Baked Italian Chicken Thighs

Baked Italian Chicken Thighs

These succulent chicken thighs are topped with a flavorful trio of cheeses and your favorite marinara sauce. Serve over pasta or rice, or with baked potatoes for a delicious weeknight dinner. I like to shred my cheese as I find it melts better, but feel free to use pre-shredded to save time. 

Prep time: 5 minutes 

Cooking time: 35 mins 

Total time: 40 mins 

Yield: 4  

servings: 4

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup low-fat ricotta cheese 
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese 
• ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning 
• ⅛ teaspoon salt 
• 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken thighs 
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder 
• salt to taste 
• 1 spoon of olive oil
• 1½ cups marinara sauce 
• ¾ cup grated mozzarella cheese 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional) 

DIRECTION

step 1

Heat the oven to 190 degrees C. 

Step 2

Mix the ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning and salt in a small bowl and set aside. 

Step 3

Season the chicken thighs on both sides with garlic powder and salt. 

Step 4

Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs in the pan with the smooth side down and brown them for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the thighs over and remove the pan from the heat. Cover each thigh with an equal amount of the ricotta and cheese mixture. Spoon the marinara sauce over the ricotta cheese and around the chicken thighs. 

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle and the juices run clear, about 25 minutes. A moment read thermometer put in the middle ought to peruse somewhere around 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from the oven and leave the oven on. 

Step 6

Sprinkle chicken with mozzarella cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley and serve. 

NUTRITION FACTS

per serving: 378 calories, 23 g fat, 14 g carbohydrates, 28 g protein.

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