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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jane says
phenomenal!!! I had to use a larger pan so I doubled sauce. Also, I used as much spinach as possible and doubled the sun-dried tomatoes.
The Recipe Rebel says
So glad you enjoyed it Jane!
jeri says
I made this recipe tonight! Easy and delicious. I had to improvise on the heavy cream because it was so expensive at the store! ($9.89 for a pint of heavy cream!) I used greek yogurt and whole milk and the sauce turned out just fine. My family loved this dish. Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Great tip! Thanks Jeri!
Julia says
Loveeeeddd this dish!!! Was super easy and tasted like i spent a ton of time on it!! Will definitely be adding to our regular rotation
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Julia!
Sandy says
I’ve made this recipe twice now.
The second time I added 1/4 white wine and let it evaporate some before adding the cream.
Both ways turned out great.
It’s a great “go to” recipe.
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, thank you Sandy!
Heather D says
This recipe was so so good!
I didn’t have any sundried tomatoes so added 200mL of tomato sauce and for the spinach I used 150g (half a package) frozen spinach and added it to the sauce before putting it into the oven – amazing!
Will definitely be making this again:))
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad you enjoyed it Heather!
Dee says
I just cooked this today and it is so so tasty 😋 looking forward to left overs… I did add half a cup more of cream because of the other comments and I’m so happy I did. I also added another tsp. Of corn starch. Just to thicken the extra cream. I will be making this in my rotation. Thank you so much for sharing, it’s a keeper!
Dee says
I forgot to give you 5 stars 🤩
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, thank you Dee!
Maria says
Sauce came out a little more liquidy than I would like. Any ideas what went wrong? I followed the recipe. Other than that, it was great!
The Recipe Rebel says
I don’t think this necessarily means anything went wrong this is pretty saucy.
Itzy says
So easy and SO GOOD. (I used an extra half cup of heavy cream)
Will definitely be a weekly staple because it was so quick and easy!
The Recipe Rebel says
So glad you enjoyed it, Itzy!
Julie says
Made this tonight and it was so yummy. I cooked some Fettuccine to go with it and it was perfect. The only thing I’ll change for next time is to double the sauce so I have enough for leftovers too. My husband loved it too and asked when I was going to make it again!
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear! Thank you!
Faith says
Really easy classy dish. I’m picky cook and appreciate a good recipe. Thank you.
The Recipe Rebel says
Glad you enjoyed it, Faith!
Jerin0321 says
I have made this twice already and it has been a huge hit both times…The only thing I did different was make more sauce (it’s so good!), otherwise followed the recipe. To save a teeny bit of time I use thin sliced chicken breast making sure to not overcook them. Making it again this weekend for an early Christmas dinner with my sons. Thank you! Found my new go to!
LisaC says
The recipe did not come out as pictured. The sauce broke and was not appetizing.
Angie says
This was really great! The sauce was excellent!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks Angie!
Kimberly says
Spectacular chicken dish! One of the best I’ve ever made! Everyone loved it. Thanks for giving us a new family favorite ❤️
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks Kimberly!
The Recipe Rebel says
I’m sorry to hear that
Beth says
Can this be assembled ahead of time and put in fridge for a few hours prior to baking?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Beth, I would make sure to set it out room temperature for a few minutes while your oven is preheating. Let me know how it goes if you decide to experiment!
Kristyn says
The sauce is delicious!! I could eat this weekly!! It’s great paired with so many different sides, too. Love the Tuscan flavors!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks Kristyn!
Jessica says
Woah… this was so good and now it’s going on our weekly rotation in our house! Even the kiddos loved it.
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks Jessica!
Denali says
Delicious! I doubled the sauce recipe, threw in some extra spinach on top of that to boost the veggie content, and served it over angel hair pasta. Made for a really satisfying, hearty meal for four. Will definitely be making this again.
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear, thank you Denali!
Liz says
Can I use chx tenderloin in place of breasts?
The Recipe Rebel says
You probably could, but it might change the cooking time some. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
MICHAEL MILLER says
My sauce separated followed the recipe any thoughts. Something Iam doing wrong. The only thing I can think of I should have liquified the starch before adding to the cream . not to bad just not a fan of white meat chicken wife wants me to try using chicken thighs next time . It was tasty just not my thing. The problems are more me than the recipe .
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi! Your oven may run hotter than mine, so you might need to reduce the temperature a bit. Hope this helps!
Lisa K. says
Delicious chicken dinner! I doubled the measurements of spices.
Did not serve with pasta. If I do, I will make more sauce. Also, added cut up small tomatoes.