Our family loves this baked chicken breast with roasted red peppers and basil, all gently cooked in a citrus broth. I’m always on the hunt for new ways to cook chicken breasts, and this recipe is a perfect fit!
A pantry staple in our home is always a jar of roasted red peppers. They’re so versatile, colorful, and packed with flavor, making them perfect for everything from salads and sandwiches to dips and casseroles. In fact, one of those jars inspired the creation of this recipe. Their bright red color makes the dish truly pop!
Beyond the peppers, we add fresh basil, orange juice, lemon juice, and garlic. This casserole comes together in minutes and is fantastic served with cilantro lime rice, cooked quinoa, or mashed cauliflower, all of which are great for soaking up the delicious cooking liquid. For more, see this list of 10 baked chicken recipes!
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: I use skinless, boneless chicken breasts in this recipe. They work perfectly, staying incredibly juicy because they gently simmer in the citrus broth, almost like poached chicken.
- Roasted Red Peppers: For convenience, jarred roasted red peppers are a great option. However, if you’re feeling ambitious, you can certainly roast your own (we show you how in our roasted red pepper hummus recipe!).
- Garlic: We only need one clove, but it perfumes the citrus broth nicely.
- Orange and Lemon Juice: If you can, use freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice. They will be less sweet.
- Basil: I love the pop of red from the peppers and the pop of green from fresh basil. It also perfumes the citrus broth, making this a super summery chicken dish. I love it.
- Butter: This recipe is really light on its feet (and totally works as a high-protein chicken recipe, by the way!). A small amount of butter adds just enough fat to give the citrus broth a wonderfully silky texture. It truly transforms the broth without making the dish heavy.
Initially, I referred to this as a chicken casserole since we’re using a casserole dish, but I realized that might be confusing, as casseroles are typically heartier than this light and summery dish.
Whatever we call it, you’ll line up sliced chicken breasts, alternating them with roasted red peppers and basil, then pour over your citrus broth and bake. You can see how in our photo above. So easy, and that liquid you see around the chicken is pure gold! Don’t leave it behind. It’s great over rice or just slurped with a spoon.
Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Bake
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Our family is always on the hunt for new and interesting ways to cook chicken breasts, and this baked chicken with roasted red peppers, basil, and citrus is a perfect fit. The chicken slowly braises in a mixture of orange and lemon juice, which keeps it nice and juicy, preventing it from drying out. The cooking liquid is also quite delicious spooned over the chicken for serving. I especially love this over rice, like our cilantro lime rice.
You Will Need
1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (12oz) jar roasted red peppers
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup (120ml) orange juice, freshly squeezed is best
1/4 cup (60ml) fresh lemon juice
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked off the stems
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Prepare oven and baking dish: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and set aside a 2-quart baking dish.
2Prepare the chicken: Slice each chicken breast, on an angle, into 1-inch slices and season all over with salt and pepper.
3Prepare the peppers: Open the jar of roasted red peppers, drain the liquid, and then cut the peppers into smaller chunks, similar in size to basil leaves.
4Assemble the casserole: Scatter minced garlic in the bottom of the baking dish. Pour half of the orange juice and half of the lemon juice mixture over the garlic.
5Starting in one corner of the baking dish, alternate chicken slices with pieces of roasted red pepper and basil leaves, then pour the remaining orange and lemon juice over the chicken. Cut the butter into small squares, then scatter them over the chicken.
6Bake the casserole: Bake the chicken until a thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 165°F, 20 to 30 minutes.
7Serve the chicken over mashed potatoes, with rice, or vegetables. There will be lots of extra cooking liquid to spoon over the chicken.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Roasted peppers: One 12-ounce jar of roasted red peppers usually contains 1 very large or 2 medium peppers. To learn how to roast them yourself, refer to our roasted red pepper hummus recipe for tips.
- Nutrition facts provided are estimates.
This is an amazing recipe. Its a favorite! I serve it with rice. FYI if we have leftovers, I make paninis’ with provolone and a drizzle of Olive oil. Literally the best paninis we ever had. Great way to make 2 dinners from one. Absolutley love this dish!!! I cant tell you how much inspired tastes has saved me over and over! Many Thanks! Tanya
So easy and delicious! I have shared this recipe with my family and friends. Best new chicken recipe that I have tried in years. My new favorite.
I followed the directions and used fresh basil from my garden and it was amazing. Thank you so much . I will add this to my favorite dinners. I served it over cauliflower rice.
Excellent recipe. Very tasty and colorful and quick and healthy. What more could you ask for in a recipe. The only tip I have is don’t by the living basil just buy the packaged stuff or wait till Summer and grow your own.
I know it may be a silly question but would thin chicken breasts work too?
Hi Cathy, Thinly cut chicken breast or small chicken breast will work just fine.
Thank you Thank you !!! I felt like I had nothing to cook for my family tonight so I put in chicken and red pepper what do I cook and your site came up. My husband is a Sous chef here in Atlanta and he running home to eat dinner tonight and wine suggestions
Thank you
Quick, easy & delicious! I used dried basil because I didn’t have fresh. Just sprinkled some on. I think next time I would try it without the butter to see how it compares. The sauce is so fresh with just a little tang that I don’t think I would miss the butter!
What about some lemon slices layered in and a little less juice? Might make it even prettier? Thanks, jo
BTW, my hubby is a Cordon Bleu trained chef and I try to impress him occasionally.
Making this tonight! Sounds delicious! Thank you. Should I cover it with foil in the oven while baking?
Great! There is no need to cover the dish.