Description
Creamy Baked Chicken Breasts is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring tender boneless, skinless chicken breasts baked in a rich and creamy sauce made with heavy cream, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and Italian seasoning. The recipe is enhanced with fresh spinach and a touch of paprika and red pepper flakes for a subtle kick, making it perfect for an easy weeknight dinner or special occasion meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup low sodium or no sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Additional
- 1 cup fresh spinach, chopped
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) to prepare for baking the chicken in a creamy sauce.
- Prepare Sauce Mixture: In a baking dish, combine olive oil, minced garlic, heavy cream, chicken broth, sun-dried tomatoes, Italian seasoning, paprika, and red pepper flakes, mixing well to create the flavorful sauce base.
- Season Chicken: Season the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper, then nestle them into the sauce mixture in the baking dish, ensuring they are well coated by the sauce.
- First Bake: Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes until the chicken starts to brown and is nearly cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of about 155°F (68°C).
- Add Spinach and Continue Baking: Remove the dish from the oven and scatter fresh chopped spinach around the chicken. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until the spinach wilts, the sauce bubbles, and chicken reaches the safe internal temperature of 165°F (75°C).
- Optional Broil for Browning: If desired, broil the chicken for 2-3 minutes at the end for extra browning, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- Rest and Garnish: Let the dish rest a few minutes after removing it from the oven, then garnish with fresh parsley and extra red pepper flakes if desired before serving.
Notes
- This dish pairs well with rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread to soak up the creamy sauce.
- For a lighter version, you can substitute half-and-half for heavy cream, though the sauce will be less rich.
- Be careful not to overcook the chicken to keep it tender and juicy.
- Leftovers can be stored airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheated gently.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
- Calories: 412 kcal
- Sugar: 7 g
- Sodium: 182 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0.01 g
- Carbohydrates: 12 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 29 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
