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Your favorite tomato bruschetta tops tender and juicy balsamic chicken in this healthy Dump-and-Bake Bruschetta Chicken dinner! Full of simple ingredients and plenty of fresh flavors, it’s a great way to enjoy summer’s ripe tomatoes — in a nutritious and family-friendly meal.
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How to Make Bruschetta Chicken | 1-Minute Video
Y’all are constantly requesting easy dinner ideas that are also healthy and kid-friendly.
This Bruschetta Chicken satisfies all of the important criteria — and it only requires a few minutes of prep!
If you’re familiar with traditional bruschetta, then you know that it’s typically a combination of fresh tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, basil, salt, and pepper served on top of toasted bread.
It’s an Italian antipasto which is a perfect companion for a glass of wine on the patio this season.
But to be honest, a bruschetta appetizer is more of a “special occasion” kind of thing around here. I don’t often think to prepare it for a regular weeknight dinner…until now!
By taking my favorite bruschetta and using it as a topping for my twist on “No Work” Baked Chicken, I’ve basically combined two recipes into one satisfying entree.
The chicken breasts take the place of bread, which makes this dish feel more like a meal than just an appetizer.
The Bruschetta Chicken is practical, and it doesn’t require a party or a special excuse to indulge.
Instead, it’s just a really simple, really flavorful, and really family-friendly dinner recipe for busy summer nights!
Tips for Preparing Bruschetta Chicken
- You can whisk together the balsamic sauce for the chicken in advance and just keep it in your refrigerator (for up to 1 week).
- When it’s time to serve dinner, you will just need to pour the sauce over the chicken breasts in your pan. How easy is that?!
- I suggest using rosemary and thyme to flavor the chicken as it bakes, but you can substitute with any herbs that your family prefers. Get creative!
- To keep prep time short, chop your tomatoes and stir together the bruschetta topping while the chicken is in the oven. Then, when the chicken has cooked through, you will just spoon that delicious pan sauce over the meat and finish with the fresh tomato topping.
What should I serve with my Bruschetta Chicken?
Well, if you want a really simple meal, just serve the chicken and tomatoes on their own! If you’re like me, however, and you have a family of ravenous boys to feed, then you’ll probably want to offer something more on the side. Here are a few suggestions:
- A loaf of crusty French bread (like you would serve with traditional bruschetta), which can be used to soak up the extra pan sauce or to scoop up any stray tomato topping.
- A green salad to keep it light and to add more veggies to your meal.
- Sautéed spinach or other greens.
- Rice or cauliflower rice to serve beneath the chicken.
- Pasta that’s tossed with olive oil and Parmesan cheese.
More Easy Baked Chicken Breast Recipes
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Dump-and-Bake Crack Chicken
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Dump-and-Bake Chicken Marsala Recipe
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Dump-and-Bake Cheesy Chicken and Rice
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Dump-and-Bake Bruschetta Chicken
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts*
- ½ cup maple syrup
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the Bruschetta Topping:
- 1 ½ lbs. fresh tomatoes (I used 4 medium vine-ripened tomatoes)
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
- 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Optional, for serving: grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- In a bowl, whisk together maple syrup, mustard, balsamic vinegar, and salt.
- Place chicken in a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray (I used an 11 x 7-inch dish, but any similar size that holds your chicken will work). Sprinkle chicken with a little bit of salt and pepper, to taste.
- Pour sauce over chicken and toss to make sure that each piece of chicken is well coated. Place sprigs of fresh herbs in the dish (tucked alongside the chicken).
- Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Remove herbs from dish and spoon sauce over meat. Garnish with additional fresh herbs, if desired.
While the chicken is in the oven, prepare topping:
- In a small bowl, combine basil, garlic, oregano, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and lemon juice. Set aside.
- Slice tomatoes into 4 sections, remove seeds, and chop coarsely. Combine tomatoes with the herb mixture and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Before serving, spoon pan sauce over the chicken. Top with tomato mixture and garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.
Yum! This looks amazing. I love easy meals that I know my kids will eat. Thanks for sharing!
That was an easy and delicious meal with loads of flavor! We will definitely be adding it to our repertoire!
Excellent! Thanks, Lindsay!
Hi, cook covered or uncovered, do you think?
Hi, Lisa! Bake it uncovered. 🙂
One of my favorite meals now! Just to save some time can I make everything ahead of time and when we’re ready to eat just put it in the oven or will that make the tomatoes too soggy? Was also thinking it would give the meat more time to marinate. Thanks!
Hey, Jessica! I’m so glad that you love the chicken. 🙂
Yes, you can definitely marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours. Preparing the tomato mixture in advance is a bit trickier. You can definitely do that, but the tomatoes will be softer and the topping will have more liquid in it (so you would want to strain off some of that before serving). It won’t be bad, the texture just won’t be quite as good. Sometimes that’s a fine compromise for a more sane dinnertime, though!
Awesome, thanks!!!
Making this now…..thinkimg of melting some fresh mozzarella in the last few minutes in the oven…..what do u think?
I think it would be delicious with the added cheese!
Hi Blair, may your dish tonight and we were also impressed. My husband wasn’t sure about the tomatoes but when he tried it he liked in a little bit. Are used large and thick chicken breast wasn’t sure if they would be dry and chewy but I was proven wrong they were very tender and moist. Thank you for posting this great recipe keep them coming.
That’s great, Sheila! Thanks for taking the time to come back here and let me know!
Loved this!! As did my family! I did add a bit of bio soy sauce and ginger to the chicken marinade in stead of extra salt and in was perfect! For people who love spicy food, this recipe is great as well, just add some fresh chilli with the herbs or add some cayenne in the marinade!
Thank you, Marie!
Could you use dried herbs instead of fresh, and if so, how much of each?
Sure! I’d use about 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano. I’m not sure that the dried basil will be a very good substitute for the fresh in this dish, but you can give it a try if you like. You’ll need about 1 tablespoon of dried basil.