My tasty baked ricotta chicken layers chicken cutlets in marinara sauce, a ricotta cheese mixture, and lots more mozzarella cheese. This makes a family dinner that is easy to prepare, layer, and bake for a chicken dish that is anything but boring. It's a satisfying meal that your family will surely love.
For more easy chicken dinners, try my marry me chicken or take a look at my collections of quick chicken recipes and crockpot chicken recipes.
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I'm always looking for new chicken breast recipes because it's one of the few proteins I keep stocked in my freezer year-round. I do my best to frequently switch things up so we don't get tired of the same plain chicken recipes.
I gave this baked ricotta chicken a try a while back and my family agreed, this was one chicken dinner that was worth repeating. It has juicy chicken cutlets with a melted 3-cheese ricotta mixture and marinara sauce on top - and you'll never get tired of it.
🥘 Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts - Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make thin chicken cutlets. Opt for boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
- Seasoning - Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning are all you need.
- Ricotta Cheese - I recommend using whole milk ricotta for the best flavor and texture. My ricotta mixture for lasagna would also work well, omitting the Parmesan cheese and basil below.
- Parmesan Cheese - Freshly grated Parmesan is one-third of the 3-cheese mixture used in baked ricotta chicken.
- Marinara Sauce - 3 cups of marinara sauce divided into two equal portions. Pasta sauce is a great alternative.
- Mozzarella Cheese - Shredded mozzarella or a shredded Italian cheese blend. Half will go into the ricotta mixture, and the other half will be used to top the chicken.
- Fresh Basil (optional) - Fresh basil is optional, but I highly recommend it if you have it for an authentic Italian flavor.
- Lemon Juice (optional) - A squeeze of fresh lemon juice makes the ricotta cheese mixture flavor 'pop'.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Baked Ricotta Chicken
You are going to need a knife and cutting board, measuring utensils, a mixing bowl, a 9x13 baking dish, and a silicone spatula.
This recipe makes 6 servings of baked ricotta chicken with 1 cutlet per person.
Prep The Chicken
Step 1: Preheat. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C/Gas Mark 5).
Step 2: Add a layer of marinara. Spread half of the 3 cups (490 grams) of marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish (photo 1).
Step 3: Slice and season. Slice 2 pounds (907.18 grams) of chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4-6 thinner cutlets. Season to taste with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and ¼ teaspoon each of salt & pepper (photos 2, 3, 4).
Make The Ricotta Mixture
Step 4: Make ricotta mixture. Add 2 cups (248 grams) of ricotta cheese, 1 cup (100 grams) of Parmesan cheese, and 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning to a mixing bowl and stir to combine (photos 5, 6, 7).
Assemble
Step 5: Assemble. Lay the chicken cutlets in the casserole dish side by side. Then, use a silicone spatula to spread the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over each chicken breast (photo 8).
Step 6: Top with remaining marinara. Top each chicken cutlet and the ricotta mixture with the remaining marinara sauce (photo 9) and half of the 2 cups (224 grams) of mozzarella cheese (photo 10).
Bake, Rest, & Serve
Step 7: Cover and bake. Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C/Gas Mark 5) for 20 minutes.
Step 8: Uncover and add cheese. At the 20-minute mark, take the chicken out of the oven and remove the foil. Sprinkle the remaining cup of 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese over the whole thing and return it to the oven to bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.
Step 9: Rest and serve. Remove from the oven (photo 11) and let the casserole rest for 5 minutes when done. Garnish with the optional fresh basil and serve.
🥗🥘🍲 Best Served With
Serve your chicken casserole over pasta like buttered noodles, Instant Pot basmati rice, or vegetables. I enjoy using sauteed green beans as a base when eating low-carb.
There are lots of great side dish ideas on my page for what to serve with baked chicken. Enjoy!
>>>See All Of My Tasty Recipes Here!<<<
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Chicken breast sizes vary greatly. I like to look for medium-to-large chicken breasts so they are not sliced too thin.
- Use your favorite brand of pasta sauce. Arrabbiata or pomodoro sauce are also great tomato sauces for this dish.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken cutlets have reached an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part. Thicker chicken breasts will take longer to cook.
- To brown the cheese on top, I pop it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes. Just be sure to keep a close eye on it because it can go from brown to burnt quickly.
🥄 Make Ahead Options
Prepare baked or unbaked ricotta chicken for an easy grab-and-heat freezer meal.
Assemble and/or bake the casserole, then wrap it tightly with a layer of plastic cling wrap and then a second layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil. This double layer helps prevent freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Bake uncooked ricotta chicken as directed in the recipe above, but add 10-15 minutes to the total cooking time to cook from thawed.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Let cool, then transfer the ricotta chicken and sauce to a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The baked ricotta is best when reheated within the first 1-2 days, usually 3 days at most.
Freezing
Freeze leftovers in a shallow airtight freezer storage container. Thaw and reheat within 3-4 months at most. Note that the texture of your ricotta may change slightly after freezing.
Reheating
Let the frozen chicken casserole thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Reheat cooked chicken in the oven, covered, at 375°F (190°C/Gas Mark 5) for 15-20 minutes.
Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave, covered with a damp paper towel. Heat for 1 minute on high power, then add 30-second increments until warmed to your satisfaction.
❓ Baked Ricotta Chicken FAQ
Ricotta cheese will hold its shape when baked. Your baked chicken dinner will have melted cheesy goodness from the mozzarella and parmesan cheeses, but the ricotta texture will still be soft, fine curds.
The egg is added as a binding agent to keep ricotta in between other layers nicely. It is not needed for this easy, baked chicken recipe. If, however, you like the added richness of an egg in your ricotta it will not hurt or change the dish.
There is no need to worry about extra liquid for the baked chicken casserole. You can drain off the excess liquid from your container if desired.
To remove more excess liquid, strain the liquids out of the cheese by placing a cheesecloth in a fine mesh sieve with the ricotta. Squeeze out the last bit of excess liquid and continue with the recipe.
🐔🐓 More Tasty Chicken Recipes
- Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken
- Panda Express Black Pepper Chicken
- Cracker Barrel Broccoli Cheddar Chicken
- Budget Friendly Dinners To Make
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📖 Recipe Card
Baked Ricotta Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breasts (cut in half lengthwise to make cutlets)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt (to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper (to taste)
- 2 cups ricotta cheese (whole milk ricotta is recommended)
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 3 cups marinara sauce (divided - or use pasta sauce)
- 2 cups mozzarella cheese (shredded, divided - or use an Italian blend)
- fresh basil (optional, garnish)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
Prep & Preheat
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C/Gas Mark 5).
- Spread half of the 3 cups marinara sauce in the bottom of a 9×13 casserole dish.
- Slice 2 lbs chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make 4-6 thinner cutlets. Season to taste with ½ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper.
Make The Ricotta Mixture
- Add 2 cups ricotta cheese, 1 cup Parmesan cheese, and 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning to a mixing bowl and stir to combine.
Assemble
- Lay the chicken cutlets in the casserole dish side by side. Then, use a silicone spatula to spread the ricotta cheese mixture evenly over each chicken breast.
- Top each chicken cutlet and the ricotta mixture with the remaining marinara sauce and half of the 2 cups mozzarella cheese.
Bake, Rest, & Serve
- Cover the casserole dish tightly with foil and bake at 375°F (190°C/Gas Mark 5) for 20 minutes.
- At the 20 minute mark, take chicken out of the oven and remove the foil. Sprinkle the remaining cup of 2 cups mozzarella cheese over the whole thing and return it to the oven to bake uncovered for another 15 minutes.
- Let rest for 5 minutes when done, then garnish with the optional fresh basil and serve.
Notes
- Chicken breast sizes vary greatly. I like to look for medium-to-large chicken breasts so they are not sliced too thin.
- Use your favorite brand of pasta sauce. Arrabbiata or pomodoro sauce are also great tomato sauces for this dish.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken cutlets have reached an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) at the thickest part. Thicker chicken breasts will take longer to cook.
- To brown the cheese on top, I pop it under the broiler for 2-3 minutes. Just be sure to keep a close eye on it because it can go from brown to burnt quickly.
- To refrigerate: Let cool, then transfer the ricotta chicken and sauce to a sealed airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- To freeze: Freeze leftovers in a shallow airtight freezer storage container. Thaw and reheat within 3-4 months at most. Note that the texture of your ricotta may change slightly after freezing.
- To cook or reheat from frozen: Let the frozen chicken casserole thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating. Reheat cooked chicken in the oven, covered, at 375°F (190°C/Gas Mark 5) for 15-20 minutes. Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave, covered with a damp paper towel. Heat for 1 minute on high power, then add 30-second increments until warmed to your satisfaction.
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
This rich and cheesy baked chicken dinner is a great way to serve a hearty family meal. My family loves the golden baked mozzarella topping and the ricotta pasta sauce smothered chicken breasts.
Charlsa says
My family loved this!