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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
- Southwestern Chicken Bread Boats
- 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.
Love this recipe have made it several times. I am making it tonight for a family that only likes dark meat. Has anyone ever made it with chicken thighs? I would think it will cook a bit faster?
Hi! 👋
The chicken thighs may take a few minutes longer, but that also depends on the size and if you’re using bone-in or boneless chicken thighs. The best way to check for doneness is to use an instant-read meat thermometer and pull the chicken out of the oven when its internal temperature registers at 165˚F.
This is a relatively simple recipe, but works well and is tasty. I’m always looking for some recipe inspiration and this was one I was saving for a couple of weeks. I switched out some of the herbs based on what I had on hand, but we liked it. You really can’t go wrong with the ingredients and method. We watch our salt intake and I did not add any salt and it had plenty of flavor. I did season the chicken with some garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and Italian seasoning. This is a winner!
I am very glad you and your family loved it! Thank YOU! 🙂
This looks so good in the recipe, but was a watery mess with rubbery chicken. By submerging the chicken in the broth, you are boiling, not baking the chicken.
Did you drain the tomatoes? Maybe trying adding diced fresh tomatoes instead.
I’m 27 just made this over some super green spaghetti and was so good I will be making it again forsure. The chicken was so juicy and tender, great flavors from the garlic and onion. Loved it!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂
I have the same question posted by Sandy back in 2018 but it doesn’t appear to have been answered: The recipe calls for draining the tomatoes but in the video it clearly looks like you are pouring in the entire can- juice and all. Please do clarify. This recipe (and all its possible variations) looks amazing!
Hi! 👋
It really doesn’t make that big of a difference if you drain or pour them in with the juice, as long as the juice is no more than around 1/4 of a cup, give or take.
Delicioso.! Going to make it for the 2nd time today for the main component of freezer meals for my mama. Will change by adding spinach (she needs iron). After it bakes, I’ll remove the chicken and cut it in smaller pieces (easier for her). Then I’ll stir it all back together, top with cheese and bake a few more minutes. If I wanted to stretch it, I think I could add some rice.
Thank YOU! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Made this last night and it was lovely and the fact that it was so quick and easy to make too, served it with cheesey garlic bread, thought about serving it with pasta to soak up the “juices” as someone mentioned it being too watery, mine certainly wasn´t like that at all and not bland either as someone said, I will defenately make this again for when I have little time or simply too tired or lazy to cook as it takes such little effort, thank you for sharing, this one has gone in my “to keep” folder 🙂
That’s great! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂