Easy Baked Ricotta Chicken Recipe
After a long day, this easy baked ricotta chicken recipe is a very comforting and cheesy meal. This easy chicken dinner doesn’t need much prep work because your oven does all the work.
This easy ricotta chicken bake is sure to become one of your new favorite recipes if you like ones with a lot of sauce. We love sauce here at S&L, and there is more than enough for a lot to pour over potatoes, rice, or veggies.
This baked chicken recipe is extra special because it has mozzarella, ricotta, and parmesan in it. If you have a picky eater in your busy family, this is pretty much a sure thing. I mean, who can say no to soft chicken with three kinds of cheese and marinara sauce? Food that makes you feel good!
Quick Facts
- 10 minutes to get ready
- Time to cook: 30 minutes
- Total: 40 minutes
- Number of servings: 4
Ingredients
- Two big chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- 1 cup of ricotta cheese (whole milk is better)
- 1 cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 3 minced garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
- 2 cups of marinara sauce
- 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
- Fresh basil is optional for serving
Preparation Instructions
- Set the oven to 375F and move the rack to the top third of the oven.
- Cut the chicken in half lengthwise to make four thinner cutlets. Then, add salt and pepper to the chicken.
- Put the ricotta, parmesan, garlic, and Italian seasoning in a medium bowl and mix them together.
- Put half of the marinara sauce in a 9×13 casserole dish and spread it out evenly.
- Put the chicken in the casserole dish next to each other and spread the ricotta mixture on top of each piece.
- Put the rest of the marinara sauce on top of each piece of chicken.
- Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake it for 20 minutes.
- Take the casserole dish out of the oven and take off the foil. Put the mozzarella on top of the chicken and put it back in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the chicken is done (165F).
- If you want, broil it for a few minutes to brown the cheese. Be careful not to let it burn.
- Before serving, give the chicken a few minutes to rest. If you want, add more salt and pepper to taste and top with fresh basil.
Tips & Notes
- If you can, I would definitely suggest using whole milk ricotta. It doesn’t have any grainy or crumbly bits like other kinds do.
- Use a meat thermometer to make sure the chicken isn’t overcooked or undercooked, since chicken breasts can be very different sizes.
- For the best melting and flavor, grate your own parmesan. It really does make a difference!
- There is a lot of sauce in this recipe. It tastes great on rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.
- Ovens and chicken breasts come in a wide range of sizes, so remember that timing is just a suggestion and it’s always a good idea to use an instant read thermometer.
- To get your greens in, try adding one or two cups of chopped spinach to the ricotta mix.
- Add some crushed red pepper flakes to the marinara sauce or the ricotta mixture if you want it to be a little spicy.
- This baked chicken recipe is supposed to be quick, but if you want to make my Homemade Marinara Sauce, go ahead!
- Try a salad with my homemade Olive Garden Salad Dressing to even things out. Simple, fast, and you know exactly what goes into it.
- This makes a lot of sauce! You can eat it with plain pasta, my Buttered Noodles, Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes, your favorite kind of rice, or steamed green beans or broccolini.
- Put any extra chicken bake in an airtight container and keep it for 3 to 4 days.
- For best results, reheat it slowly in a saucepan over low heat so it doesn’t dry out.
- I don’t think you should freeze recipes like this one that are cheesy and creamy.
Feedback
Please give this cheesy chicken bake recipe a star rating and a review if you made it. You can also use the hashtag #saltandlavender on Instagram. What questions did the post not answer? Please talk to me below.