This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This One Dish Tomato Chicken Bake is prepared with flavorful chicken breasts baked on a bed of tomatoes and covered in cheese! It makes for a one-pan chicken dinner the whole family will enjoy.
Tomato Chicken Bake
This Tomato Chicken Bake is a straightforward one-pan wonder. The tomatoes serve as a moist base, ensuring the chicken remains juicy and tender throughout the cooking process. Paired with aromatic seasonings and topped with a layer of melted gruyere cheese, this dish is not just about the taste but also about the melty textures. The crunch of the onions, the creaminess of the cheese, and the tenderness of the chicken make it a dish that’s sure to make everyone happy, kids included.
What truly stands out in this Chicken Bake with tomatoes isn’t just its flavor, but also its ease of preparation. You get the essence of a slow-cooked meal with a fraction of the time and effort. As the chicken simmers and bakes within the mixture, it absorbs the flavors of the garlic, onions, and herbs, resulting in a moist and delicious bite every time.
Why This Recipe Works
- Balanced Meal: It provides a good balance of protein from the chicken, vitamins from the tomatoes, and fats from the cheese and olive oil.
- Customizable: It’s easy to adjust the seasoning or add other ingredients based on personal preference.
- Tried and True Ingredients: Utilizing staple kitchen ingredients means there’s no need for last-minute grocery store trips.
Ingredients For Tomato Chicken Bake
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Diced Tomatoes provide a juicy and tangy base for the dish.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Yellow Onion & Garlic
- Dried Oregano, Fresh Parsley, & Italian Seasoning
- Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Gruyere Cheese adds a creamy and slightly nutty flavor, complementing the tang of the tomatoes and the savory chicken.
How To Bake Chicken With Tomatoes
Whether you’re planning a casual family dinner or seeking a reliable dish for unexpected guests, this Tomato Chicken Bake won’t disappoint.
- Preparation: Preheat the to 400˚F oven and lightly grease a baking dish.
- Mixing the Base: Combine diced tomatoes, olive oil, chopped onions, minced garlic, seasonings, and fresh parsley in a bowl.
- Layering the Dish: Transfer the tomato mixture to the baking dish. Season the chicken breasts and place them atop the mixture, ensuring they’re nestled in for flavor absorption.
- Baking: Cook in the preheated oven until the chicken is thoroughly cooked and the tomato mixture bubbles.
- Adding Cheese: Sprinkle gruyere cheese over the chicken and bake just long enough for the cheese to melt.
Tips For The Best Tomato Chicken Bake
- Chicken Thickness: If your chicken breasts are very thick, consider pounding them to an even thickness for even cooking.
- Chicken Options: I use chicken breasts for this recipe, however, you can also try this with chicken thighs, but you will need to adjust the cooking time.
- Fresh Tomatoes: While canned tomatoes work great, you can swap in fresh diced tomatoes, too.
- Cheese Variation: Gruyere offers a creamy texture and flavor, but feel free to experiment with other cheeses like mozzarella, provolone, or even feta.
- Herbs: Fresh herbs can be a great substitute for dried ones if they’re available. For instance, fresh oregano or basil could be used instead of dried.
- Let it Rest: After baking, allow the dish to rest for a few minutes. This lets the juices redistribute, ensuring that your chicken remains moist.
- Searing Option: For an added layer of flavor, consider searing the chicken briefly in a hot skillet before placing it in the baking dish. This can add a golden crust to the chicken and elevate its flavor.
Serving Suggestions
- This dish pairs wonderfully with crusty bread, which can soak up the delicious tomato sauce.
- Alternatively, a light tabbouleh salad or some sauteed bok choy can complete the meal.
Storing Leftovers
- Refrigeration: Place the leftovers in airtight containers. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Freezing: Transfer the cooled dish to freezer-safe containers, label it with the date and contents, and store it in the freezer for 2 to 3 months.
- Reheat the leftovers in a preheated oven until warmed through. If frozen, it’s best to thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
More Tomato Chicken Recipes
- One Skillet BLT Pasta
- Chicken in Tomato Sauce
- Mozzarella Chicken in Tomato Sauce
- Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce Chicken
ENJOY!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
One Dish Chicken Bake
Ingredients
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes,, drained
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion,, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt and fresh ground black pepper,, to taste
- ¾ cup grated gruyere cheese
- chopped fresh parsley,, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F.
- Lightly grease a baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Combine tomatoes, olive oil, onions, garlic, oregano, Italian seasoning and fresh parsley in a mixing bowl; toss to combine. Transfer the tomato mixture to the baking dish. (You can also combine the ingredients inside the baking dish).
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and fresh ground pepper and arrange the chicken on top of the tomatoes; make sure that the chicken is nestled down in the tomatoes so it simmers in the sauce while it cooks.
- Bake for 35 minutes, or until the tomato sauce bubbles and the chicken is cooked through. Chicken is done when its internal temperature reaches 165˚F degrees.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle the cheese over the top of the chicken; bake for an additional 4 to 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven, garnish with parsley, and serve.
Video
Notes
- Chicken Thickness: For even cooking, pound thicker chicken breasts to an even thickness. This promotes even cooking and ensures every bite is tender and flavorful.
- Chicken Varieties: While the recipe uses chicken breasts, chicken thighs are a good option; adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Tomatoes: Swap canned tomatoes for fresh diced ones if preferred.
- Cheese Choices: Gruyere is creamy and flavorful, but mozzarella, provolone, or feta are great alternatives.
- Herb Alternatives: Use fresh herbs, like oregano or basil, instead of using dried ones.
- Resting: After cooking, let the chicken rest to retain juiciness.
- Searing: Sear the chicken in a skillet before baking. This can add a browned crust to the chicken and elevate its flavor.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
This was a HUGE hit at our house last night! All three kids and my hubby loved it and were asking for more. Our 8 year old son, who claims he doesn’t like tomatoes, was literally eating the cooked tomato mixture with a spoon! Thank you!
In the video, it shows adding only Italian seasoning, no oregano, but the printed recipe says to add 1 tsp oregano and 1 tsp Italian seasoning. Can you tell me which is correct? I’ve made the dish twice. The first time was delish. The second time I thought the oregano was overpowering. I can’t remember if I made the first time by watching the video or following the written directions. I also used Costco chicken breasts the first time and Giant’s Nature’s Promise chicken breasts the second. Don’t know which made the difference. Hope you can clarify for me. Thanks in advance. PS: I shared with my Weight Watcher group!
Just made this tonite. Seasonings used instead of the Italian season and oregano were ginger, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. I also used mozzarella and a little blended Italian cheese and added jalapeno and fresh mushrooms, along with canned tomatoes. My only issue was with the liquidity of the tomatoes even after draining. So I might add a little corn starch like another reply mentioned. Will definitely make again and play around with the ingredients.
I added diced ham to the Tomato mixture. Served it with white rice( Uncle Ben’s substituting the water for chicken stock, cup and 1/4 of liquid to one cup of rice with 1 1/1 tablespoons of butter) and then served it over sauteed spinach with butter salt and pepper. Just be careful what kind of ham use make sure it’s not too salty. The recipe was outstanding on its own but I think my additions made one heck of a difference. Good luck fellow home kitchen chefs. Let me know what you think
This was very good…
I didn’t use Italian seasoning, I didn’t have any so I added some extra maranara sauce that I had on hand. Added some chopped up canned mushrooms. Used stewed tomaotes that had flavouring and used all the liquid. I skipped the olive oil since it was so liquidy and it would only add olive flavor.
Used chedder cheese and a mexican cheese and just added to the top when I took it out. I forgot to add it on the last few minutes and the chicken was already done.
Oh and I had reheated some rice for my son and I just put this chicken and extra sauce over that. Nummy!!!
The only thing I would change is to fry the onions before baking. They had a crunch to them.
Enjoy!!!
This looks delicious. Wondering what you all recommend as a good side to go along with it.
This was a big hit for the whole family. I used mozzarella’abd cheddar mix for extra flavor..
In the video, the finished product looks a little “greasy” to me so am wondering about omitting the olive oil. I did not see any comments that mention it as being an issue so maybe I am wrong. Any thoughts?
Made it last week and making it again tomorrow! It was fantastic, easy to make, the overall presentation of the dish was screaming “ devour me”. I will probably add some Cypriot olives to see how thay goes. I couldn’t believe how soft, tender and juicy they actually came out!
What size chicken breasts did you use?
Hi!
About 4-ounces per chicken breast.
I will be making this tomorrow and looking forward to see how it turns out. In mine, I will be cooking it in my cast iron skillet and will add green chilies and fresh basil. Once it’s done cooking, I will also add corn startch to thicken the sauce and will serve it all over rice.