Baked Bruschetta Chicken is an easy weeknight meal and perfect served over your favorite pasta!
Tender balsamic marinated chicken breasts are baked with garlic, basil, and juicy cherry tomatoes. It’s all topped off with cheese and a fresh tomato bruschetta topping.
Serve this with some crusty bread and garlic butter and a fresh Italian Salad for a complete meal!
An Easy Weeknight Meal
This meal is incredibly easy although it seems fancy! With the flavors of our favorite tomato bruschetta this meal is like a lighter version of Homemade Chicken Parmesan.
Bruschetta is an appetizer many of us are familiar with however, did you know that the word bruschetta actually refers to the bread and not the topping? Our favorite topping flavors (tomato/basil/garlic) are incorporated into this meal!
- Easy to make, can prep ahead of time.
- Makes its own sauce, perfect over any kind of pasta.
- Fresh, healthy, and flavorful.
Tender chicken breasts covered in a garlicky, seasoned marinara, cherry tomatoes, and bubbling mozzarella cheese! Perfect for Sunday dinner or an easy elegant dish for guests.
Ingredients for Bruschetta Chicken
Boneless skinless chicken breasts are our favorite choice for this meal. They’re easy to prepare and they cook quickly. If you’d prefer to use bone in chicken, cooking time will need to increase by 20 minutes (the tomatoes should be added 20 minutes into the cooking time so they do not overcook).
Cherry tomatoes add a bright sweet pop of flavor. They can be substituted with any fresh tomatoes. Roma tomatoes are a great choice as they hold up well.
The marinade is simple in this recipe with cloves of garlic, balsamic vinegar, olive oil and herbs (we use Italian seasoning).
After the cheese has melted we add a tomato bruschetta topping.
Ingredient Info: Fresh basil is highly recommended for this recipe.
It can be found at the grocery store in a little clamshell but many grocery stores also sell a small basil plant for about the same price.
The basil plant will last longer and flavor many more meals! Fresh basil is great over pasta, pizza (even take out), and more.
How to Make Bruschetta Chicken
This meal is pretty easy to make and uses basic ingredients. Fresh basil isn’t expensive but it makes a huge difference in the flavor of this dish!
- Marinate: Combine the marinade in a bowl (per the recipe below) and marinate the chicken while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Brown: Brown the chicken for two minutes on each side. The chicken will cook in the oven, you just want to brown it.
- Bake: Place in a 9×13 casserole dish and top with cherry tomatoes. Bake until bubbly.
- Top: Top with cheese and broil for up to 3 minutes or until melted.
To Serve this Chicken Dish
For the topping, toss diced tomatoes with olive oil, vinegar, and basil garlic. Spoon the tomato mixture over the finished dish and serve over pasta!
Turn this into a complete meal by serving it over spaghetti for the perfect Bruschetta Chicken Pasta. Mama Mia!
This meal can also be served over mashed potatoes, zucchini noodles, or even cauliflower rice.
Notes and Tips
- If preparing ahead of time, prepare all ingredients but do not brown the chicken ahead of time. Brown before baking (or you can skip the browning step if preferred).
- If you can’t find cherry tomatoes, grape tomatoes (or even chopped Roma tomatoes) will work just fine.
- Instead of baking, chicken can be marinated and grilled. If grilling, gently simmer the tomatoes and sauce on the stove or in a cast iron pan on the grill.
- The homemade bruschetta topping can be replaced with prepared bruschetta if preferred.
- Add red onion to the fresh tomato mixture if desired.
- For an extra boost of flavor, drizzle with balsamic glaze.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
- Pesto Chicken – pesto and tomato
- Stuffed Chicken Breasts – spinach cream sauce
- Monterey Chicken – bbq cheddar bacon
- Air Fryer Chicken Parmesan – breaded, topped with tomato sauce
- Oven Baked Chicken Breasts – juicy and great with almost anything
- Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli – broccoli and cheddar
Did you love this Bruschetta Chicken? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Bruschetta Chicken (oven baked)
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 4 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- ¾ cup marinara sauce
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
Bruschetta Topping
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar or balsamic
- salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400°F.
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Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic in a small bowl.
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Mix ¼ cup of the balsamic mixture with chicken breasts, salt & pepper, and Italian seasoning and marinate 15 minutes.
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Heat remaining tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet. Add chicken and brown 2 minutes on each side.
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Place marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Top with browned chicken breasts and cherry tomatoes. Drizzle with remaining balsamic mixture.
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Bake 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear and chicken reaches 165°F.
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Top with mozzarella and broil 2-3 minutes.
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Combine all bruschetta topping ingredients in a bowl and spoon over chicken. Serve over pasta.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
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Italian Inspired Favorites
- Spaghetti Carbonara
- Easy Chicken Marsala Recipe
- Penne alla Vodka
- Easy Homemade Lasagna
- Chicken Piccata
- Baked Ziti
- Easy Caprese Chicken
Made this tonight and everyone loved it!! The only thing I did differently was I used 2 cloves of garlic and I cheated with store bought bruschetta.
Sounds delicious, Valerie!
This is a regular dinner at our house. So simple and yummy.