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.
Heather says
OUTSTANDING! Best dish I have ever made! Thank you!!!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad!
Mariah says
Im not a big fan of chicken. I feel like no matter what I do it ends up bland but this recipe was amazing. It’s so flavorful and delicious. The only thing I changed that I felt made it better was I used smoked paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder when seasoning the chicken. I also stirred smoked paprika in with the heavy cream.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Mariah!
Laura Burdett-Munns says
My family loved this! So easy and it was delicious.
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad!
Trish says
This is my new go to recipe!!! Absolutely delicious every time. Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Thank you Trish!
Ashley says
Delicious! I made double the sauce, because we always love extra. Also, I was making it for a family member who can’t have milk – so I substituted with plain unflavored oat milk. It worked wonderfully!! I can’t wait to make it again, but with the heavy cream this time around. I also added fresh sliced basil as a garnish. Thank you for this recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Ashley!
Rod says
Made this tonight, pretty much doubled everything except the chicken. Added some chopped up big Jim’s because it’s that time of year in NM. This is FIRE! Thanks. This will definitely be in my rotation.
Ashley Fehr says
Awesome!
Rachael McKay says
I made this tonight and followed the recipe, and sadly I will never make it again. I was so looking forward to it and it ended up being the most bland chicken dish I have ever made. I seasoned my chicken so well, I don’t understand how it became tasteless. 🙁
Ashley Fehr says
I’m sorry to hear you didn’t enjoy it!
Linda says
Made this recipe, so tasty and easy! Made a couple days later for friend who had surgery. Next time I will add a little more cream for more sauce. Paired with egg noodles. Liked that it was “one dish”!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Linda!
Mike says
Made this, tonight, and my wife raved about it. She said that I outdid myself, and I’d like to think I’m a pretty good cook. Lol. (Kudos to you for the recipe!) We even had a guest over, and he loved it. I served it over egg noodles, but next time, I’ll double the sauce.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Mike! I’m glad it was a hit!
Deb Fenton says
My family loved this! The sauce is amazing but the corners burnt a bit so I would use smaller chicken breasts next time or butterfly larger ones so there was more sauce.
Erica says
I made this recipe today. I baked my chicken breast for 20 mins. It came out perfectly. I then made the sauce separately and once it was done I placed the chicken inside the skillet.
We loved it and I will make it again.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks for sharing Erica! I’m not into extra dishes for no reason, but I’m glad that worked out for you!
David says
Can I substitute Plain Greek yogurt for the heavy cream in a 1:1 ratio?
Izzy Gragen says
This tastes ok, but doesn’t look very appetizing b/c of the way the cream curdled. I think I’ll try this again, but make it on top of the stove and add the cream & parm toward the end of the cooking time.
Ashley Fehr says
Heavy cream does not curdle. But the sauce may separate as it cooks. You just need to give it a stir and it will smooth out.
Ashley Fehr says
Heavy cream does not curdle, but may separate as it cooks. All it takes is a stir to make the sauce come together.
Amy says
Can I use boneless thighs instead? What cook time and temperature adjustments would there be?
Ashley Fehr says
Yes! They should cook in about the same amount of time.
Olivia says
Husband loved it!! I put mine on top of spinach pasta and his and my son’s on spaghetti noodles. Served with asparagus for a side. My only complaint…. I need more sauce!!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Olivia!
Laura Giordano says
I used light cream instead of the heavy thinking I’d save calories it does look like it curdled, is it bad or still edible
Laura G.
Ashley Fehr says
I would give it a stir and it might come together. This is why the recipe calls for heavy cream.
Teresa says
Cooked to the recipe before making for company and enjoyed the dish. The second time we added no-salt seasoning (like Dash) to the rub to amp it up a bit, and used baby spinach that we stirred into the sauce before covering. Everybody loved it – will make again for sure!
Ashley Fehr says
I love that! Thanks!
Bria A says
Yum! Making this tonight! What one of noodles are those that you have pictured?
Ashley Fehr says
These are pappardelle!
Cheyenne says
As a broke college student, I always try to find quick, easy and affordable recipes to make at home. This recipe is everything I was looking for and it is delicious over pasta! I also appreciate the recipe’s simplicity since I didn’t have much to work with at home at the time I cooked this.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Cheyenne! I’m glad you liked it!
Clara says
This lovely recipe delivers exactly what I was expecting. Perfect 👌🏻
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad!
Lei Lei says
Absolutely Delish! I added a dash of nutmeg to the cream sauce… gave it a pop of unexpected flavor. Yummy 😋 served over brown rice.
Ashley Fehr says
Oh nice! I’ll have to try that😀
Jaclyn says
That’s exactly what I had in mind! (to add a dash of nutmeg)! Also, thinking of adding a splash of lemon to brighten the flavor a bit. I have chicken breasts defrosting. The recipe is in my planner. Can’t wait to try it! One of the above comments said they used oat milk for a family member who couldn’t have dairy so I will also try out oat milk. I was actually thinking of cashew cream or canned coconut cream. Will try oat milk first. Then, the next time we make it we will modify as needed.