This sheet pan Tuscan chicken features juicy chicken breast cutlets topped with Alfredo sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and Parmesan. It cooks in about 20 minutes for an easy, restaurant-inspired dinner with minimal cleanup.
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We’ve been working on a series of simple baked chicken recipes for busy weeknights. Some of our closest friends told us they love baked dinners because they can take care of other things while dinner is in the oven. That’s exactly the kind of convenience we had in mind with our baked chicken piccata, baked BBQ chicken breast, baked BBQ chicken thighs, bruschetta chicken, Peruvian chicken, Mexican chicken thighs, honey mustard sheet pan chicken and potatoes and now this sheet pan Tuscan chicken.
Preston and I were both surprised by how special this tasted for such an easy recipe. I loved the seasoned chicken with the sun-dried tomatoes, and Preston kept talking about how juicy the chicken is. He absolutely raved about it!
We created this as a weeknight dinner, but the Tuscan flavors make it feel elegant enough for company too. If you enjoy this combination of creamy sauce, chicken, and sun-dried tomatoes, you might also like our creamy Tuscan chicken bake.
Reasons to Love This Recipe
Ingredients at a Glance
For instructions and photos showing how to slice chicken breasts into cutlets, see our mushroom chicken recipe. Serious Eats also has a great tutorial.
- Chicken Cutlets. If you’re starting with full chicken breasts, slice them horizontally to make cutlets. You can also pound thicker pieces to an even thickness so they bake at the same rate.
- Garlic Herb Dry Brine. A homemade blend of Morton kosher salt, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, dried thyme, black pepper, brown sugar, and optional cayenne lightly seasons the chicken before baking. Morton kosher salt is less salty by volume than table salt, so adjust the amount if you use another brand. If you don’t have dried thyme, Italian seasoning is a good substitute.
- Jarred Alfredo Sauce. This shortcut creates the creamy topping with very little effort. We used Rao’s Homemade Alfredo Sauce, but any good-quality jarred Alfredo sauce will work. Use it straight from the jar. There’s no need to warm it first.
- Baby Spinach. Baby spinach adds color and flavor. If you would like, give it a rough chop so it is easier to arrange over the chicken. We kept our spinach leaves whole. You can substitute baby kale, although it has a slightly heartier texture. I would avoid frozen spinach because its extra moisture will change the texture of the topping.
- Oil-Packed Sun-Dried Tomatoes. These add a concentrated, slightly tangy tomato flavor that keeps the creamy sauce from tasting too rich. Drain them well before chopping. Dry-packed sun-dried tomatoes will also work. Soak them briefly in hot water to soften them, then drain and chop. Chopped roasted red peppers are another option if you don’t care for sun-dried tomatoes. The flavor will be milder and sweeter.
- Parmesan Cheese. Freshly grated Parmesan melts over the chicken and adds extra flavor. We used BelGioioso Parmesan. Because Alfredo sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan all contain salt, avoid adding extra salt beyond the dry-brine mixture. You can substitute Asiago or Pecorino Romano. Pecorino is saltier and sharper, so you may want to use less.
How to Make It (Photo Tutorial)
Tips for Success
- Use evenly sized cutlets. Choose chicken cutlets with a similar thickness so they finish baking at the same time. If necessary, pound thicker areas gently between two pieces of plastic wrap until even.
- Apply the dry brine lightly. Sprinkle ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon of the seasoning mixture total over both sides of all four cutlets. Shoot for a light, even coating rather than a heavy layer.
- Keep the Alfredo sauce cold. Spoon it directly from the jar onto the chicken. If the sauce is warm, it will spread more during baking.
- Drain the sun-dried tomatoes well. Pat the tomatoes with a paper towel to remove some of the oil. Too much oil can make the topping greasy and cause it to slide off the chicken.
- Expect some sauce to spread. The toppings should stay in place, but some Alfredo sauce will naturally run onto the pan as it heats.
- Check the chicken early. Thin cutlets cook quickly, and their exact cooking time will depend on their thickness and your oven temperature. (Ovens often vary in temperature.) Begin checking at the lower end of the baking range.
- Use an instant-read thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of each cutlet. Remove the chicken when it reaches 165 F (74 C) to keep it tender and juicy.
Ways to Serve It
We served this Tuscan chicken with both linguine and spaghetti tossed with butter and Parmesan and loved it both ways. Our Parmesan butter noodles would be perfect here too.
If you’d like to add another side, here are a few that would work well:
- Rice or Couscous. Try our lemon couscous for something light and fresh, or garlic Parmesan rice.
- A Simple Vegetable. The lemony flavor in our Parmesan grilled zucchini would help balance the creamy sauce. You can cook the zucchini on a grill pan on the stove.
- A Fresh Salad. Our cucumber dill salad would lighten up the meal. For a heartier meal, you could also serve it with our white bean salad.
- Warm Bread. You can’t go wrong with garlic dinner rolls, especially if there’s extra Alfredo sauce on the plate to soak up.
Storage and Reheating
- To Store. Place leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate it for up to 3–4 days.
- To Reheat in the Microwave. Place one cutlet on a microwave-safe plate and spoon any extra sauce over the top. Heat it at 50% power in short intervals until heated through. The lower power helps the chicken warm gently without drying out.
- To Reheat in the Oven. Place the chicken and any extra sauce in a covered baking dish. Reheat at 325 F (163 C) until warmed through.
Related Recipes
If you enjoyed this sheet pan Tuscan chicken, here are six more easy and delicious dinners to try next.
More Easy Baked Chicken Dinners
These mostly hands-off recipes make it easy to get a chicken dinner on the table.
Juicy baked chicken breast with a buttery lemon-caper sauce.
Juicy chicken topped with BBQ sauce, cheddar, and scallions.
More Tuscan-Inspired Favorites
A creamy chicken and pasta bake with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes.
A creamy bean soup with bacon, vegetables, and spinach.
More Restaurant-Inspired Dinners
Chicken thighs simmered with tomatoes and olives in a light white wine sauce.
A one-pan dinner with juicy chicken, lemony rice, tomatoes, and olives.
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Sheet Pan Tuscan Chicken Recipe
This sheet pan Tuscan chicken features juicy chicken breast cutlets topped with Alfredo sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and Parmesan. It cooks in about 20 minutes for an easy, restaurant-inspired dinner with minimal cleanup.
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Equipment
Ingredients
Garlic Herb Dry Brine (makes more than needed for this recipe)
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper optional
Chicken
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 2 large breasts (See Note 1)
- Nonstick cooking spray optional
Tuscan Topping
- ½ cup jarred Alfredo sauce (See Note 4)
- ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes drained and chopped
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- freshly cracked black pepper for serving
- lemon wedges for serving, optional
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt, 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, ½ teaspoon black pepper, ½ teaspoon brown sugar, and ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, if using.
- Pat the chicken cutlets dry with paper towels. Sprinkle about ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon of the seasoning mixture total evenly over both sides of all four chicken cutlets. You want the chicken lightly and evenly coated, not heavily packed with seasoning. Save the remaining seasoning for another recipe. (See Note 2)
- For easier cleanup, line a rimmed sheet pan with parchment paper. To preserve as much of the sauce as possible for spooning over the finished chicken, leave the pan unlined and lightly coat it with nonstick cooking spray instead. (See Note 3) Arrange the cutlets in a single layer on the prepared pan. Refrigerate uncovered for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. If you do not have time to brine the chicken, continue with the recipe immediately.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F (220 C).
- Spread the ½ cup jarred Alfredo sauce evenly over the top of each cutlet. Divide the ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes and 1 cup baby spinach leaves among the cutlets, then sprinkle the ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheeseevenly over the top.
- Bake for 14–18 minutes, or until the thickest part of each cutlet reaches 165 F (74 C). Begin checking early if the cutlets are especially thin.
- If desired, switch the oven to broil and broil for 1–2 minutes if you would like to brown the cheese. Watch the chicken closely to prevent burning.
- Spoon any sauce from the sheet pan over the chicken. Finish with freshly cracked freshly cracked black pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Slice each chicken breast horizontally through the center to create 4 thin cutlets. If the cutlets vary in thickness, gently pound them to an even thickness so they cook at the same rate. Cooking time may vary depending on their thickness.
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The short resting time gives the salt an opportunity to begin seasoning the chicken before baking. Use ¼ to ⅓ teaspoon of the dry-brine mixture total for all four cutlets. The chicken should look lightly and evenly coated, not heavily covered. Measure the needed amount into a separate bowl before seasoning the chicken. Store the remaining mixture in a clean, airtight container in a cool, dry place. Discard any seasoning that comes into contact with raw chicken.
- Parchment paper makes cleanup easier, but some of the Alfredo sauce may remain on the paper when you remove the chicken. For the most sauce to spoon over the finished chicken, bake it directly on a lightly greased, unlined sheet pan.
- Do not warm the Alfredo sauce before using it. A thicker, cool sauce stays on top of the chicken more effectively as it bakes.
Refrigerator: Store leftover chicken and sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To reheat: Microwave individual servings in 30-second intervals until warmed through. For larger portions, cover and reheat in a 350 F (175 C) oven for about 10 minutes or until warmed through. Avoid overheating the chicken, which can cause the cutlets to dry out.
Nutrition
Calories: 298kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 536mg | Potassium: 785mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 942IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 2mg
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 298kcal
