This is baked ricotta chicken — juicy chicken smothered in a creamy ricotta-Parmesan layer, topped with melted mozzarella, and baked in marinara until everything comes together. The sauce thickens in the oven, turning into something you can spoon straight over pasta.
What makes this version work is how simply it’s put together. There’s no heavy sauce to manage and no extra steps to babysit — just a straightforward bake that delivers every time.
About This Ricotta Chicken
This is a baked recipe, not a skillet dish or a creamy stovetop chicken. It’s structured as a plated chicken dinner rather than a casserole. The ricotta adds creaminess without turning into a sauce, and the marinara stays where it belongs instead of becoming watery.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 1 ½ cups jarred marinara sauce
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 ½ cups whole milk mozzarella cheese,
- 1 large egg
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon italian seasoning blend
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil
A Few Helpful Tips
Use whole-milk ricotta for the creamiest texture.
Season the ricotta generously. Ricotta is mild, and under-seasoning is the most common mistake.
Don’t bury the chicken in sauce. Marinara should sit around and lightly over the chicken, not completely cover the ricotta layer.
Broil only if needed. If you want more color on the cheese, a quick broil at the end works — just watch it closely.
How This Ricotta Chicken Comes Together
Here’s how the ricotta chicken is layered before it goes into the oven.
What It Should Look Like When It’s Done
You should see gentle bubbling around the edges, fully melted mozzarella with light browning, and chicken that slices cleanly. The ricotta stays creamy, and the sauce is thick enough to cling to pasta or vegetables without running across the plate.
What to Serve With Ricotta Chicken
This is designed to be flexible:
Over pasta (spaghetti, penne, rigatoni) so you can spoon the sauce and melted cheese over everything
With roasted vegetables (broccoli, zucchini, green beans) if you want to keep it lighter
With a simple Caesar salad + crusty bread for a classic, no-fuss dinner
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat gently until warmed through. The oven is best if you want to keep the cheese from turning rubbery, but the microwave works for quick lunches.
More Chicken Casserole Recipes
Ricotta Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups jarred marinara sauce
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and pounded to an even ½ inch thickness (approximately 1 ¾ to 2 pounds)
- 1 ¼ cups whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 2 ½ cups whole milk mozzarella cheese, from an 8 ounce block (divided (½ cup mixed with ricotta cheese and 2 cups to top the chicken)
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ¾ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¾ teaspoon italian seasoning blend
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- Spread half (¾ cup) the marinara sauce evenly into the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish. Reserve the remaining ¾ cup for later.
- Place the boneless skinless chicken breasts into the baking dish in a single layer and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add the whole milk ricotta cheese, freshly grated parmesan cheese, ½ cup of the shredded whole milk mozzarella cheese, egg, garlic powder,Italian seasoning blend, salt and black pepper stirring until fully combined and the mixture is smooth.
- Divide the cheese mixture evenly and top each of the four chicken breasts with a portion of the cheese mixture. Spread the cheese mixture evenly over each chicken breast.
- Spoon the remaining half (¾ cup) of the marinara sauce evenly over the tops of each of the cheese coated chicken breasts. Gently spread the sauce without mixing into the cheese mixture too much.
- Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake the ricotta chicken for 25 minutes.
- Remove the aluminum foil, sprinkle the remaining shredded mozzarella cheese evenly over each of the chicken breasts and return to the oven to finish baking for an additional 15-20 minutes or just until the cheese is melted and the internal temperature of the chicken breasts reaches 160°-165°F with a meat thermometer. You can broil the top of the cheese for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking time to brown the cheese more if desired, being sure to keep an eye on it to ensure the cheese does not burn.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven and allow the ricotta chicken to rest for 3-5 minutes before adding the optional garnish of chopped fresh basil if desired. This allows the basil to stay fresh and the juices to redistribute, keeping the chicken tender and juicy when sliced.
Notes
- A good quality jarred marinara sauce keeps this recipe quick and easy however, homemade sauce works beautifully if you have it.
- If you find that your grocery store has very large boneless skinless chicken breasts, you can cut two of the large chicken breasts in half lengthwise, pound each half into uniform thickness, to use for this recipe. If your chicken breasts are more or less than ½ inch thick, you will need to adjust your total baking time accordingly.
- The use of freshly grated parmesan cheese ensures the best melt and flavor for this recipe. If you are using a pregrated packaged parmesan cheese, be sure that it does not have any added ingredients to prevent clumping and sticking. These added ingredients prevent the grated cheese from melting as well as the freshly grated cheese.
Nutrition
Comments
Diane L says
Made this for dinner the other night and it was so tender. Really moist chicken and the cheese mixture was spot on. We had to double the recipe (big crowd) so we put all the chicken on a large, oven-sized baking sheet. Still turned out so good.