Garlic Basil Baked Chicken Breast with Tomatoes
Try this Garlic Basil Baked Chicken Breast with Tomatoes recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this Garlic Basil Baked Chicken Breast with Tomatoes recipe, or contribute your own.
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- olive oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes depending on how spicy you like things
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups tomatoes cut to rough 1-inch chunks (leave cherry
- 1/4 cup torn fresh mozzarella cheese
- basil leaves for serving
- 3 cloves garlic crushed with the side of a large kni minced
- 1 bunch fresh basil
- Carbohydrate 0.283095579924435 g
- Cholesterol 136.88 mg
- Fat 6.45071833453804 g
- Fiber 0.0706666665232952 g
- Protein 54.5215999999408 g
- Saturated Fat 1.26685083349681 g
- Serving Size 1 1 chicken breast (256g)
- Sodium 1898.29048852448 mg
- Sugar 0.21242891340114 g
- Trans Fat 0.874376458365677 g
- Calories 294 calories
Step-by-step
- Make Chicken Marinade: Remove basil leaves from stalks and set the stalks aside. Roughly chop the basil leaves so that you have about 1/4 cup. Whisk red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper together until the salt has dissolved. Stir in the garlic and basil. Refrigerate and use within 1 to 2 hours.
- Prepare Chicken Breasts: Add chicken breasts to the marinade and marinate for 1 hour and up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.
- Heat the Oven and Prepare a Piece of Parchment Paper: Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly oil one side of a sheet of parchment paper that is large enough to cover the baking dish.
- Prepare the Tomatoes and Chicken: Add the basil stalks set aside from earlier to a baking dish large enough to fit the chicken breasts arranged in one layer. Add the tomatoes then toss with about 1/2 a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Nestle the chicken breasts down into the tomatoes, allowing the tomatoes to gather up the sides of each chicken breast. Throw the garlic cloves from the marinade into the baking dish then cover the dish with parchment paper. Loosely tuck the parchment paper around the chicken.
- Bake the Chicken and Tomatoes: Bake until the chicken is opaque all the way through and an internal thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast. Check for doneness around 25 minutes then go from there. Most chicken breasts will take 35 to 40 minutes.
- Scatter mozzarella on top of each breast then broil on high for about a minute or until the cheese melts.
- Serve the chicken with the baked tomatoes, juices from the bottom of the baking dish, and torn basil leaves.
Juices bubble around the edges of the baking dish as sweet tomatoes collapse into a rich, savory pan sauce beneath tender white meat. Achieving this texture relies entirely on moisture management during high-heat roasting. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts dry out rapidly because they lack protective fat layers, but surrounding the meat with high-moisture vegetables shields the protein from direct, aggressive heat currents. Tossing the tomatoes with olive oil and salt draws out their natural cellular water before baking begins, creating a self-basting environment inside the covered baking vessel.
The Moisture Shield Technique
Covering the baking dish with oiled parchment paper traps steam released by both the chicken and the tomatoes. This enclosed vapor cooks the meat evenly at 400 degrees Fahrenheit without scorching the surface aromatics. Removing the paper only during the final broiling stage allows the mozzarella cheese to melt rapidly without overcooking the interior. Target an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit measured at the thickest part of the breast to ensure food safety while maintaining juiciness.Adapting the Dish
Adjusting components to fit specific dietary needs requires minimal effort. Olive oil functions as the primary fat source, keeping the preparation naturally dairy-free until the final cheese addition occurs. Eliminating the mozzarella yields a dairy-free dish while retaining the robust flavors of the garlic and vinegar marinade. Olive oil can also be replaced with avocado oil if a higher smoke point is preferred during the brief broiling finish.
