

4.95 from 1088 votes
This Baked Tuscan Chicken Breast is an easy meal ready in 30 minutes or less! With a creamy sauce that's perfect over pasta.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Cuisine American, Italian
Course Main Course
Servings 4 servings
Calories 423cal

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (breast halves)
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • teaspoon black pepper

Cream Sauce

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • teaspoon black pepper
  • 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

*1 serving is 1 chicken breast with roughly ½ cup of sauce

Nutrition Information

Calories: 423cal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 159mg | Sodium: 712mg | Potassium: 823mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1461IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 137mg | Iron: 2mg
Keywords baked chicken, tuscan chicken

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Bonnie says

    I have made this recipe numerous times. My family loves it. Doesn’t matter if it’s the youngers or the adults, they all ask for more. It’s the best chicken recipe and we make it often and my husband still ask for it more often, haha. So easy and versatile. Cleanup is a whiz. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!

  2. Lizzy says

    This was excellent!!! Very easy to make! I didnโ€™t have spinach so I left that out and also didnโ€™t have sun dried tomatoes so I used a fresh tomato and cut it into small chunks. I put a little over 1/3 of a cup of the tomato chunks in the sauce. Great recipe!!!! Saving this one for sure!

  3. Megan B says

    Absolutely phenomenal dish! Definitely a staple dish in my household! This meal also cracks the top 10 favorite chicken dishes for me. Love ๐Ÿ™‚

  4. Demi Leyva says

    Had anyone tried doubling the sauce and adding a cup or so of chicken broth and uncooked pasta to baking dish? Itโ€™s in the oven right now and Iโ€™m a bit concerned. Lol

  5. Janna Brand says

    LOVE this recipeโ€”itโ€™s my husbandโ€™s favorite meal. I like to double the sauce and serve with a whole grain penne for a little indulgence now and then ๐Ÿฅฐ

  6. Mahnoor says

    Barely any dishes to wash. It cooked itself in the oven so didn’t have to watch it too closely. Low effort and great taste. Loved it. I used up half a bag of spinach and a lot of cherry tomatoes, so I could pretend it was healthy too

    Thanks for recipe!

  7. Amanda says

    I made this recipe tonight and it was super delicious, even my picky kids loved it! The only thing I added was a combination spice that I add to most of my chicken recipes for an extra kick and also some mushrooms.
    I used 4 decent size chicken breasts and โ€œdoubledโ€ the ingredients, I usually eye ball everything when cooking. I was glad there was just the right amount of sauce. The flavor was so good.
    I will definitely keep this recipe in my rotation.
    I really liked the simplicity of the recipe and that it had just a few ingredients. Iโ€™m always thankful for an easy recipe and one dish makes a quick clean up.
    Thank you so much for this recipe! I canโ€™t wait to try out some of your others!

  8. Kari says

    Making this recipe for the family again a week laterโ€ฆloved! I added a can of artichoke hearts to โ€œsauceโ€ mix and a squeeze of lemon to serve- so delicious; with orzo and a side of broccoli!

  9. bryan says

    Super ez to make and follow. Made for me and roommate who promptly requested 1/wk.!! Replaced fire roasted tomatoes. “Mwhaa.!! Xlnt!!!

  10. Joette Johnson says

    Made this for a friend many months ago and she’s still talking about it so tonight I am having her for dinner and making it for her again!

  11. Jess says

    I didnโ€™t know what to expect but it was tasty! I subbed 1/2 of the regular salt for garlic salt. It was still tasty.

      • CMay says

        This recipe was a really quick prep and super tasty! As per dietary restrictions made with โ€œplant creamโ€ instead of dairy but it still turned out great! Think plant cream might require using more cornstarch or perhaps will try tapioca starch next timeโ€ฆ.also sadly didnโ€™t have sun-dried tomatoes on hand, (I am sure they would be yummy!) but frozen red peppers and diced fresh tomato still made for a tasty topping.
        Will come back to this recipe a lot, I am sure! It was great with pasta.

  12. Cynthia Mitchell says

    This recipe was absolutely amazing. The only things I changed was I used kale instead of spinach, and I did not have sun-dried tomatoes, so I used fire-roasted diced tomatoes.. It was wonderful. Highly recommended.!!

  13. Jacky says

    I made this the other night it was amazing. I didn’t have Italian season.So I used a Oregano little bit of rosemary and a little sprinkle of Greek seasoning. It was a hit with everyone from my two grandsons 1 1/2 yrs and 5 and all the adults. It was easy to make. Will definitely make this again.

4.95 from 1088 votes (751 ratings without comment)

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