Chicken Bruschetta Bake is easy to make, uses fresh ingredients, and is bursting with summer flavors. It’s also naturally low-carb and gluten-free! Assemble or cook on the weekend for a quick dinner or lunch during the week.
Bruschetta is one of my favorite ways to enjoy tomatoes! Traditional bruschetta is an Italian appetizer that includes diced raw tomatoes tossed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and fresh basil.
Most people are familiar with eating bruschetta on a toasted baguette, but it’s also delicious on chicken breasts. You can spoon some cold bruschetta on grilled Italian chicken for a healthy summer dinner.
Or you try this Chicken Bruschetta Bake recipe, which brings bruschetta to the next level.
Reasons you’ll love this recipe
- It’s a fantastic way to use cherry tomatoes – If you have an abundance of summer tomatoes, add this recipe to your “must make” list.
- The flavor is outstanding – Tomatoes roasted in the oven are one of the best ways to enjoy this summer fruit all year long. Add in red onion, balsamic vinegar, and garlic, and your kitchen will smell like an Italian restaurant within an hour.
- Easy to prepare – You can assemble this recipe in less than 10 minutes.
- It’s gluten-free – Serve with rice, zoodles, spaghetti squash, or gluten-free pasta to keep this recipe a part of your healthy gluten-free lifestyle.
- Meal prep – Assemble the ingredients a couple of days beforehand or prepare entirely ahead of time for quick, easy healthy dinners.
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts – high-quality organic chicken keeps this recipe clean. Pound the chicken breasts into ½ inch cutlets helps them cook fast and evenly. I use 1.5 – 2 lbs chicken breasts. This equals 3-4 chicken breasts.
- Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper – It’s essential to season the chicken breasts before using them in any recipe. I use a version of this simple spice blend in most of my healthy chicken recipes.
- Cherry tomatoes – This chicken bruschetta bake is flexible. You can use grape tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, or chop up your favorite tomato variety. It also won’t make a difference if you use more or fewer tomatoes.
- Red onion – When I first started making this recipe, I didn’t add red onion to the mix. But then, one time, I did and never looked back! Red onion roasted in the oven is delicious, especially when it’s nestled in with tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, and garlic.
- Extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and grated garlic – This trio is the flavor foundation for this recipe.
- Fresh basil – this adds a burst of fresh flavor.
Cooking Tips
You can keep the bruschetta cold – If you prefer it this way, mix the tomatoes, onions, garlic, balsamic, and basil, preferably a day ahead of time. Season and cook the chicken, then add the bruschetta afterward. But I recommend trying the chicken bruschetta baked at least one time because it’s so good.
You can use store-bought bruschetta – This will taste a little different because the ingredients are cut smaller and most likely has other flavorings, but it’s still tasty.
Use your favorite cut of chicken – I prefer boneless skinless chicken breasts, but bone-in or chicken thighs will work too. You might need to adjust the cooking time depending on the cut and size. Regardless the temperature needs to be 165 degrees to be thoroughly cooked.
Add fresh mozzarella cheese – I like to keep this a low-fat recipe, so I skip the cheese, but if you want another layer of deliciousness, add a few fresh mozzarella slices during the last few minutes of cooking time. Or toss some cold cubed pieces of fresh mozzarella in with the chicken bruschetta and zoodles or pasta.
Don’t use canned tomatoes – You can’t beat the flavor of roasted fresh tomatoes; it makes this recipe, so I recommend skipping the canned tomatoes this time around.
You can leave out the red onion – Or swap in white onion in that’s all you have. We love onions in our house but taking them out won’t ruin the recipe.
What to serve with it?
This easy bruschetta chicken goes with everything!
Here are our favorite ways to enjoy this recipe:
- With pasta – As the bruschetta cooks down, it forms into a light sauce that is amazing with spaghetti or angel hair pasta. Of course, gluten-free pasta is delicious with this chicken dish too.
- With brown rice – Putting together a rice bowl with chicken bruschetta is a great gluten-free option or if you want some carbs but not pasta. You can even make brown rice ahead of time to have it ready in the refrigerator or freezer for a quick dinner.
- With spaghetti squash or zoodles – this option keeps the carbs low and the recipe naturally gluten-free.
- Just grab a fork – you don’t even need any extra sides to go with this recipe; it’s good by itself.
Meal Prep Tips
- You can assemble this recipe 1-2 days ahead of time. Cover it with foil and store it in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to cook it, remove the foil and continue with the recipe.
- You can make the bruschetta up to 3-4 days in advance, so all you have to do is prep the chicken the night you make it.
- Cook the entire recipe ahead of time and portion it out into meal prep bowls for lunches or dinners for the week.
- Or store the chicken bruschetta in a glass container to warm up for dinners.
To reheat, warm up the chicken bruschetta in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until heated through. You can also enjoy this recipe cold.
How to Make Chicken Bruschetta Bake
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Start by putting together the bruschetta tomato mixture. Mix the tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar in a large bowl. It’s unnecessary, but If you can let the bruschetta sit for an hour or longer, or even make it the next day, that will give the flavors time to marinate and infuse more flavor.
- Next, prepare the chicken breasts. Trim off any excess fat or skin for the boneless chicken breasts. Then, one at a time, place them in between two pieces of plastic wrap or into a plastic Ziploc bag and, using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts into ½ inch thick pieces. You want the chicken breasts to be relatively the same size, so they cook evenly.
- In a small dish, mix the Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Season the chicken breasts with the seasoning mixture.
- Place the seasoned chicken breasts into a 9 x13 ceramic baking dish.
- Pour the bruschetta on top of the chicken and then place it in the oven for 45 – 50 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit when it’s cooked thoroughly.
- Remove the chicken bruschetta bake from the oven, and sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve hot with pasta, rice, zoodles, or spaghetti squash.
Chicken Bruschetta Bake
Equipment
- 9 x 13 ceramic baking dish
- Meat Thermometer
- Large Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
- 1 medium red onion cut in half and then sliced
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1.5lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 3 or 4 (4 ounces) chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped basil liaves chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Start by putting together the bruschetta tomato mixture. Mix the tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar in a large bowl. Set it aside.
- Next prepare the chicken. Trim off any excess fat or skin for the boneless chicken breasts. Then, one at a time, place them in between two pieces of plastic wrap or into a plastic Ziploc bag and, using a meat mallet, pound the chicken breasts into ½ inch thick pieces. You want the chicken breasts to be relatively the same size, so they cook evenly.
- In a small dish, mix the Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Season the chicken breasts with the seasoning mixture.
- Place the seasoned chicken breasts into a 9 x13 ceramic baking dish.
- Pour the bruschetta on top of the chicken and then place it in the oven for 45 – 50 minutes. The internal temperature of the chicken should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit when it’s cooked thoroughly.
- Remove the chicken bruschetta bake from the oven, and sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve hot with pasta, rice, zoodles, or spaghetti squash.
Notes
Nutrition
Other Baked Chicken Recipes
Did you make this recipe?
Have you tried this Chicken Bruschetta Bake recipe yet? If so, I’d love for you to rate this recipe and leave a comment below. We all learn from each other’s experiences. Also, it would be awesome if you could share a picture on Instagram and tag it #organizeyourselfskinny. I can’t wait to see it.
Lynda says
Planning on making this tonight. Your recipe says a serving size is 1g?
Tammy Overhoff says
Sorry! Serving size is 1 chicken breast and 1/4 of the tomatoes.
thelittleone1978 says
I’ve just finished eating this with my family. So delicious. Chicken was super juicy, flavours were amazing! Can’t wait to try more recipes.
Sharyn says
Made this tonight and everyone – including my picky 6-year-old – loved it! Served with my CSA summer squash and ravioli (3 pieces, no butter). Delish!!
Meg says
This is cooking right now and my house smells amazing!
SM says
Just put Bruschetta mixture in some zucchini boats. Home they turn out well!
kym says
So, do you marinate the chicken too? Or just the tomatoes? Sounds yummy!
Ryan Williams says
Next night will be Bruchetta night 🙂 ! This recipe fits right into my diet. So many proteins and low carbs & fat. Thanks Tammy for sharing!
Heather says
This sounds wonderful and super easy! I am going to try it tonight. Thanks for the great recipe!
Joyce says
My family loves bruchetta….I am trying this tonight! I great meal to follow my teens first day back to school:)
Heather says
My house smells absolutely amazing right now. If this tastes anything like it smells right now, we are in for a treat!
Tammy says
I hope you enjoyed it. I had the leftovers for lunch yesterday and it was good even the second time around.
Heather says
It was wonderful, Tammy! My husband, who isn’t usually a tomato lover, ate up the last few tomatoes in the dish and said, “If tomatoes always tasted like this, I would eat them all of the time.” Thanks for the great recipe!
Michelle says
I am making this tonight too! Sounds perfect and it’s finally cool enough in Southeast PA to use the oven!