Mozzarella Chicken Bake is a great one-skillet dinner that is ready in only 30 minutes. This is a family favorite and Weight Watchers friendly too.
A lot of times it is hard to come up with new dinner ideas when it comes to chicken and being able to use ingredients that you already have at home. Mozzarella Chicken Bake has a simple ingredients list and can be tailored to serve a smaller or larger family.
If you are following a Weight Watchers plan you can reduce the points by reducing the mozzarella cheese that is being used and also scale back on the olive oil or butter.
Instant Pot Cabbage or Air Fryer Zucchini Chips are a great side dish to pair with Mozzarella Chicken Bake. If you use your Instant Pot and/or air fryer you don’t have to worry about trying to load everything into your oven or using your stovetop at the same time.
Here are some other chicken dishes you will love: French Onion Chicken, Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken, Air Fryer Chicken, and Cajun Stuffed Chicken.
Mozzarella Chicken Bake
Ingredients for Mozzarella Chicken Bake
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1½ tbsp Italian seasoning, divided
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
3-4 sprays of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
¼ c. chicken broth, preferably organic
½ c. multi-colored cherry tomatoes, quartered
8 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
½ t. red pepper flakes
How to Make Mozzarella Chicken Bake
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat.
- Rub the chicken thighs with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle both sides with one tablespoon Italian seasoning. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and transfer to the hot skillet.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken develops a golden crust. Remove from heat and add butter, chicken broth, and cherry tomatoes. Top each chicken thigh with a slice of fresh Mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes and remaining Italian seasoning. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.
- Transfer skillet (or transfer mozzarella chicken baked into an oven-safe dish from your skillet, see notes below) into preheated oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes.
- To serve, top chicken with some pan sauce and fresh basil sprigs or other fresh herbs of your choice, if desired. Serve immediately
Is my pan safe to go in the oven?
If your cookware has a plastic handle or coated handle these are not oven safe. Most of the time ceramic pans can withstand stovetop and oven heat. If your pan is entirely made of ceramic it is safe to use. The best option would be a cast-iron pan if you have one.
If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet or don’t feel comfortable putting your cookware into the oven you can transfer Mozzarella Chicken Bake from your skillet to an oven-safe dish such as a Pyrex casserole dish or another oven-safe pan of your choice.
Weight Watchers Smartpoints and Information for Mozzarella Chicken Bake
Servings: 6
Smartpoints for Green plan: 7
Smartpoints for Blue and Purple plan: 5
If you would like to reduce smart points for this dish you can reduce the amount of cheese used along with the amount of oil.
Tips for Making Mozzarella Chicken Bake
- If you don’t want to use I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter you can always use other spreadable or stick butter. If you are on Weight Watchers don’t forget to account for the points.
- Feel free to add your favorite herbs and spices or substitute for the red pepper flakes.
- If you don’t have multicolored tomatoes that’s okay you can use regular red tomatoes. The primary purpose for multicolored is just for presentation.
- Chicken thighs can also be substituted for this dish as well.
- Are you a fan of other cheeses? You can always substitute mozzarella or use an Italian blend of cheeses
- Be sure to allow the chicken to rest at the end this will ensure that all flavors and juices are locked in to make the Mozzarella Chicken Bake moister.
- Don’t forget the recommended internal temperature of chicken is 165 degrees. Use a thermometer as needed to check the temperature.
| Mozzarella Chicken Bake | SavePrint |
Mozzarella Chicken Bake is a great one-skillet dinner that is ready in only 30 minutes. This is a family favorite and Weight Watchers friendly too. Weight Watchers Smartpoints for Green plan: 7 Smartpoints for Blue and Purple plan: 5;
Serves 6
Yields: 6 servings
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1½ tbsp Italian seasoning, divided
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
- 3-4 sprays of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
- ¼ c. chicken broth, preferably organic
- ½ c. multi-colored cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 8 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, sliced or shredded
- ½ t. red pepper flakes
Preheat your oven to 425°F.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large, oven-safe skillet over medium heat.
Rub the chicken thighs with the remaining olive oil and sprinkle both sides with one tablespoon Italian seasoning. Season with salt and black pepper, to taste, and transfer to the hot skillet.
Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the chicken develops a golden crust. Remove from heat and add butter, chicken broth, and cherry tomatoes. Top each chicken thigh with a slice of fresh Mozzarella cheese and sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes and remaining Italian seasoning. Season with additional salt and black pepper, if desired.
Transfer skillet (or transfer mozzarella chicken baked into an oven-safe dish from your skillet, see notes below) into preheated oven and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and the cheese is melted. Remove from oven and allow chicken to rest for 5 minutes.
To serve, top chicken with some pan sauce and fresh basil sprigs or other fresh herbs of your choice, if desired. Serve immediately
- Preparation time: 10
- Cook time: 25-30
