Transport your tastebuds to the Italian countryside with this easy baked Tuscan chicken recipe. With a luscious cream sauce with the flavors of sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, and basil, this chicken dinner delivers in every juicy bite. Best of all, it comes together in 30 minutes. Follow my step-by-site instructions for a fuss-free dinner.
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This is the best chicken dinner recipe when you are craving comfort food but don't want to spend much time in the kitchen.
📖Why My Recipe Works
Unlike the "marry me chicken" recipes that are so famous on social media, this version does not require you to stand at the stove for 30 minutes. It is an assemble-and-bake dish.
Giving you time to make side dishes, meal prep breakfast, or hide from your children. You know, whatever it is you do. But you don't give up great flavor, juicy chicken, or the creamy sauce. Truly a win-win.
It's also adaptable, allowing you to tweak the ingredients to suit your taste. You can add artichokes, chopped spinach, or kale,
Finally, my version is made without cream cheese or mozzarella cheese. I often use cream cheese to thicken things without flour, like homemade creamed corn or potato soup. But in testing this recipe I found it was extra work to mix it with the cream and it didn't actually thicken any better than cornstarch.
And while you can add mozzarella cheese if you like, the sprinkle of parmesan was preferred by my taste testers. Plus I do think it looks more elegant should you be serving this to guests.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Chicken- I use boneless skinless chicken breasts but you can use boneless thighs or chicken tenders in this recipe. If you want to use bone-in chicken I suggest removing the skin. It will also require a longer cooking time to reach in internal temperature of 165 F.
- Parmesan cheese- Pecorino Romano or Grana Padano can be excellent substitutes for Parmesan cheese, offering a unique twist to the dish.
- Sundried Tomatoes- I used the dry-packed vacuum-sealed tomatoes but you can also use the tomatoes that are packed in oil. You will get a little bit of oil pooling in the sauce but it will taste great!
- Heavy Cream - Use heavy cream and not milk. If you use milk you will need to mix in 2 tablespoons of cream cheese, and yet the sauce still won't be as rich and creamy.
- Cornstarch- Potato starch or arrowroot both give the same thickening effect
- Onions- Use white or yellow onions. I haven't tested it but I imagine a sweet onion would work as well.
- Fresh Garlic- You can substitute roasted garlic. It really would be a lovely addition. But I don't recommend garlic powder, it doesn't have the same punch.
- Seasonings- I opted for controlling my own seasoning blend rather than using a generic Italian seasoning. Mainly because of the fennel taste some of them have. I like it but it can be a little off tasting in this recipe.
💭 Tuscan Chicken Add-Ins
- Stir in 1 cup of chopped artichoke hearts with the onion
- 1 cup of slices fresh mushrooms (or even drained canned mushrooms)
- Add in diced roasted red peppers
- Add the zest of one lemon to the cream sauce for a refreshing citrus twist
- Add 3 cups of fresh spinach could be added in the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking
- Add ¼ cup pitted Kalamata olives or 1 Tablespoon of capers just before serving for a briny, salty kick
⏲️How to Make Baked Tuscan Chicken
For this recipe, you need an oven-safe baking dish. I used a 9x13 glass casserole dish. Preheat your oven while you are assembling the dish.
Step 1- Prep the Chicken
The chicken needs to be an even thickness to cook evenly, but unlike the stovetop version, it doesn't need to be super thin. Place your chicken on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Use the flat side of a meat mallet or a rolling pin to pound the chicken flat.
If you use chicken thighs you can skip this step.
Remove the plastic wrap and salt and pepper on both sides of your chicken. Place the chicken in the baking dish.
Sprinkle the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, onion, and minced garlic on top of the chicken breast. If you are adding artichokes, mushrooms or roasted peppers add them now.
Step 2 - Mix the Cream Sauce
Mix the chicken stock and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Do this in a medium bowl so you have room for the remaining ingredients.
Add in the heavy cream, a ½ cup of parmesan, and all the dried herbs and spices. Whisk together to thoroughly mix and then pour the cream sauce over the chicken.
Step 3- Bake
Cover and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked through. 165 F degrees!
Sprinkle on the remaining cheese and fresh basil. You can also use other fresh herbs like oregano, parsley, and chives.
🥗What to Serve with Tuscan Chicken
My go-to for this cream Tuscan chicken is a small batch of mashed potatoes and garlic green beans. But you can also serve it with over polenta, zoodles, or a little fresh GF pasta. Additional veggie options include sauteed garlic broccolini, roasted zucchini, or lemon swiss chard.
On the side, I add a simple salad with homemade dressing and homemade garlic bread.
👩🏻🍳Jen's Top Tip
If your chicken stock is cold heat it in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds. The cornstarch will get lumpy in cold stock.
🌡️Storing Leftovers
Store leftover Tuscan chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Reheat in a 375F oven or skillet until warmed through, adding a splash of water or chicken broth to moisten if needed.
Save any leftover sun-dried tomatoes for this vegetarian risotto recipe!
More Easy Chicken Dinners
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tuscan chicken gluten-free?
While most Tuscan chicken recipes use flour to thicken the sauce, this recipe uses cornstarch and is gluten-free without any substations or modifications.
Can I prep this ahead of time?
I find that the sauce can separate if prepared ahead of time. You can prep the chicken and vegetables and cover the casserole dish. Then just make the sauce right before baking. Remember, never put a cold glass dish in a hot oven.
Did you enjoy making this recipe? Show it some love with ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ and leave a comment! Hungry for more FLAVORFUL recipes?
📖 Recipe Card
Creamy Baked Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup sundried tomatoes drained and chopped
- ¼ cup white onions finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup parmesan cheese grated and divided
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 F degrees.
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound the chicken breast to an even thickness. Remove the plastic wrap and season each side with salt and pepper. In the chicken in a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and sprinkle the sundried tomatoes, onions, and garlic over the top.4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ cup sundried tomatoes, ¼ cup white onions, 3 cloves garlic
- In a small bowl, mix together the chicken broth and cornstarch until totally dissolved. Add the cream, a ½ cup of parmesan cheese, paprika, red pepper, oregano and thyme. Mix together and pour over the chicken.1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1 cup heavy cream, ¾ cup parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried thyme, ⅓ cup chicken stock
- Cover the casserole dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 F degrees and the sauce thick and creamy.
- Top with the remaining cheese and fresh basil.¾ cup parmesan cheese, 2 Tablespoons fresh basil leaves
Notes
- Chopped mushrooms, diced roasted red pepper, or quartered artichoke hearts are added with the onion.
- Fresh spinach could be added in the last 2 to 3 minutes of cooking.
Martha says
Directions were easy to follow.
Leslie Keller says
This was pretty good - I think. Unfortunately I have lost most of my sense of smell and taste due to a medical treatment for the past few months, but, mjy picky hubby actually ate two helpings. My sauce didn’t get as thick as I’d hoped, but I will definitely give this one another try when I hopefully can taste it better!
Mac says
Fresh, creamy and delicious. This is a keeper of a recipe!
Jen Wooster says
Thank you for taking the time to review this recipe. Glad you enjoyed!
Martha Ballard says
This was very tasty but my sauce curdled. I made it with skinless boneless chicken thighs and added sliced mushrooms. What went wrong?
Jen Wooster says
Hi Martha! Did you make any ingredient substitutions? This happens when naturally occurring acids cause the proteins in dairy to create cheese curds. Using cream and not milk reduces this from happening. It can also happen if you oven runs hot. The higher the temp the more likely the sauce will be to curd.