Italian Chicken Breasts

A Mediterranean-inspired rub of basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme flavors these baked Italian Chicken Breasts. Roasted garlic and cherry tomatoes compliment this easy sheet pan dish.

The aroma of this dish baking in the oven will have everyone running to the table.  And you will have spent maybe 15 minutes getting it ready.

This is one of those recipes that comes together in minutes, looks impressive, and tastes fabulous!

You could use a pre-made Italian seasoning, but like I’ve mentioned before, I like the ability to control the amount of each of the spices that goes into my seasonings. It also means that I don’t have a spice blend that I may only use a couple of times a year in my pantry.

Just like the recipe for Pesto Chicken Breasts, I pound the chicken breasts to between 3/4-inch to 1-inch thickness so that the breasts cook evenly ensuring juicy, tender chicken. The extra effort and time are completely worth it.

I rub olive oil over the chicken breasts which keeps the seasoning in place, helps to create some color during cooking, and tastes great with the seasoning.

Make sure to save some of the oil and herb seasoning to toss with the tomatoes and garlic before you arrange them around the chicken on the baking sheet.

Allowing the chicken to sit for about 5 minutes before serving will ensure that the juices have the opportunity to settle back into the meat. Sprinkle shredded Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley over the chicken and serve with a simple green salad for a complete meal.

Serving the Italian Chicken Breasts over polenta is also a delicious option. I use the How to Make Grits recipe and stir in 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese right before serving. Because as you will learn from the post, polenta is a dish and not an ingredient. :)

Italian Chicken Breasts

• Author: Leigh Olson
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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DESCRIPTION

A Mediterranean-inspired rub of basil, oregano, rosemary, and thyme flavors these baked Italian Chicken Breasts. Roasted garlic and cherry tomatoes compliment this easy sheet pan dish.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tsp. dried rosemary
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1 tsp. dried thyme
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 5 cloves garlic, halved
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425˚F.
2. If the thickness of the chicken breasts is very uneven, pound them a bit to even things out (see this post for how to do that), keeping the chicken 3/4- to 1-inch thick.
3. In a small bowl combine the rosemary, oregano, thyme, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
4. Rub half of the olive oil on the chicken breasts and season both sides with half of the spice mixture.
5. Arrange chicken on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
6. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, remaining olive oil, and the remaining spice mix. Stir to combine.
7. Arrange the tomatoes and garlic around the chicken breasts.
8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until an instant read thermometer registers 165˚F.
9. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley and serve.