Spinach Ricotta Chicken

4.97 from 51 votes

This Spinach Ricotta Chicken is so simple to whip up but tastes like a fancy gourmet meal! Rich and creamy ricotta, parmesan, spinach and a few other simple ingredients come together in this delicious chicken recipe to keep you from making the same old chicken all the time! Ready in 30 minutes too!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Lorie Yarro

Ingredients

1 ½ lb chicken breast
½ tsp cracked pepper
½ tsp sea salt
3 garlic cloves, minced (separated)
1 c ricotta cheese
1 c fresh chopped spinach
½ c parmesan cheese, shredded
1 tsp Italian seasoning
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1 ½ c marinara sauce
extra parmesan for topping about 1/4 - 1/3 cup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425°F.
In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, parmesan, spinach, one garlic clove, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper until fully combined.
Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan, or large baking dish with oil. Line the chicken breasts in the pan and evenly season with salt, pepper and 2 of the garlic cloves. Spread the ricotta and spinach mixture over the top of the chicken breasts evenly. Cover the chicken completely with the marinara.
Bake for about 20-25* minutes or until the thickest section of the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. (For thicker chicken breasts, this could take much longer.) In the last several minutes, add shredded parmesan on top of the chicken and continue baking to melt. If the chicken is thick, it may take longer. Just keep an eye on it.
Allow chicken to rest about 5 minutes before serving. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Leftovers of this chicken are even better!

Video

Notes

If there are major differences in the thickness of the chicken breasts, you can pound the thicker pieces down slightly.
Any kind of ricotta should work for this recipe. I prefer whole milk ricotta.
No spinach? No problem! While it won't technically be "Spinach Ricotta Chicken" anymore, it will still be amazing. I have made this without spinach when I have pulled out some not so fresh spinach from the fridge and no one seemed to complain that evening.

Nutrition