Italian Baked Chicken

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Italian chicken with cherry tomatoes and basil surrounded delicious natural juices.

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A fresh and juicy dish of chicken breasts with bright Italian flavours of herbs, tomatoes and lemon that is easy to make in a single pan for a quick and simple evening meal or a lovely cold dish to serve the next day.

Servings:

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Resting time5

Total Time35

Ingredients

500 g mini chicken breast fillets - or 2-3 breasts cut down
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp dried basil - or use 1 tsp Italian seasoning instead of basil and oregano
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
1 lemon juice and zest - unwaxed
10–12 cherry tomatoes
1 bay leaf
1 handful torn fresh basil
1 handful chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 7 / 210 °C fan / 425 °F. Put the chicken breast fillets, oil, garlic, and seasoning in the pan.
500 g mini chicken breast fillets, 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 cloves garlic, ½ tsp dried basil, ½ tsp dried oregano, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp ground black pepper
Use a fine microplane grater to zest about half the lemon over the top. Then cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from one half in.
1 lemon juice and zest
Give everything a good shake or toss with tongs so that the chicken is evenly coated with seasoning, garlic, lemon and oil.
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, and arrange on top of the chicken, finishing with the bay leaf. Cover with foil and bake for about 10 minutes.
10–12 cherry tomatoes, 1 bay leaf
Remove the foil. You will see that the chicken has started to poach around the edges. Return to the oven uncovered for a further 10–12 minutes until cooked through.
Check that the chicken is cooked.
Cover and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and garnish with chopped parsley and sprigs of fresh basil to serve.
1 handful torn fresh basil, 1 handful chopped fresh parsley

Notes

Storage

I don’t recommend reheating this Italian chicken recipe, as the chicken can become tough. Instead, store it carefully to enjoy cold another day.

Fridge – Remove any wilted herbs and once cold, pack into airtight boxes and store for up to 3 days.

Freezer – Cool, pack into boxes to freeze and store for up to 3 months. Defrost and bring up to room temperature to eat.

Hints and tips

Choose good tomatoes, nothing underripe and watery.
Don't be nervous of the shorter cooking time and high temperature in this recipe. Longer cooking can actually be counterproductive with chicken breast and the moisture is retained.
When you need to check that chicken is cooked, poke a knife into the thickest part of the flesh. You should see that it is cooked through, and the juices should run clear. If you use a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part, it will show 75 °C/165 °F.

Tips for tender chicken breast

Use smaller pieces. I used mini fillets or you can slice up a target breast.
Make sure that the chicken is in one layer. There does not need to be space between the pieces. In fact its best they are not separated but do not overcrowd them. Use a bigger roasting pan or two pans if you need to.
Cover for the start of cooking to seal in the moisture. The chicken will poach for the first half of cooking and this speeds the cooking time up.
Cook at a higher temperature for less time.
Don’t skip that final resting time. This ensures that the meat relaxes and reabsorbs some of the cooking liquid.

• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.

• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.