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This oven-baked creamy tomato basil chicken is the exact kind of dish that feels like a slow-cooked Sunday supper, but is simple enough to throw together on a busy weeknight. The whole idea is pure comfort: you lay raw chicken breasts in a glass casserole dish, then pour one silky topper right over the meat.
The oven does all the hard work, and you end up with perfectly tender chicken tucked into a rich, pink tomato cream sauce that absolutely begs for bread or noodles to soak it up!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- The “One Pour” Method: You mix the entire sauce in a single bowl and pour it over the raw chicken, making prep incredibly fast and easy.
- Absurdly Tender: Poaching the chicken in the rich cream and tomato sauce keeps the meat from drying out in the oven.
- Pantry Friendly: It relies heavily on kitchen staples like canned crushed tomatoes, dried herbs, and garlic.
- The Ultimate Sauce: The combination of heavy cream, Parmesan, and crushed tomatoes creates a luxurious, restaurant-quality gravy!
What You’ll Need
To get the most even bake, try to use chicken breasts that are roughly the same size and thickness!
The Chicken Base:
- 4 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: About 2 lbs total.
- 1 tsp Kosher salt & ½ tsp Black pepper: Divided (you will use half for the chicken, and half for the sauce).
- 1 tbsp Unsalted butter or cooking spray: For greasing the glass dish.
The Silky Topper:
- 1 can (14.5 oz) Crushed tomatoes.
- 1 cup Heavy cream: The rich base of your sauce.
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese: Finely grated.
- 2 tsp Dried basil.
- 3 cloves Garlic: Freshly minced.
- 2 tbsp Olive oil: Or melted butter.
- ½ tsp Red pepper flakes: Optional, for a tiny kick of heat.
- 1 tsp Granulated sugar: Optional, but highly recommended to soften the natural acidity of the canned tomatoes!
How to Make It (Step-by-Step)
Prep time: 15 minutes | Bake time: 40–45 minutes | Total time: approx. 1 hour | Yield: 4 Servings
Step 1: Prep and Preheat
