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 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 😉
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 😉
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 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. Cover pan and allow chicken to rest for 10 minutes while the spinach wilts.
- Uncover and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Emily Van Peteghen says
Have you ever tried this with pork loins rather than chicken. I’ve made it with chicken several times and everyone loves it with or without the sun dried tomatoes. Thank you.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Emily! I haven’t but would love to know how it turns out if you decide to give it a try!
Kim says
Made exactly as written and it was perfect and delicious. I used the sun dried tomatoes in the sauce and I added halved grape tomatoes with the spinach.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kim! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Lynne says
Made this for dinner today. It is absolutely delicious!!!! and easy to make. Will definitely be making again.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lynne! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Linda Agee says
Hello – Could I sub sour cream for the heavy cream? TIA
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Linda! I haven’t tried it myself but other readers have with great success.
Sarah says
WOW! This is delicious! I couldn’t stop eating the sauce and wish I made more lol. The only thing I changed was using half 3/4 cup of crushed tomatoes instead of sundried (didn’t have any)but it was so so good. This is a new staple. Thank you! 🙂
Sarah says
* -half
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Sarah! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
SuzySweet says
My family loved this recipe! I didn’t have heavy cream so I used 10% (half and half) and some melted butter (2 Tbsp) instead. I also heated up the sauce in a small pot on the stove before covering the chicken and added some thinly sliced fresh mushrooms. It was amazing! Definitely making this again.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
KBunch says
I’ve made this recipe 3x and it’s DELICIOUS! I do always double the sauce since we like a lot. I’ve paired it with pappardelle pasta and last night with your cream cheese mashed potatoes recipe! This is a WONDERFUL recipe!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Kaitlyn says
Absolutely love this recipe!! I love to pair it with pasta and double the portions to make enough for a family of 5. Adding in even more than double the heavy cream is helpful if making it for a pasta!! This is my family’s new favorite recipe and we even made it for our main dish on Christmas!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kaitlyn! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Cheryl Burden says
This is a wonderful dish! Even kids like it! Thank you so much for all of your great recipes, Ashley!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Cheryl! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Trupti says
Thank you for this delicious recipe. I just made minor changes: did not flatten it, seared the seasoned chicken before transferring to the baking dish, made the sauce in the same pan, deglazed it w/white wine, used red bell pepper, baked the chicken at 375F for 35-40 mins (temp the chk), & lastly added al dente cooked zitti along w/spinach.
It was a hit at Christmas Eve dinner w/friends; thank you & Merry Christmas.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Trupti! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review! Merry Christmas!
Jaime Robertson says
Have you tried with frozen spinach? Would you recommend cooking along with the chicken? Or thawing and then mixing in at the last step as per recipe?
Thanks.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Jaime, I have not but I would probably thaw it and drain it first.
Ashley says
How would I modify cooking time for bone in skin on thighs?
Ashley says
Meant to rate it a 5!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Ashley! I haven’t tested this with bone-in skin on thighs but I would cook a minimum of 20 minutes then start testing the temperature. Let me know how it goes if you decide to try it out!
TCarb says
I thought for sure I had sun-dried tomatoes, but when I was well into preparation I realized I was wrong. I substituted chopped pimentos and it turned out great. My husband shouldn’t eat spinach (bad for kidney stones) so I left that out and sprinkled fresh Italian parsley over it before serving for color. I will make this again – next time with sun-dried tomatoes.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi TCarb! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Dee says
I made this last night for dinner today and the sauce was very “soupy” and watery looking, what did I do wrong?
It’s for dinner today, I am going to try to thicken it up, taking the chicken out and heating the sauce with some more cornstarch 🤷♀️
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Dee! I’m sorry to hear you got that result. I haven’t had this problem and it would be really hard for me to say without being in the kitchen with you. A few things to troubleshoot. Was your chicken fully defrosted? Did you use full fat heavy cream? Was your oven at 425 and do you have an oven thermometer to make sure it’s running at the right temp?
Lucy says
Hi Ashley
Recipe looks great. Can you use olive oil instead of canola?
Also, have you actually tried using mushrooms at the start of the cook time? If so, what kind and how much?
Many thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lucy! Any oil would be fine. I’ve only tested the recipe as is. If you decide to experiment with the mushrooms, let me know how it goes!
Liz says
Can you leave out the cheese? My husband doesn’t like cheese but I’m worried it will affect the consistency of the sauce??
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Liz, yes you can leave it out.
Lorraine says
Love this recipe. Thx heaps Ashley!
Is it possible to freeze this recipe?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lorraine! think I would put everything in the pan (up to the point of baking) then cover really well and freeze. I would recommend thawing before baking for most even cooking results.
Lisa says
This is absolutely delicious! My husband declared it “restaurant quality”, but he didn’t leave me a tip LOL! The second time I made it I did it on the stovetop. I sauteed the garlic in some butter and then added the seasoned chicken breasts to brown them. Then added the sauce to simmer. Ended with the cheese and spinach. Served it over rice. Love this recipe. Also-I didn’t have corn starch on hand so I substituted with double amount of flour which worked out fine.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lisa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review and feedback about the flour!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Lisa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Michelle says
Can the sun dried tomatoes be omitted?
The Recipe Rebel says
Sure!
Melanie says
I just tried this recipe out tonight for dinner for my family. I was pleasantly surprise when I tasted how tender the chicken was and the flavor was fantastic. I ended up using a 8×8 pan because I did not have enough heavy cream so I modify the recipe to make an 8×8 pan instead. The chicken came out so tender and juicy everyone wish there was leftovers. I also added a homemade sun-dried tomato pesto I made which gave it a lot of flavor and a nice color. Instead of adding spinach, I added a few frozen peas for color and a little bit of veggie in the meal. I put the chicken in the pan and then poured the cream sauce over the entire dish. I cooked it at the 425° for 30 minutes and it was perfect. I served it with pasta but I will make rice next time. I highly recommend this dish if you want to impress your guests for dinner. Thank you for such a wonderful but yet simple recipe to make. Happy thanksgiving! 🦃
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Melanie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Alyssa Smith says
I went back to make this again, but I’m out of cornstarch! Do you think I could sub flour??
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Alyssa, you probably could, I just haven’t tried it before. Let me know how it goes!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Alyssa, you probably could. Hope you enjoy it!