Ricotta Chicken

This baked ricotta chicken pairs tender seasoned chicken breasts with a rich ricotta–parmesan topping, marinara, and melty mozzarella for an easy, restaurant-quality dinner straight from your oven.

Prep Time15

Cook Time40

Total Time55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Keyword: Ricotta Chicken Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 615kcal

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 9x13 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.

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