Chicken With Marinara Recipe

The recipe I have for you today is one I call Chicken With Marinara recipe. It is a simple meal to make with only 4 ingredients, yet is quite tasty. The hardest part of the meal is properly preparing the chicken and marinara sauce, which is accomplished by cooking it in the oven for 15-20 minutes at 400 F.

Easy Baked Chicken Marinara

Chicken marinara is a simple dinner that the whole family will love! This baked chicken marinara recipe is only 5 ingredients, and it’s absolutely delicious. Serve the cheesy baked chicken on a bed of spaghetti for the perfect weeknight meal!

Baked Chicken with Marinara Sauce

This chicken marinara recipe is so easy, so delicious, and everyone is sure to love it. It’s something the whole family will be happy to see on the dinner table week after week!

Baked chicken is smothered in marinara sauce and then topped with mozzarella. Serve it on a bed of spaghetti, and you’re done!

Why You’ll Love this Chicken Marinara Recipe:

• 5 INGREDIENTS: This dish only requires 5 ingredients to make! It couldn’t be easier or quicker to get dinner on the table.
• FAMILY FAVORITE: The whole family will love this baked chicken marinara. It’s cheesy and delicious!
• BAKED NOT FRIED: This recipe is baked instead of fried! Baked chicken topped with marinara and mozzarella is just perfect.

This dish is an easy take on a delicious classic, and it’s only five ingredients. It’s paired up with spaghetti for a complete meal, just add bread and salad! It looks fantastic with minimal effort, and it’s great for when you have guests too.

5 Ingredients

• Spaghetti: Spaghetti is the perfect pasta for this recipe. You can use gluten free or whole wheat options if you prefer!
• Marinara Sauce: Use your favorite jar of spaghetti sauce, or a homemade marinara.
• Chicken: You can use chicken tenders or chicken breast, whichever you prefer.
• Cheese: Two types of cheese (Mozzarella and Parmesan) make up the fourth and fifth ingredients!

How To Make Chicken Marinara with Spaghetti

Be sure to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions!

1. Pour marinara sauce in a casserole dish and lay chicken evenly on top. Then pour the remaining sauce over the chicken.
2. Bake the chicken.
3. While the chicken bakes, cook the spaghetti.
4. Place the cheese on the chicken and broil.
5. Let the chicken cool for 5 mins and serve over a bed of spaghetti.
6. Enjoy!

What kind of chicken should I use for this recipe?

You can either use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenders. Both work great! And you can use fresh or frozen, just thaw frozen chicken the day before.

How long does the chicken take to bake in the oven?

Baking at 350F, the chicken will take between 30-45 minutes to cook. Take it out when the internal temperature reaches 155F (the temp will rise when we broil it).

What should I do with leftovers?

Store leftover chicken in an airtight container, and keep it in the fridge up to 3 days. You can then reheat it in the oven to serve. Leftover spaghetti can also be saved in the refrigerator, but I usually recommend boiling fresh pasta since it’s so quick!

How do I cook the spaghetti?

Cook spaghetti (or any pasta you use) according to package instructions. Simply boil it in water on the stove, until noodles are al dente. This can easily be done while the chicken is baking.

What’s the difference between chicken marinara and chicken parmesan?

They are quite similar, but not exactly the same. Chicken parmesan is typically breaded and fried (or baked). The chicken is also sometimes butterflied and thinned out. With this recipe, however, our chicken breast is not thinned out or breaded. It’s much quicker and simpler!

You’ll be making this baked chicken marinara recipe for weeknight dinners for a long time because it’s totally foolproof!

Serving Suggestions

Chicken marinara is a pretty full meal on it’s own. It’s baked chicken topped with marinara and mozzarella, served with spaghetti. So the only thing I add is some delicious garlic bread, a salad, or maybe some extra veggies.

• Olive Garden Copycat Salad
• Homemade Garlic Bread
• Spicy Cheesy Broccoli
• Three Cheese Asparagus

TIPS!

• Use chicken tenders/breasts that are similar in size so they cook evenly. If some are much larger, cut them in half.
• You can add as much or as little marinara as you like to the chicken. Make it saucy, or keep it light.
• I recommend using whole milk mozzarella cheese on top of the chicken, but you could also use a fresh mozzarella or fontina.
• Garnish your chicken marinara with chopped parsley or fresh basil!

Can I use homemade marinara sauce?

Absolutely! A store-bought jar of sauce is great for convenience. However, you can use this recipe to make marinara sauce instead. It can be made ahead of time and refrigerated, so it’s ready to use!

What pasta should I serve with chicken marinara?

Spaghetti is the most classic option to serve with this dish. But of course you can use any type of pasta you like or have on hand. Long noodles, like bucatini or angel hair pasta, work great. But short noodles, like penne or rotini, will still taste good with the sauce and cheese

This super easy, 5 ingredient, baked chicken marinara will definitely be your new go-to dinner for weeknights. It’s cheesy, easy, and tasty!

Baked Chicken Marinara

Prep: 5 minutes

Cook: 45 minutes

Total: 50 minutes

This 5 ingredient baked chicken marinara recipe is so simple! It’s cheesy, easy, and perfect for weeknight dinners. Baked chicken is topped with marinara sauce and mozzarella, then served with spaghetti!

Ingredients

• ▢1 16 ounce package dry spaghetti, cooked & drained
• ▢32 ounces marinara sauce
• ▢12 boneless chicken tenders
• ▢2-3 cups shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• ▢¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Garnishes:

• ▢Extra grated Parmesan cheese
• ▢Chopped fresh basil leaves

Instructions

• Adjust an oven rack to the middle position, and heat the oven to 350°F.
• Spray a 9×13-inch casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.
• Place 1 cup sauce in the bottom of the casserole dish and set the chicken, evenly, on top.
• Pour the remaining sauce over the chicken.
• Bake the chicken at 350°F for 30-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 155°F. The baking time will depend on the size of the chicken breasts.
• While the chicken bakes, cook the spaghetti per package directions and drain.
• Remove the chicken from the oven and set the oven to BROIL.
• Place a small mound of Mozzarella cheese over each piece of chicken and sprinkle the Mozzarella with Parmesan. Return the chicken to the oven. Broil the chicken (watch closely) just until the cheese has melted and the internal temperature of the chicken registers 160-165°F with a meat thermometer.
• Transfer the chicken to a cooling rack and let rest 5 minutes before serving.
• Serve the chicken and sauce over a bed of cooked spaghetti. Sprinkle with chopped fresh basil and serve with extra grated Parmesan, a side salad and Italian bread.
• Enjoy!

Baked Chicken Marinara Recipe

This baked chicken marinara is quick, simple and super quick to put together. Perfect for a busy weeknight or last minute lunch!

Okay. Don’t shoot me. This is beyond simple and involves…. a jar. <GASP!!!>

Yes, I went the jarred sauce route on this one, but it was clean sauce, and I was short on time. That’s life as a clean eater sometimes. But it was totally worth it. I love Rao’s sauce. It’s a little pricey, but it’s fabulous stuff! (And no, I was not paid to say that. I really do love their sauce.)

So if you need convenience on a busy evening, this is definitely the way to go. You can even spiralize your zucchini ahead of time!  It keeps for about 3 days in the fridge. I put a paper towel in a zipper top plastic bag and then add the zucchini noodles. It keeps really well this way!

BAKED CHICKEN MARINARA RECIPE:

Baked Chicken Marinara

Baked in a cast iron skillet or casserole dish, this dish is simple, easy and quick to put together.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 210kcal

Equipment

• Cast iron skillet OR baking pan with sides

Ingredients

• 28 oz. jar marinara (I used Rao’s marinara)
• 1 lb. chicken breasts (2 breasts, boneless, skinless)
• 4 medium zucchini (raw and spiralized)
• grated parmesan to taste

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Simply empty the jar of sauce into a cast iron skillet or baking dish and set your chicken into the sauce.  Use a spoon to spread some of it over the chicken.
• Bake for about 40 minutes or until the chicken reaches at least 165 F. on a meat thermometer.
• Pour this over some zucchini noodles and dinner is good to go!
• Parmesan optional.

30-Minute Chicken Marinara Sauce

The best chicken marinara sauce comes together quickly with a few pantry ingredients. Use it as an easy dinner of chicken spaghetti or other Italian dishes. With delicious taste, this healthy marinara sauce will be a family favorite.

Introduction

Yummers, according to my wife, this great-tasting dinner recipe is ready in only 30 minutes with these simple step-by-step photo instructions.

Using either the stovetop (quick) or crockpot (low and slow), this is one of the best homemade marinara sauces you will ever taste. Packed with chicken and great Italian flavor, this will become a family favorite.

I followed the ATK suggestion of grating the onion to release the flavor faster. A very nice trick for a quick recipe like this. And is the key to the quick sauce.

The only trouble with the original recipe was no meat. We are meatasauruses at this house, and chicken is the favorite. So instead of about 15 minutes, it took 30 minutes. Not bad, not bad at all.

My Rating

I did a lower 5 rating or a very high 4—an excellent healthy everyday meal.

📋Ingredients

• Chicken – Use raw chicken, like skinless boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, diced into bite sized pieces, You can also use precooked chicken, like rotisserie chicken, added with the tomatoes.
• Tomatoes – Good quality is important – use crushed or diced depending on the texture you like.
• Onion – Grating the onion is the key to a quick sauce with great flavor. You can just dice small but will need a bit longer to cook fully.
• Seasoning – the usual garlic, salt and pepper. The Italian touch comes from basil which can be dry or fresh basil. But oregano, rosemary, or an Italian seasoning mix could be used. The optional red pepper flakes adds touch of heat.

👨‍🍳Cooking Chicken Marinara Sauce on the Stovetop

1. If using raw chicken, trim it to bite-size pieces and start browning.
2. Shred onion and add to the chicken during cooking. Add the garlic near the end of cooking.
3. Add the tomato products and spices. Mix well and simmer—15 minutes minimum, but longer is better. If using for a quick spaghitti dinner, cook the pasta while simmering.

👨‍🍳Cooking Chicken Marinara Sauce in a Crock Pot

1. Process the chicken as stated in this recipe, but you can cut the breasts into 2-3 chunks each if you want to shred near the end.
2. The onion can be chopped or shredded.
3. Cook on low for about 3 hours in a 3 quart or larger crock pot until chicken is 165°. The main time variation is due to chicken size.
4. If shredding, remove the chunks from the pot, shred and then add back to the pot. You could add rotissorie chicken at this point also. Cook another 30-60 minutes to infuse with flavor.
5. A double recipe in a 6 quart or bigger crockpot.

❓FAQs

Can I use other meats in the marinara sauce?

Yes. This marinara sauce is not only quick and easy but is a wonderful basic marinara sauce without meat.

You may go meatless or substitute Italian sausage, hamburger, ground chicken, or turkey. Ground meat should be browned and drained before adding to other ingredients.

How to use chicken marinara sauce?

Usually, you will serve chicken marinara as a simple chicken spaghetti. Just cook pasta like spaghetti or linguine and sprinkle with some parmesan cheese.

Baked chicken ziti or baked chicken spaghetti would be easy with this sauce. In a casserole dish, add some al denta ziti pasta with mozzarella cheese and bake in a 350° oven to a golden brown—instant Italian comfort food.

How to store chicken marinara sauce.

Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze airtight for 3-4 months.

🖼️Step-by-Step Photo Instructions

Trim chicken breast of any fat. Cut into slices across the grain of the meat about ⅜ inch thick, then cut again the other way to make more bit size pieces.

Shred onion with the large side of a shredder into a medium bowl. You can also chop the onion instead-but simmer a bit longer.

In a large skillet add a tablespoon of butter or olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken for about 5 minutes, add the onion and cook until clearing of the onion—about 10-12 minutes total. Add the garlic the last few minutes of cooking.

Add all other spices and tomatoes.  Simmer for at least 15 minutes—cook pasta during the simmering time.

📖Recipe

30-Minute Chicken Marinara Sauce

The best chicken marinara sauce comes together quickly with a few pantry ingredients. Use it as an easy dinner of chicken spaghetti or other Italian dishes. With delicious taste, this healthy marinara sauce will be a family favorite.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• ▢1 to 1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts – or thighs
• ▢1 tablespoon butter
• ▢2-4 cloves garlic – minced or crushed
• ▢1 onion – medium shredded or diced
• ▢28 oz crushed tomatoes
• ▢2 teaspoons dry basil – or 2 tablespoons fresh
• ▢1 teaspoon salt
• ▢½ teaspoon pepper
• ▢¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper – optional to taste
• ▢¼ teaspoon sugar
• ▢1 pound Pasta of your choice

INSTRUCTIONS

Photos ONOFF

• Trim chicken breast of any fat. Cut into slices across the grain of the meat about ⅜ inch thick, then cut again the other way to make more bit size pieces
• Shred onion with the large side of a shredder. You can also chop the onion instead-but simmer a bit longer.
• In a large skillet add a tablespoon of butter or olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken for about 5 minutes, add the onion and cook until clearing of the onion—about 10-12 minutes total. Add the garlic the last few minutes of cooking.
• Add all other spices and tomatoes.  Simmer for at least 15 minutes—cook pasta during the simmering time.
• Serve over cooked pasta or in other dishes.

Recipe Notes

Pro Tips

1. An easy recipe to cut in half.
2. Use the pasta and chicken you want. You can leave out the chicken or use other meats.
3. You want about 1 to  1 ½ pounds of chicken. The recipe calls for raw but you can use rotisserie chicken. Add it with the tomatoes.
4. Use good ingredients. If you use generic tomatoes, you will have generic results.
5. The shredded onion released flavor and cooks rapidly. It is the secret of the quick sauce. You can use chopped onion and cook a bit longer.
6. Good refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for 3-4 months.
7. Nutrition does not include pasta.

Crockpot Option

1. Process the chicken as stated in this recipe, but you can cut the breasts into 2-3 chunks each if you want to shred at the end and mix it back in.
2. The onion can be chopped or shredded.
3. Cook on low for about 3 hours until chicken is 165°. The main time variation is due to chicken size.
4. If shredding, remove the chunks from the pot, shred and then add back to the pot. Cook another 30-60 minutes to infuse with flavor. You could add rotisserie chicken at this point if desired.
5. This will fit in a 3 quart or bigger crockpot. A double recipe in a 6 quart or bigger crockpot.

To adjust the recipe size:

You may adjust the number of servings in this recipe card under servings. This does the math for the ingredients for you. BUT it does NOT adjust the text of the instructions. So you need to do that yourself.