Baked Chicken Mozzarella — One-Pan, 30 Minutes
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Baked chicken breasts topped with melted mozzarella in a thick and spicy tomato sauce. The beauty of this recipe is that it goes straight from the stovetop to the oven in about 30 minutes.
Of all the chicken recipes on this site, melty mozzarella chicken feels like the family’s heart. The aroma that fills the kitchen while it’s baking (garlicky, herby, savory) is unbeatable.
I usually prefer boneless chicken thighs, but I use chicken breasts when I cook crispy bread chicken cutlets or quick pan-fried chicken piccata. This dish is all about the mild and meaty chicken breasts — they’re baked in the oven along with a seasoned tomato sauce. They turn out moist and tender in about 15 minutes.
I call these baked chicken breasts with sauce “rustic Caprese” because the sauce draws from a Southern Italian pantry — canned tomatoes, roasted red peppers, a couple of anchovies, garlic, dried herbs, and a pinch of chili. It ends up thick, chunky, and more interesting than anything you’d get from a jar.
Karen’s ingredient notes
- Canned tomatoes: Instead of using a jar of ho-hum sauce, you’re going to make a flavor-packed tomato sauce with 15-ounce can of tomatoes. I recommend crushed tomatoes because they’re packed in puree and are much less watery than diced ones.
- Anchovy: A lot of people skip the anchovies — but I highly recommend that you don’t. Three oil-packed fillets dissolve completely into the hot oil and only you will know they’re in there. Reader Gudrun, who’d never used them before, put it best in the comments: “I have a new appreciation for the flavor they give.“
- Mozzarella: Low-moisture mozzarella — block or pre-shredded — is what you want. Fresh water-packed mozzarella releases too much liquid in the oven and makes the sauce watery.
One skillet, stovetop to oven
1. Use your largest skillet — 12 to 14 inches. The wider the pan, the faster the sauce will reduce and concentrate. Soften the onion in olive oil until it’s translucent, about 4 minutes. 2. Add garlic, anchovies, and dried herbs and let them cook for about a minute — the anchovies will dissolve completely into the oil.
3. Add the roasted red peppers and crushed tomatoes, stir everything together, and bring to a steady simmer. The sauce needs about 5 minutes to thicken. 4. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper, nestle the breasts into the sauce, and transfer the whole skillet to a 400°F oven.
5. Flip the chicken and sprinkle the mozzarella over the top. 
6. Return to the oven for 3 to 4 minutes until the cheese melts and starts to bubble at the edges 7. Sprinkle with torn basil leaves. Transfer to a platter or serve straight from the pan.
Baked Chicken Mozzarella — One-Pan, 30 Minutes
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 4 (1.3 kg) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 2½-3 pounds
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 chopped onion
- 4 finely chopped or grated garlic cloves
- 3 chopped oil-packed anchovies
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed, optional if using Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, or more/less to taste
- 1 15-ounce (30 g) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
- 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, torn or chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 (220C) degrees.
- Season 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts generously on both sides with salt and black pepper.
- Put a large (12-14-inch) ovenproof skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat. Add ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 chopped onion and 1 teaspoon salt. Cook the onion until it's softened and translucent, 2-3 minutes.
- Add 4 finely chopped or grated garlic cloves, 3 chopped oil-packed anchovies, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground fennel seed, and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper to the pan. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring frequently, until fragrant.
- Stir in 1 15-ounce can crushed tomatoes and 1 cup jarred roasted red peppers. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then arrange the chicken on top of the sauce and turn off the heat. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake 12-15 minutes. Chicken breasts will get dry past 165°F — start checking them at the 12 minute mark.
- Flip the chicken breasts over. Sprinkle 1½ cups shredded mozzarella cheese evenly on top of the chicken and bake 5 more minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- Sprinkle the basil over the chicken and serve.
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Serve with your favorite pasta or zucchini noodles or tossed with basil pesto sauce.
- The chicken keeps up to 5 days refrigerated. You can also freeze it for up to a month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheat at 350 degrees about 15 minutes, or until the portion is heated through.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
Professionally trained cook, cookbook author, and the person behind every recipe here. I cook the way I was trained: Start with good ingredients, understand why they work, and don’t apologize for the salt. These are the recipes I actually make, for the people I love. Read more about me here.
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I made this last night for dinner and it was absolutely delicious. So quick and easy and it packs a lot of flavor. I did leave out the anchovies due to personal preference but it was still super yummy. I could see adding spaghetti into this once this chicken is done cooking in the oven and it being amazing! A definite new staple in my house.
Very tasty recipe and super easy to make! I added mushrooms to the onions and it was delicious! Everyone really enjoyed the dish. I will definitely make it again.
Amazing recipe!
This recipe was delicious. I’ve never used anchovies and have a new appreciation for the flavor they give. Will definitely make this again.
Yay! I love hearing from people who discover the magic of anchovies. They really do add an amazing layer of savory flavor, and it doesn’t hit you over the head. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe 😍
This was so quick to put together and absolutely delicious!!! Will definitely be making this again!!!
Is there anything that i can use to substitute anchovies maybe?
You can omit them, no downside!
It makes the chicken too chewy
Jane – Chicken breasts can easily dry out if they’re overcooked. You might prefer bone-in chicken breasts.
This dish is ABSOLUTLY AMAZING!! I made it for my family and they LOVED it. It is so full of bold flavors and is just wonderful on the pallet. This is a receipt that is already saved in my book and is a definite family favorite.