Creamy Baked Chicken Breasts

Baked chicken breasts in an irresistible creamy sauce filled with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and parmesan is a winner of a chicken dinner. Our all-time favorite oven-baked chicken breasts recipe!

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes, optional
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream or half-and-half
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1/3 cup chopped sundried tomatoes, drained from oil
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach

Instructions:

1. To make the oven-baked chicken breasts: Preheat your oven to 425ºF (225ºC). Flatten the chicken breast to get them to an even thickness.
2. Place chicken breasts in a 9×13″ baking dish (or a larger one, just make sure they don’t touch or overlap because this will increase baking time).
3. Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, Italian seasoning, paprika, red chili pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Drizzle chicken with olive oil and rub chicken breasts generously with seasoning. Add in chopped sundried tomatoes.
4. In a bowl, whisk together heavy whipping cream, chicken broth, garlic powder, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt until combined. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese and pour around the chicken in the baking dish. Sprinkle with more parmesan if you like.
5. Bake at 425ºF (225ºC) for 25 – 30 minutes, until you reach an internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC) in the thickest part of the chicken. You may need to bake chicken longer depending on the size of the chicken breasts.
6. Remove the baking dish from the oven and stir in spinach into sauce. Cover and allow the baked chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes while the spinach wilts into the creamy sauce. Sprinkle with more chili pepper flakes if you like. Serve the creamy baked chicken breasts immediately.

Notes:

• If your chicken breasts as very large, you can slice them horizontally to make cutlets instead of flattening them. The thinner the chicken breasts, the quicker they cook!
• You can use heavy whipping cream or half-and-half in the sauce. Do not worry if you find the sauce a little watery because of chicken broth. It will reduce and thicken while baking in the oven. No cornstarch needed!
• If you like a kick of spice in your baked chicken, add a tablespoon Sriracha into the cream sauce, or a pinch of Cayenne!