Baked Tuscan Chicken is a comforting one-pot chicken dish with a rich, creamy sauce full of Tuscan flavours that's perfect for busy weeknights.
Juicy chicken breasts are smothered in a delicious sauce that features the tangy flavour of semi-dried tomatoes and Dijon mustard, along with the added bonus of (almost) hidden veggies in the form of fresh spinach, which gently wilts into the sauce.
The rich texture of the sauce means that all you need to add to this baked Tuscan chicken is a side of mashed potatoes, rice or maybe some pasta for a full meal with minimal effort. My kind of cooking!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe
- juicy chicken
- GORGEOUS tasting sauce
- one pan
What you need to make this recipe
*Please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients with exact quantities and detailed instructions
- skinless chicken breasts
- olive oil
- sweet paprika
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- salt
- fresh black pepper
- bacon
- fresh garlic cloves
- thickened cream - heavy cream
- Dijon mustard
- semi-dried tomatoes
- freshly grated parmesan cheese
- baby spinach
- basil leaves - optional garnish
*Please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients with exact quantities and detailed instructions
Substitutions for baked Tuscan chicken
- chicken breasts - sub with skinless and boneless chicken thighs
- semi-dried tomatoes - sub with sun-dried tomatoes or fresh cherry tomatoes (halved)
- fresh parmesan cheese - sub with fresh pecorino (romano) cheese
How to make baked Tuscan chicken
- Place chopped bacon into a baking dish and put it in the oven while it heats.
- Meanwhile, brush chicken breasts with olive oil, then sprinkle with spices.
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- Add garlic, cream, tomatoes, mustard and parmesan to the baking dish with bacon and mix.
- Lay the chicken into the cream mixture and put it in the oven to bake.
- Remove from the oven, then stir spinach into the sauce.
- Cover the dish with foil for 5 minutes to wilt the spinach, then stir and serve.
Top tips for the best result
- I put the chopped bacon into the baking pan to cook as the oven heats up, but this time will vary between ovens. Another option is to place the bacon in the oven for 10 minutes once it's heated.
- The best way to tell if your chicken is cooked is by using a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature. When you insert the thermometer into the centre of the thickest part of the meat, it must reach a steady 74c (165f). Remember, the temperature will continue to rise slightly on standing.
- The cream sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
Storage
Store leftovers of this baked Tuscan chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Other recipes you may enjoy
Pesto Cream Cheese Chicken - tender chicken breasts slathered with cream cheese and basil pesto, topped with mozzarella cheese, then oven-baked until golden for a quick, low-carb dinner.
Chicken Cherry Tomato Pasta - chicken breasts are baked with herbs like oregano and thyme, and cherry tomatoes, then served with pasta.
📖 Recipe
Baked Tuscan Chicken
Ingredients
- 50 g bacon chopped
- 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
- 4 chicken breasts skinless
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 fresh garlic cloves
- 1 cup thickened cream
- ⅓ cup chopped semi-dried tomatoes (drained of oil)
- 1½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 60 g baby spinach roughly chopped
- small fresh basil leaves optional garnish
Watch me make this recipe
Instructions
- Turn the oven on to 220℃ to start to heat.
- Sprinkle the bacon over the base of a baking dish (mine was 23cm x 33cm/9" x 13") and place in the oven to cook while the oven heats - usually 10 - 15 minutes (see my notes).50 g bacon
- Mix together paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper and set aside.1 teaspoon sweet paprika1 teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon onion powder¼ teaspoon salt¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
- Lay chicken breasts on a flat work surface (I put a layer of plastic wrap underneath and on top for easy cleanup) and use a meat mallet (or rolling pin) to pound each breast to an even thickness.4 chicken breasts
- Brush one side of each breast with olive oil, sprinkle with seasonings, then flip breasts over and repeat on the remaining side. Set aside.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Remove the baking dish from the oven, add the crushed garlic to the bacon and stir for 30 seconds.2 fresh garlic cloves
- Add cream, semi-dried tomatoes and dijon to the baking dish and stir to combine.1 cup thickened cream⅓ cup chopped semi-dried tomatoes (drained of oil)1½ tablespoon Dijon mustard⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- Lay chicken breasts in the cream mixture (the cream should come up the sides a little but not cover them), then place in the oven to bake for 16 - 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven, stir the chopped spinach into the cream sauce around the chicken (submerge the spinach as best you can), cover the dish with aluminium foil and let it sit for 5 minutes for the spinach to wilt.60 g baby spinach
- Remove the foil, give the sauce a stir. Drizzle chicken with sauce and serve.small fresh basil leaves
Notes
- I put the bacon into the baking pan to cook as the oven heats up, but this time will vary between ovens. Another option is to place the bacon in the oven for 10 minutes once it's finished preheating.
- The best way to check that your chicken is cooked is by using a meat thermometer. When you insert the tip of the thermometer into the centre of the thickest part of the meat, it must reach a steady 74c (165f). The temperature will continue to rise slightly on standing.
- The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
Want to save this recipe?
Email yourself a link to this page and come back later.
This recipe is delicious. Super easy with regular pantry ingredients. I thought my guests were going to lick their plates
Hahaha thanks Kai!