Baked Bruschetta Chicken Recipe

Chicken breast is sometimes dismissed as just an easy option to serve if you want to pack plenty of protein into a dish. Unfortunately, the neutral flavor and texture can risk being bland if the meat isn't prepped with complementary ingredients. Thankfully, those worries are completely absent from Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone's baked bruschetta chicken. Calling on the flavors of the classic Italian appetizer, this chicken dish is anything but boring.

"This dish feels like the perfect summer dinner," Morone remarks and adds, "The flavors are fresh and bright, you can pair it with anything you want, and it's really easy to make." Summer days may feel longer, but there's no way we're spending hours indoors cooking when the sun is shining. "Cooking this in the oven makes it a really simple, quick dinner that requires very little effort. This is a great weeknight dinner," Morone says. Set aside 15 minutes to prep this recipe and you'll be eating dinner within the hour.

For this recipe, you'll need boneless and skinless chicken breasts, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, cherry tomatoes, fresh basil, lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, mozzarella cheese slices, and balsamic glaze for garnish. Before you begin, chop the cherry tomatoes and basil leaves.

First off, preheat your oven to 375 F and lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Set the dish aside and get out a small bowl. Add the Italian seasoning, garlic powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Mix the spices together then sprinkle them over the chicken to season both sides. Place the seasoned chicken breasts into the baking dish side by side.

Grab a medium-sized bowl and toss in the chopped tomatoes and basil, lemon juice, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and the rest of the salt and pepper. Mix the ingredients well to season the tomatoes, then spoon the mixture over the chicken breasts. Morone comments, "There is a decent amount of liquid in the tomato bruschetta mixture," and notes that this ensures the chicken "will absolutely not dry out and have a delicious flavor." Transfer the dish to the hot oven and bake uncovered for 25 minutes.

Remove the baking dish from the oven and lay the mozzarella slices evenly over the chicken. Transfer the pan back to the oven and bake the chicken for another 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and the chicken is fully cooked. Morone suggests, "You can check on it halfway through to see if the cheese is heating too quickly and put foil over it if necessary."

Once the chicken is ready, remove the baking dish from the oven and drizzle the top with balsamic glaze and sprinkle on extra chopped basil if desired. This baked bruschetta chicken recipe is a delicious main course to serve with a variety of side dishes, like "mashed potatoes, rice, salad, veggies, salad, or pasta," per Morone.

As for leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to four days. Once you're ready to serve the chicken, Morone instructs, "You can reheat this either quickly in the microwave for about a minute, or in the oven at 325 for about 15 minutes."