There is nothing better than an easy chicken recipe! Your oven will do all the work for you, and the most delicious baked chicken chicken with cheese and tomatoes will be on your table in 30 minutes!
For the dish, you can use whole chicken, and filet, and breast. Without bones and peels, the meat is very soft, juicy, soaked in tomato juice, with a light aroma of garlic and a mixture of herbs, under a gentle crust of Mozzarella cheese. You will definitely like every golden piece of chicken.
How to cook chicken baked with cheese and tomatoes?
There are only four main steps in the recipe:
1. Marinating chicken in a mixture of herbs, salt and pepper. And don't forget the most fundamental ingredient: olive oil. It not only adds flavor to chicken breasts, but also retains moisture, and helps the seasonings stay on the surface of the chicken without sticking to the baking dish.
2. Adding balsamic vinegar, which acts like two in one: gives the meat tenderness and adds another level of taste.
3. Roasting. This is the part that scares inexperienced cooks. How long do you bake chicken breasts? High or low temperature in the oven? How do you know if they are ready? There is nothing worse than dry and hard chicken, but even this should not be a bad experience. In the end, it's just chicken.
4. Roasting. Do you want melted cheese to boil and turn golden on chicken? Yes.
Ingredients
In order to cook chicken, baked with cheese and tomatoes, you will need:
- 4 skinless chicken breasts (250 g of each breast) or 1 chicken weighing 1 kg;
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil;
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano;
- 1/2 teaspoon dry basil;
- 1 teaspoon of salt;
- black pepper to taste;
- 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped garlic (5-6 cloves);
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half;
- 1/4 red onion, chopped into strips or rings;
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar;
- 1 tablespoon of brown sugar;
- 3/4 cup freshly chopped Mozzarella cheese;
- 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley or basil, for decoration.
Let's get started!
Cooking
Preheat the oven to 220 ° C / 430 ° F.
Put the chicken breasts in a baking dish and coat with olive oil. Season oregano, basil, salt, pepper and one tablespoon of chopped garlic. Spread the seasoning over the entire surface of the chicken. Fill the empty spaces around the breasts or the whole chicken with tomatoes and red onions. Mix balsamic vinegar, sugar and the remaining garlic, pour the resulting chicken mixture. Roll each breast in the sauce so that it spreads evenly.
Place in a preheated oven for 20-25 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts) and bake until tender - there should not be pink juice. Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 4-5 minutes until the melted cheese turns golden brown.
Ready chicken, baked under cheese with tomatoes, can be served with rice, pasta, mashed potatoes or any salad. Garnish with parsley or basil.
At what temperature should I cook baked chicken with cheese and tomatoes in the oven?
It is recommended to bake chicken breasts at high temperature (220 ° C), but not at low and slow. Why? Because the longer the chicken stays in the oven at a low temperature, the faster it dries and becomes like a sole. Remember, breast does not take much time to prepare.
How long does the dish take?
At the above temperature, usually within 20-25 minutes. It all depends on whether you have chicken breast or a whole chicken. Cooking a carcass may take longer: the juice should become transparent, and the meat at the bones should be white. If in doubt, use a meat thermometer to make sure that the chicken has warmed to 70-75 ° C. Cooking time for chicken baked with cheese and tomatoes may vary depending on how big the chicken is, whether you bake the breasts or fillets, how much power your oven has, and whether you preheated it before baking.
Which cheese to use?
For chicken fillet baked with cheese and tomatoes, it is recommended to use freshly chopped or grated Mozzarella cheese. Pre-crushed packaged cheese will never give the same result as fresh. You can also use a different kind of cheese, the main thing is to be sure that it will melt well and not spoil the dish.
When to serve the dish?
After baking, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing it. Cheese acts like a foil, which allows you to save all the juices.
What wine is suitable for the dish?
Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio will be suitable for baked chicken with tomatoes and cheese. If you prefer a sweeter wine, then we recommend a glass of chilled Riesling.
Garnish?
The dish can be served with simple rice, pasta, seasoned with olive oil and garlic, mashed potatoes. If you eat good nutrition (PP), baked chicken with tomatoes and cheese can be served with something lighter, such as a simple salad.