This Post May Contain Affiliate Links. Please Read Our Disclosure Policy.
This creamy bruschetta chicken bake layers tender chicken breasts with a delicious creamy fresh bruschetta, all topped with melty cheese and fresh basil. I find it is delicious served over pasta or rice, or on its own for an easy family dinner with just 10 minutes of prep time!
See recipe card below for full list of measurements, ingredients, and instructions.
Why This Will Be Your New Favorite Chicken Dinner
- I’m always looking for new ways with chicken breasts that will work as a family dinner and this creamy bruschetta chicken recipe seriously delivers. As well as the topping keeping the chicken breasts juicy and tender (no dry chicken here!), you’ve got a creamy, garlicky sauce studded with bursts of cherry tomato and aromatic fresh basil, all finished with gooey, golden cheese. Crowd-pleasing flavors, with only 10-minutes hands on time.
- As this is a baked bruschetta chicken (different to classic bruschetta chicken with a fresh tomato sauce) it works at any time of year; you don’t need to rely on the tomatoes being at peak season as we won’t be eating them raw.
- Before I’ve added sides, this bruschetta chicken also happens to be keto-friendly and gluten-free, so it’s a great meal to feed a mixed gathering where you’ve got special diets to consider, but you don’t want anyone to feel like they’ve had to compromise with low-carb swaps.
What I Learned Testing This Recipe
- I’ve made this with just 3 chicken breasts and there was no need to scale down the rest of the ingredients, I still made the full bruschetta topping amount.
- If your chicken breasts are different sizes, pound the thicker ones a little thinner so they’re all of an even thickness before adding them to the baking dish so they all cook evenly.
- I’ve found that this is a dish I can assemble while I’m sorting out everyone’s breakfasts and chill until I need to bake it in the evening.
Ingredients
Chicken breasts – Skinless boneless breasts work well here, they’ll stay nice and moist baked under the creamy topping. Choose breasts of a similar size so they cook evenly.
Italian seasoning – If you don’t have any to hand to season the chicken along with a good amount of salt and pepper, use dried oregano instead.
Cherry tomatoes – Using whole small tomatoes halved I’ve found gives this bruschetta chicken the best texture. Grape tomatoes would also work! Don’t however be tempted to chop larger tomatoes to use as they will release too much liquid during baking and make the creamy sauce watery.
Cream cheese – This is what makes the bruschetta topping super creamy! Use regular or low fat. You want it to be very soft to mix the topping — I like to microwave it in 30-second bursts before I start to get it to the right consistency. Mascarpone would be a good substitute if the store is out of cream cheese.
Garlic cloves – Fresh garlic is best here as it adds freshness and that signature bruschetta flavor, but minced garlic can be substituted.
Fresh basil – Again, this is essential to that classic bruschetta flavor! Please don’t use dried basil; it’s a totally different flavor and not right here.
Shredded mozzarella cheese – Pre-grated cheese will work fine here and will brown up nicely.
How To Make It
Season the chicken – Start by arranging the chicken breasts in the bottom of a baking dish in a single layer. Choose one where they fit reasonably snuggly, but you don’t want them squashed together. Season them generously with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.
Make the bruschetta – Next, measure all of the creamy bruschetta ingredients except for the shredded mozzarella cheese and the basil you’re reserving for garnish.
Give everything a good stir so everything is combined.
Top the chicken – Spoon the bruschetta mixture down the middle of the chicken breasts, making sure the chicken is well covered.
Bake – Bake in a pre-heated oven for 30-40 minutes. When it is done, the topping will be bubbling. The chicken is cooked when it reaches an internal temp of 165°F, how long this takes will depend on the size and thickness of the chicken breasts.
Broil – Scatter over the shredded cheese, again making sure to evenly cover the chicken. Broil for 4-5 minutes until the cheese is melty and golden in patches.
Serve – Scatter the reserved basil over the top of the chicken just before serving.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
I often serve this bruschetta chicken over cooked pasta or rice, and sometimes even zucchini noodles, but it would also go great with something a bit more lux like these parmesan truffle fries, garlic bread, or just a simple green salad.
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Warm through in the oven before serving, but don’t microwave as this will impact the texture of the tomatoes, dry out the chicken, and leave you with rubbery cheese. Yuck!
I’ve been asked if you can freeze the leftovers, or even the whole dish in advance, but I’d avoid it as the basil will go brown and the cream cheese in the sauce will turn grainy.
Frequently Asked Questions
A 9×13-inch baking dish works well as you’ll be able to fit 3-4 chicken breasts in a single layer so that they’re nestled together so the topping does not fall down the gaps, but also so that the dish is not overcrowded which will result in watery chicken.
Yes! Make the same amount of filling if you just want to use 3 chicken breasts, but halve the creamy bruschetta mixture and use a smaller baking dish if you just want to make two chicken breasts. If you want to scale things up, make sure to use a bigger dish and add an extra quantity of topping for every 1-2 breasts added to the dish.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions or variations listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
Creamy Bruschetta Chicken Bake
Equipment
- 9×13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
- 3-4 large chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 8 ounce block cream cheese very soft, I like to microwave it in 30-second bursts until very soft
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to season the chicken
- ¼ teaspoon pepper plus more to season chicken
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped, plus more for garnish
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Arrange the chicken breasts in a single layer in a large baking dish, and season generously with salt and pepper, as well as the Italian seasoning.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, and the fresh basil. Stir in the cherry tomatoes and gently fold them into the cream mixture so everything is combined.
- Spoon the mixture over the chicken breasts, making sure they're well covered with the mixture.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes (depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts), or until no longer pink in the middle.
- Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella over the top and broil for 4-5 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and golden.
- Garnish with more basil just before serving.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @40aprons on Instagram and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!
Never Miss A Meal!
New Recipes Straight To Your Inbox
A curated selection of our most recent recipes, delivered straight to your inbox once a week.
Thank you!
You have successfully joined our subscriber list.