Baked Ricotta Chicken Recipe

Close-up of baked ricotta chicken with creamy ricotta, marinara sauce, and melted mozzarella cheese.

No ratings yet

Baked Ricotta Chicken features tender chicken breasts topped with creamy ricotta and Pecorino Romano, marinara sauce, and plenty of melted mozzarella. It's an easy, cheesy chicken dinner that's perfect for any night of the week.

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Resting Time10

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: baked chicken with ricotta, baked ricotta chicken, cheesy baked chicken, chicken with ricotta cheese, Italian baked chicken, ricotta chicken

Servings:

Calories: 429kcal

Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients

2 large Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
1 cup Whole milk ricotta cheese
1 cup Shredded Pecorino Romano shred on the small holes of a grater
2 cloves Garlic minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp Kosher salt plus more for seasoning the chicken
1/2 tsp Ground black pepper plus more for seasoning the chicken
2 cups Marinara store-bought or homemade
1 1/2 cups Shredded mozzarella cheese
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish if desired

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Slice two large chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have four thinner pieces. Season both sides with a little kosher salt and black pepper.
2 large Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise
Add the ricotta, Pecorino Romano, garlic, Italian seasoning, kosher salt, and pepper to a bowl and stir until everything is well combined. Spread some of the marinara sauce in the bottom of your baking dish. Arrange the chicken in a single layer over the sauce.
1 cup Whole milk ricotta cheese, 1 cup Shredded Pecorino Romano, 2 cloves Garlic, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp Ground black pepper, 2 cups Marinara
Divide the ricotta mixture evenly between the chicken breasts (about a heaping 1/4 cup each) and spread it over the tops. Spoon the remaining marinara over everything, then cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Bake for 20 minutes, remove the foil, and sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken. Place it back in the oven and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165ºF and the sauce and cheese are bubbling.
1 1/2 cups Shredded mozzarella cheese
If you want those browned, bubbly spots on top (and we do), turn on the broiler for a minute or two at the end. Just don't walk away from it. Mozzarella can go from beautifully browned to burned pretty quickly.
Allow the chicken to rest at least 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve over pasta or rice.
Chopped fresh parsley

Notes

Cut the chicken thin. This is important. Thick chicken breasts will take much longer to cook, and by the time they’re done, everything on top has been in the oven longer than it needs to be.
Use whole milk ricotta. It really does make a difference here. It’s richer and creamier and holds up nicely in the oven.
Use a marinara you already know you like. There aren’t a ton of ingredients in this recipe, so you’ll taste that sauce. Homemade is wonderful, but a good jarred marinara makes this ridiculously easy.

Nutrition