Italian Baked Chicken

Tender chicken with a light coating of herbs, seasoning and tomato juice makes this easy and delicious Italian Baked Chicken recipe.

This recipe works great for chicken thighs or breasts, depending on which cut of meat you prefer to use.

If you like this recipe you may also enjoy our Baked Chicken Parmesan Casserole and Crock Pot Italian Chicken.

Baked Italian Chicken Recipe

The generous seasoning is what really makes this baked chicken so flavorful. The tomato juice keeps the chicken tender while baking and creates a nice light sauce that’s perfect to serve with pasta and artichokes.

My kids love pasta with butter or olive oil with a thin layer of the tomato glaze. My husband and I prefer to use the juice with meat, quinoa and roasted veggies.

This baked chicken is perfect for meal prep just like our grilled tenderloin and marinated pork chops. We try to eat salads for most week day meals and it’s nice to have a variety of healthy meats to keep meals more interesting.

We enjoy casseroles like Penne Alfredo with Chicken and Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan, but we prefer how this meat alone gives so many meal time options.

Why This Recipe Works:

• Only 5 minutes of hands on time and the chicken is ready to put in the oven.
• This flavorful, but easy meal appeals to everyone in the family including picky eaters.
• The oregano and garlic powder are so simple, but add wonderful flavor in this quick homemade meal.
• I like to make a couple pans so that I have plenty of leftovers to freeze and serve with salad for a quick lunch throughout the week.

Serve with Easy Cheddar Bay Biscuits to complete your tasty meal.

Ingredients Needed:

• Chicken – we have tested breasts and thighs and both taste great and cook in the same amount of time, so pick your favorite cut of chicken and enjoy!
• Tomato Juice – is the marinade, keeps the meat moist, and is great to store the chicken in to reheat leftovers.
• Garlic Powder – such a quick way to mix in some great garlic flavor.
• Oregano – makes the dish look and taste more Italian.
• Salt & Pepper – Season to taste, but we do like more in this recipe as the seasoning makes it memorable.

Why Use Tomato Juice Instead of Pasta Sauce

Using tomato juice in place of the more common pasta sauce makes a meal that is lighter and lower in calories, yet still has great Italian flavors.

The tomato juice is perfect for glazing the chicken and is great for reheating. The juice keeps the chicken moist and is easy to store the chicken in.

Step By Step Instructions

Preheat oven to 375℉. Remove any skin or excess fat from chicken breasts or chicken thighs.

Set meat in a baking dish.

In a small bowl mix together Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic powder and oregano.

Pour over the pieces of chicken and rub as evenly over the top as possible.

In our first test we learned that rubbing the spices into the meat and spreading out as much as possible will create a better finished product.

Pour tomato juice around the edges of the chicken.

Cover the pan with foil.

Set into a preheated oven and bake for an hour until the internal temp of the chicken reaches 165℉.

Slice and serve over pasta, with a salad or with your favorite vegetables.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

• Your favorite cut of fresh, raw chicken will cook well in this recipe.
• Ensure your pan isn’t too big to make the best use of the tomato juice.
• Chicken should be in a single layer to make the best use of your dish.
• It doesn’t matter if the chicken is partially or fully submerged in tomato juice.
• Cook covered with foil to keep the meat moist.
• Tastes great served with artichokes, broccoli, asparagus or another hearty vegetable.

More Quick Weeknight Meal Ideas:

• Ground Beef & Tortellini Bake creates a wonderful skillet meal that is cheesy and family friendly.
• BBQ Kielbasa tastes great as an appetizer on a toothpick or in a sandwich.
• Pig Wings can be baked, smoked or fried and make a unique meal.
• Chicken Pockets are a homemade version of a popular freezer meal favorite.