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5 from 6 votes

Chicken Marinara

This chicken marinara recipe is full of all the comforting tastes you want while also being good for you. It's one of the most delicious baked chicken tenderloin recipes you're ever going to find.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Course: Casserole, chicken, Main Course, one dish meal, Protein
Cuisine: Comfort, comfort food, Italian
Keyword: baked chicken tenderloin, chicken, chicken marinara, chicken tenderloin recipe, chicken tenderloins, gluten free, marinara
Servings: 8
Calories: 206kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Low-fat cottage cheese (120 g)
  • 1/2 cup Part-skim ricotta cheese (120 g)
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, divided (40 g)
  • 2 Frozen garlic cubes, or 2 cloves
  • 1/4 cup Parsley (12 g)
  • 1/2 cup Basil (25 g)
  • 1/2 cup Spinach (25 g)
  • 2 lbs Chicken tenderloins or breasts, chopped into bite-sized pieces (896 g)
  • 1 Tbsp Olive oil (15 g)
  • 2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 2 tsp Oregano
  • 1 tsp Garlic powder
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 15 oz can Crushed tomatoes, or marinara sauce (420 g)
  • 2 oz Shredded mozzarella cheese (56 g)

Instructions

  • In a small food processor or blender, blend the cottage and ricotta cheeses, ¼ cup of the parmesan, garlic, parsley, basil, and spinach until it forms a pretty smooth paste. Don’t go crazy, a few green specks are great!
  • Add your chopped chicken to a 9x13 baking dish. Toss with olive oil and seasonings. Top with the cheese mixture and combine well. Pour crushed tomatoes over the top of the chicken mixture, then top with mozzarella and remaining ¼ cup of parmesan.
  • Bake at 375 for 30 minutes until the top is bubbly and chicken is cooked through. If you want the cheese to brown a bit more, just broil for a few more minutes. It will be a bit watery right out of the oven, but will thicken up a little as it sits. We might like the leftovers even better!
  • PRO-TIP: To avoid that extra liquid at the end, you can also bake the chicken for 10 minutes BEFORE adding the cheese and sauce. Carefully pour off the extra liquid and then proceed to add the cheesy mixture, marinara, and cheese. Bake for only 15 additional minutes.
  • Serve over pasta, spaghetti squash, or on crusty buns with extra marinara or pesto like a chicken parmesan sandwich. ENJOY.

Notes

GF/DF: This one is gluten-free but not dairy-free
Repeated from above: To avoid that extra liquid at the end, you can also bake the chicken for 10 minutes BEFORE adding the cheese and sauce. Carefully pour off the extra liquid and then proceed to add the cheesy mixture, marinara, and cheese. Bake for only 15 additional minutes.
 
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Nutrition

Serving: 208g | Calories: 206kcal | Carbohydrates: 5.6g | Protein: 29.8g | Fat: 7g | Fiber: 1g