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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!
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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.
Made this last night and definitely not something I would make again. I cooked the onions in a little olive oil than put in tomatoes. Very bland even tried to add additional seasoning but still not tasty. Photo looked delicious & excited to try😫.
Hi!
Sorry this recipe didn’t work out for you. When I find that my food is a bit bland, I just add a little more salt and that almost always fixes it.
Bonnie, the blandness of the food is not the authors fault. They say to season with salt and pepper to taste. You should add more seasoning, not blame the author. Especially when you admit to doing at least one step differently: cooking the onions beforehand. Who knows how many other things you did differently 🤷♀️ why take time out of your day to bash someone’s work, I will never understand 🤦♀️
Love this recipe! Instead of all the ingredients I will use a jar of spaghetti sauce sometimes too. Works great!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Seems like you made something completely different than the recipe. Why bother rating it?
This recipe is perfect. One-Dish-Chicken Bake is one of the best dinners I’ve made in months. It was so good that I didn’t let anyone in my family have leftovers the next day because I wanted them all for myself (which I never do!), lol! I am thrilled to have found a perfect recipe. No tweaks are necessary, and the instructions are crystal clear. Thank you!!!
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can we use chicken thighs instead? Thanks
I have done this recipe with chicken tights and it turns out great!
Happy to hear that! I am glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
If I were to do this in a slow cooker, how much tome do you think I would need?
What’s a good side you could pair this with?!
Hi! How about pasta, or a side of roasted veggies like Brussel sprouts or asparagus.
Here’s some links so you can grab the recipes, if you like:
https://diethood.com/15-minute-fettuccine-with-spinach-and-goat-cheese/
https://diethood.com/oven-roasted-brussels-sprouts/
https://diethood.com/oven-roasted-asparagus/
I hope this helps. 🙂
I would give this 2 stars. Followed the recipe exactly. I am a very experienced cook and was looking for a low carb dinner. This was just okay…edible. Would not make again. This is a recipe for beginners
Sandra, if you are a very experienced cook as you say you are, you should have known from the recipe ingredients that you wouldn’t enjoy it. You could have added spices and flavorings more to your liking.
And the comment about recipe for beginners is just unnecessary, everyone has to start learning some where and from someone who is willing to teach them, not down grade their efforts.
I tried this recipe this past weekend and it was delicious !!! I only had a can of Italian Tomatoes so I used this with some Parmesan Cheese. It turned out so good – tasted like lasagna!!!
Will definitely be using this recipe more often and will change it up some more. Maybe with Mexican flavor next time.
Any modifications if using frozen chicken breast?
Am I safe freezing left overs? Or am I better just making it for one?
Hi!
Yep, you can definitely freeze it. Just make sure it’s cooled down completely before putting it in a freezer bag. It should stay good for at least 2 to 3 months in the freezer.