Italian Dressing Chicken
One of the absolute easiest ways to get a home-cooked meal on the table. So quick and easy, but you'll never know it when you taste the tender chicken and zippy Italian flavors.
Servings: 4
Calories: 346kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts see note
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 cup Italian dressing
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Place chicken in the smallest baking dish that will hold all of the breasts flat in one layer. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, then pour dressing on top.4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, kosher salt and black pepper, 1 cup Italian dressing
- Cover and marinate in the fridge for as little as 15 minutes or as much as 24 hours. If the dressing doesn't quite cover all of the chicken, use a little more, and/or flip the chicken over about halfway through the marinating time.
- When ready to bake, remove baking dish from the fridge and preheat the oven to 375°F. Transfer the entire dish to the oven—dressing and all. Average-sized chicken breasts will take at least 20 minutes to bake; thicker ones may take considerably longer.
- If adding Parmesan, sprinkle it on top for just the final 5-10 minutes of cooking time. For a browned crust on top, turn oven to broil for the final minute or two.1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Serve with lemon wedges and/or a sprinkling of fresh herbs, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken: This works well with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs. In this case, just avoid using thin-sliced breasts; they cook too quickly in the oven. If using chicken thighs, plan on a longer baking time. This recipe does also work with bone-in, skin-on thighs, but it will take extra long to cook, and make sure the skin is facing up when the baking dish goes in the oven. Ideally, it would peek out above the line of the dressing in order to crisp up a bit during the last part of its baking time.
- Italian Dressing: Use any that you enjoy. My go-to is this relatively affordable dressing, or this one for a splurge.
- Homemade Italian Dressing: Can be totally worth it and is surprisingly easy to whip up. If you're going to the effort of making your own for this baked chicken, I would make a double batch of my recipe, so you have plenty for both the chicken and subsequent salads.
- Instant-Read Thermometer: This is your best friend to know exactly when chicken is done. Insert the probe into the chicken at its thickest point to get the best reading; remove from the oven when it reaches 165°F. It does help to cut or pound your pieces of chicken into a relatively even thickness, so they cook through in more or less the same amount of time.
- Variations: Freely add 1-2 cloves minced garlic to the marinade, chopped peppers, a pinch of red pepper flakes, fresh herbs, etc.
- Option To Grill: Remove chicken from the marinade and grill over medium-high heat until cooked through. Discard the marinade.
- Freeze Before Cooking: Place raw chicken in a freezer-safe bag, grind some salt and pepper on top, and pour dressing directly over the chicken into the bag. Seal tightly and store in the freezer for up to six months. When ready to cook, thaw the whole bag in the refrigerator overnight, then transfer to a baking dish and bake according to the recipe instructions, no changes necessary.
Nutrition
Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 627mg | Potassium: 872mg | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 181IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 1mg