This is one of my family’s favorite easy weeknight recipes! The Italian Chicken Bake comes together in minutes with only 4 ingredients and rich, delicious flavors! An easy, healthy, and gluten free dinner recipe.
******* BREAKING NEWS: I have been so overwhelmed at the response to this post and all the people who have told me that they LOVE this recipe because it is so easy & delicious so I decided to start an Instagram account (like today) dedicated to bringing you simple recipes that can be made quickly with only a few ingredients! I would love for you follow me there! Find me on IG as @easyfamilyrecipes *******
I try to make dinner most nights. We try to sit around the table and make dinner a special time for our family. It kind of ruins the mood though when one, two, or everyone doesn’t really like the meal and we end up just arguing and trying to bribe the kids to eat. Yup, nothing ruins a nice family meal quicker than that. Since my kids are still little I am still trying lots of different types of recipes and filing them away as winners and well… those I will not be making again.
MY RECENT VIDEOSA few weeks back I made this Easy Fajita Chicken Bake that I have had in my recipe book for years. The kids loved it! I think the simple and delicious flavors made for a great family meal. The best part for me was that not only did everyone clean their plates, but the meal was so SIMPLE to put together. With two (soon to be three) little ones demanding to “help” me each night while I make dinner, the simpler and easier the better. I need things with a few easy steps that have small room for error since my attention is going a million different directions.
After the success of the fajita chicken bake I started thinking about other ways I could adapt this recipe to make more dinners that are easy to prep and gobbled up by everyone. I came up with a few ideas and this Italian Chicken Bake was one of them. No… not just one of them but an incredibly amazing weeknight dinner that might even be better than our old go to. The chicken was tender the flavors were bold in the best way, and everything came together so perfectly it was like a little ray of heaven shining down on our dinner plate.
This recipe only has 4 ingredients if you can believe it! The prep is so minimal it almost feels like cheating. and then the taste… well, you will just have to take my word for it. Savor every bite!
To make this takes minutes. Trim your chicken breast and lay them in a glass baking dish. Spread about 1-2 tablespoons of prepared pesto (I like the Kirkland brand at Costco, but it all works!) Slice 1-2 roma tomatoes into 1/2″ thick slices and lay them on top of the pesto. Sprinkle mozzarella (or Italian blend cheese) over the whole thing. I like to use the Frigo mozzarella and just grate a bit for the top, but to make it even easier just use pregrated. Bake at 400˚F for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.
It really is that easy! While the chicken is baking I make a pot of rice or pasta and just serve the chicken breast right over top. With the tomatoes baked right on top, there are already some veggies in the meal so you can be done right there. If you want a little more though, you can throw together a quick salad or steam some broccoli. Both are simple and go really well with the chicken.
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{Easy Dinner Recipe} Italian Chicken Bake
Ingredients
- 3-4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
- 4-6 Tablespoons Prepared Pesto
- 1-2 Roma Tomatoes
- 1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated
Instructions
- Trim the chicken and lay them in a glass baking dish in a single layer.
- Spread 1-2 tablespoons of the pesto on top of each chicken breast.
- Cut the roma tomatoes into slices approx 1/2" thick and lay 2 slices on top of each chicken breast.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the chicken breasts.
- Bake at 400?F for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is done and the juices run clear.
- Serve over a bed of rice or a plate of pasta. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
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This looks REALLY good, Kimber!
Looks great! I will be trying this recipe as well as several of the other recipes you have shared within this post. Thanks!
I love anything pesto. This is a great recipe because you can adjust it for any number of guests. Thanks:)
It is really great for that! And if you have left over chicken it is great chopped up in a salad!
I made last night and it was very tasty, but it was a little watery? I had to drain some liquid but then lost sauce for rice. Has that happened to anyone else? Still easy and savory enough to make again. Thank You!
brown your chicken breast first…. heat a pan with a small amount of oil on high heat. pound out your chicken breasts so they are equal thickness.
place the chicken in the pan for 2-3 minutes on high just to brown the chicken. repeat on other side. repeat with all chicken breast.
continue with the recipe as directed..
browning your chickens first will keep the juices inside the chicken. 🙂
Do you cover this recipe to bake or leave uncovered
We had this for dinner last evening and it was delicious! Simple enough for even the non-cook in our family to assemble and bake, tons of flavor and beautiful 🙂
So glad you loved it! If you have any leftovers save them and chop it up and use it in a salad with balsamic dressing. So tasty!
Do you not have to cover the chicken while its baking? Then remove the foil for the last 5-10 min. I’m just concerned about drying out the chicken. Has anyone had that issue?
Not unless the cheese is getting too brown. I know that it seems like a long time to cook but with the thick layer of veggies it takes quite a bit longer. The chicken should stay moist as long as you take it out when it is just cooked through.
I love the idea of this recipe but the first time I made it and followed the directions exactly, the pesto and cheese burned. This time I decided to wait and add the cheese the last 5 minutes. I guess I should have waited to add the pesto too because again, the pesto burned. I do not know what I am doing wrong?
Hi Kimberly, there could be a couple of things at play here. Not every oven cooks the same. Some cook very evenly, others don’t. Some cook right at the temp it is set to others cook hotter or more cool than set. Ovens can also be different sizes which will effect how close the dish is to the heating element. You might need to experiment a little with these things:
1. Are you using the middle or bottom rack? This could help just getting the dish farther from the heating element.
2. If that doesn’t solve it, the best thing to do would be to keep it on the middle rack but make as directed and keep it covered with foil until the last 5-10 minutes to let it brown evenly.
I really hope this helps. If it is still overdone with foil then it is a good possibility your oven is cooking hotter than it is set. You might want to get an inexpensive oven thermometer at the store to check and adjust.
I made this tonight and it was a hit! My 20 month old little guy scarfed it down! Thanks!
I decided to cover it Bcus I think it’s weird to not. If I see it’s not cooking right in 20ish mins I’ll uncover the chicken. We’ll see how it goes !!
Turned out watery. Still tastes good though.
It’s probably watery because you covered it and the moisture couldn’t evaporate. 🙂
This recipe was delicious!! And so easy. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Was delish. Dried out? No way. The pesto and tomatoes kept wonderfully moist. Super fast to prepare. Will make again and again. Thanks for sharing this.
Okay so i’m home from college and my parents wanted to make dinner and i made this and it turned out great! it was my first dish making all by myself! it was so simple! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
I completely forgot the pesto (and I love pesto!) but this was delicious anyway. The chicken was cooked perfectly, and it could not have been simpler to make. Thanks for sharing!
Made this last night, but changed it up by marinating the chicken in a sun dried tomato vinaigrette first, the whole family loved it!
i made this but tweaked it a little. Instead of Pesto (am not a fan), I made Ranch Dressing (Hidden Valley packet). This was soooo good and sooooo easy! Thank you!!
We made this for dinner the other night & it was delicious, super moist! I used fat free mozzarella cheese & still tasted great, we also topped it with a small amount of balsamic vinaigrette. So easy & tasty, thank you!
Fantastic recipe! It was a huge success last night for dinner. Even our picky 3 year old really loved it. We served it over pasta and added a little of the pesto to the pasta. So quick and so easy!
could you freeze this for a freezer meal???
I would say probably yes without the tomatoes. Those don’t freeze well
This was a winner recipe for us also, Hubby loved it and requested that I keep the recipe close by to make it again.!
Thanks for posting.
That’s great! I’m glad your family enjoyed it!
Its delicious!!! Just tried it tonight and my hubby and I loved!!! Yummy Yummy… Perfect dish for a busy new work mommy!!! Thanks
Just finished this for dinner and it was INCREDIBLE!!! The only thing I added was a drizzle of balsamic glaze over the top before baking. I’ll be adding this to the regular rotation for sure!
!! I have made 3 recipes this week from your site. ALL THREE are awesome. The Ravioli lasagna bake was so easy and really yummy. The Italian chicken and the chicken fajitas!! Thanks you are wonderful. 🙂
This is absolutely delicious! It is SO, SO, easy and makes a great result without being dry. We ate it as-is (not over rice or pasta) with a side salad. AMAZING! I am going to try the fajita bake tonight. Yum!
P.S. My hubby and sister loved it as well. It was a total hit.
P.P.S. I (ironically) found the recipe through Pinterest. Yay Pinterest!
I just made this for dinner and wished I would have covered the chicken from the start because halfway thru baking it started splattering all over the oven and made a little bit of a mess. I covered it and stopped it from splattering all over the place.
Looks great! I’m planning on making this but I don’t have a glass baking dish. Could I use a nonstick metal pan instead, or would that overcook the chicken? Thanks!
I have never tried that but I I’m sure it would be okay!
I am always looking for new healthy recipes and this is my favorite by far! It’s so easy and quick, almost too good to be true! I had the chicken over wheat pasta with pesto and it was the perfect meal.
Delicious!!!! Prep took 2 minutes and we forgot fresh tomatoes, so we substituted a can of drained dice tomatoes. So tasty!! Thanks for sharing.
It’s delicious and so easy! I shared this with my sister:) Thanks
We made the Chicky-Stuffing-Bake the other night, it was delish! We’re baking the Italian-Chicky-Bake right now! Thanks for these easy recipes!
Does it have to be in the glass baking dish?
No. I used ceramic bakeware at the same time/temp with no issues
I made this tonight and it was fantastic! I served it with a side of pasta. My husband isn’t a huge pesto person and he added a little marinara to his (after baking) and loved it. Very easy and delicious. I will definitely be making this again.
Thanks for this great recipe. Pin went to my “chicken” board, moved to my “tonight” board and then made a beeline to my “tried and true” board!
You are so welcome! What an awesome use of pinterest for meal planning! ♡♡♡
Made this today and I absolutely love it!!!!
Hi, I don’t ever cook chicken, so if I was making this to feed 8, like in a bigger pan, how long would I bake it for?
I made this last night. My husband loved it!!! I marinated the chicken while I was at work. I marinated it with pesto, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper, and a little bit of crushed red pepper flakes. I also lightly browned the chicken before topping it with pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella. Turned out PERFECT!!!
Sounds like some great additions to the recipe. I am so glad that you liked it so much! We really enjoy it here too!
I love how simple this is to throw together, and it’s pretty tasty, too! Mine did end up pretty watery, but I don’t think it affected the taste. I served it with some spaghetti squash, which I mixed with a bit of pesto and grated parmesan cheese – yum!
My family loves this recipe! It’s quick, easy and delicious! Thank you for sharing this!
I just had to comment and tell you how awesome this recipe is. I made this last night and the family loved it! My mom’s already planning to use the recipe for an event in June. Thank you so much!
This is a GREAT recipe and an easy dinner. I didn’t have Roma tomatoes so I just used a can of diced tomatoes and it turned out fine. Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to try the others.
This was delicious! I will be making it again.
This recipe was so easy and it turned out delicious! The house smelled amazing too. I added some baby bellas cut in half, to the pan at the end of the 30 minutes and they soaked in some of the juice and went great with the rest. Wonderful! Thank you!
It was really good! I used a toaster oven so I decreased the heat to 350. The chicken was juicy and there was a lot of delicious sauce. I did make the pesto myself though, it’s too easy to make to buy canned.
I LOVE this recipe! I have made it several times and each time it’s a hit. Perhaps my favorite part about it is it doesn’t matter how much or how little chicken I have on hand. I just eyeball the other ingredients and it all works. Super easy and so delish! The tomato really keeps the moisture in and makes it so perfect! Thank you!!
This is a great idea and recipe! Thanks for sharing!
I just had this for dinner and it turned out good. The pan was a little watery, but that was okay because one I put the chicken over my rice I did add some of the juices from the pan to the top of my chicken/rice.
Made this for dinner tonight, AWSOME & easy…..
This looks fantastic! Do you think I could use boneless, skinless chicken thighs? That’s all I have on hand at the moment
Absolutely! I think it would be great!
Discovered this on Pinterest while looking for something different and healthy to have for tea and I will definatly be making this again. Me and my 2 girls loved it and it was so easy. Thanks you.
Looks really tasty can’t wait to make it
Have made this several times
in the last couple months, so easy and quick. First time, the cheese burnt so now I just put cheese on right after it comes out of the oven. I serve over pasta or rice and a side salad and bread. Husband loves it!
How long would you cook this for thin chicken breasts or chicken tenders?
Im making it right now… I hope it taste great!!! 😊
Kimber, what kind of Frigo mozz cheese did you use? I can’t tell if you used a block of cheese or the round ball-like softer cheese? Just want to get it right when we make the meal..thanks!
I use the one they sell at costco which is softer than the average block but more of a block than buffalo. I don’t know if that helped or made it more confusing BUT it will be delicious with any mozzarella! Enjoy!
I made some basil pesto last night (first time ever), so I am making this for dinner tonight. Excited!
Homemade pesto is the best! Yum!
Totally Awesome and so easy! Tastes like I went to a lot of fuss! I didn’t have shredded mozerella so I used string cheese mozerella…..lol, but it worked perfectly. Thanks for a scrumptious recipe I will use over and over.
I love this recipe- only 4 ingredients and we both thought it was really good!
We used chicken thighs instead of breasts…it was wonderful. We’d never had pesto, so I was a little hesitant. Glad we tried it as I think it will make a regular appearance on our table! Thank you!
I just saw this on Snapchat (via Buzzfeed’s Story). This looks delicious!!
Saw this recipe on Facebook and have made it twice, seems to taste better each time!! So simple, so moist, SO delicious!! A hit.
OK, so I’ve never cooked before other than toast and the occasional mac and cheese. I want to make this for my wife for her birthday next week.
I have a few questions:
1) How do you check when the chicken is done? Do you take it out part way through and cut into it to check for pink?
2) I’ve seen this a few places and some do it with the cheese on the whole time and others do it by throwing the cheese in for the last 5-10 minutes. Is that because of how much they want the cheese burnt\melted?
Thanks all for any help you can provide. I think even this simple meal will blow my wife’s mind if I made it. 🙂
Thanks,
Wade
I am so excited for you to make this special meal and what a great recipe to start with! Hopefully this helps!
1. I take it out of the oven enough to get to it, then cut into the thickest part of the biggest chicken breast. If you want it to be the prettiest, I try to move over the cheese and cut underneath it then move it back on top so you can’t see the cut. not necessary but just a little extra tip!
2. If you have the dish on the middle rack in your oven you shouldn’t have problems with it burning. I think maybe people are afraid it will get too browned but this has never been the case with me. If you put it on at the end, that would work too, I just love all the flavors baking in together.
For an extra special touch, we love to serve this with rice and mix a little pesto into the rice. It is super delicious and we all love to eat it best this way!
Thanks a ton for the tips! I am so stinkin’ nervous! Going to try a slowcooker chocolate cake too.
Now to find out how to make rice. 🙂 haha, like I said, I’ve never cooked before.
Thanks for the help!
1. I’m SO excited to make this tonight.
2. I’m SO disappointed it has taken me this long to discover your blog (and instagram).
So glad to have you Katie! I hope you will stick around for a long time! I have plenty more delicious recipes where these came from!
I put this together before church and popped it in the oven when we got home. Huge hit, definitely a repeater with my family!
So good and so easy! Can’t beat it!
So glad you enjoyed it! I hope you can try some of my other chicken bake recipes and love them just as much!!
Good recipe to start with. The second time I used Hunt’s fire roasted garlic diced tomatoes (entire can) instead of actual tomatoes. Baked uncovered at 450 degrees for around 25 minutes. Added some salt and pepper to chicken breasts. Spooned the excess diced tomatoes and melted cheese over some leftover mashed potatoes and served with the chicken. The diced tomatoes added some additional flavors. Used Classico Pesto Sauce. This is a great easy to make dish especially with the changes.
I just wanted to say I tried this last night and it was amazing. Restaurant quality. I was pleasantly surprised. The best part is that not only did my husband enjoy it, who usually doesn’t like fancy things like pesto, but my five year old son loved it as well. The chicken was so gender and juicy. Very flavorful. Thank you for an awesome meal!
Thank you so much for your kind words! My kids love it too! They actually think pesto is one of their favorite foods now, isn’t that funny!?
Do you have any suggestions for someone who cannot have pesto? Pine nut allergy!!
Are you allergic to all nuts? I make pesto homemade with pecans sometimes and it is a great substitute! If you don’t want to try a pesto substitute, try one of my other easy chicken bake recipes… I have quite a few varieties with all different flavor combos here: http://www.thepinningmama.com/easy-chicken-bake-dinner-recipes/
You can make pesto at home and just leave out the pine nuts! Still tastes great!
This was so delicious that I’ve made it twice within a week! My coworkers were so jealous of my leftovers! 🙂
I love all your recipes which used tomato. No, matter anything. I just love tomato.
Wow. Wow. Wow!!! This last week I found myself pinning a lot of your recipes. This was the first one I tried and YUM! Huge hit in my house. Served over pasta and used a slice of fresh mozzarella instead of grated. This will be the first of many recipes of yours that I try. Prep time was basically zero but the payoff was incredible. Thank you for the great ideas!
Did anyone else have the issue of their pesto separating? My pan was full of oil when I took it out of the oven. I used the exact same pre-made pesto from Costco as shown in the picture. Maybe that is supposed to happen? Now that I look at the photos it looks like you had the same juices in your pan. Is that what you use as “sauce?” Looks delicious either way and I am excited to taste it!
Yes that’s what happens! Pesto has a high content of oil so when oil heats it gets very thin and melts to the bottom. The oil is infused w ith basil and garlic then mixes with the chicken juices and is really amazing! Hope you l9ve it!
I make this recipe regularly and it is AMAZING! It’s one of my go-to’s. Easy, affordable and super delicious! Thanks!
Thanks for the note Peter! Sometimes I think I am talking to myself so I really appreciate the comments. I hope you get a chance to try some of my other chicken bakes!
This is a go to recipe i make for my family once a week. I have actually made it into a sandwich. I make it just as the recipe calls and then when it comes out of the oven, i place a piece of chicken on a Chibata bun with a bit of mayo and a few slices of bacon. Amazing!
I make this all the time. We absolutely love it!
A delicious chicken dinner!
Looks so yummy! Exhausted after work, but I am trying to stick with no carbs. This has made it very easy! Thank you!!!
This chicken recipe looks amazing!
Such a flavorful recipe!
I love this recipe, so good!
Kimber, you deserve 5 gold stars for this quick easy and delicious recipe. I was looking for one dish recipes to feed my women’s writing group on a weekend retreat. Tested it on my teenage grandchildren tonight and it got the thumbs up. I made it with chicken thighs and served it with pasta. Yum. Thanks so much for sharing.
wow, love how each of these ingredients really complements the others, simple to make but really well balanced in flavor, nutrition, protein, etc, thank you for this recipe!
Have just made this for my work lunches for the next two days with a left over chicken breast i had- cant wait for lunch now. Ive served with pasta with a little pesto, mozzarella and fresh chopped tomato stirred through. Yum. Thanks for the inspiration!
I add sliced mushrooms and artichoke hearts to the,tomatoes. Delicious
After getting RAVE reviews from my family, I made it again the following night, and when my older son came home from work and smelled the heavenly aroma, he said “I was hoping you would make this again tonight — and would’t mind if you make it the next 4 nights.”
The only thing I do differently is, the chicken I buy in bulk is very thick so I slice them in half lengthwise, and that way I get 8 servings from 4 thick chicken breasts. Then they only bake for 15 minutes, then I top with the cheese and broil them for 4 minutes. Where has this recipe been all my life?
So easy and so so so good!!!
Hi!
Loving your easy weekly meals! Was wondering, is there a link where I can access all the weekly meals you’ve put up so far?
I made it and it was so delicious! Very easy to make. I followed the recipe except when I baked it I covered the dish with aluminum foil and put it on the middle rack. I cooked it for 25 minutes and it was perfect- juicy and not burnt. I will definitely make this again, thanks!!
Could this be made in the crockpot?