Pizza Sauce Baked Chicken

This 3-ingredient Pizza Sauce Baked Chicken came to us in a moment of kitchen inspiration. We wanted to make something creative and new, but we only had a few ingredients on hand: chicken thighs, pizza sauce, and olives. We thought to myself: “we wonder if pizza sauce would be good baked on chicken?”. 45 minutes later, we discovered the answer was a resounding “YES!” – it makes for a combination. When we say pizza sauce, we mean a seasoned marinara sauce, either store-bought or homemade. Our favorite store-bought brand is Rao’s or try our Authentic Italian Tomato Sauce (Sugo) recipe made without the meat. If you love pizza and chicken, you will love this recipe.

What stands out

The best part of this dinner idea is that it’s a SNAP to make, without sacrificing any flavour. By using a premade sauce, you are imparting beautiful Italian flavours into the dish, usually oregano and/or basil. PLUS the acidity from the tomatoes helps tenderize the chicken as it bakes. This also comes together in one dish: you prepare and cook the recipe in the same oven-safe baking dish, making clean-up a breeze.

How to Prepare Pizza Sauce Baked Chicken

First, preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).

Next, add the chicken thighs to an 8 x 8 inch oven-safe dish.

Now, add the olive oil, season with salt and then cover each chicken thigh with a heaping tablespoon of pizza sauce.

Add the olives and a splash of olive juice, if using. Then give everything a nice massage with clean hands.

Next, bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the thighs/breasts (or until the juices run clear and a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a piece of chicken measures 165F).

Enjoy on or alongside salad, mashed potatoes, or vegetables.

Kitchen tip

If you’re using premade tomato sauce, only add a pinch of salt in case the pizza sauce is already salty.

Swaps

1. The olives in this dish are optional, but we love how they become meltingly soft in the oven and add a bit of saltiness to the dish. You could also use capers in place of or in addition to olives.
2. To make this even more pizza-flavored, finish it off with shredded mozzarella and grated Parmesan and let melt in the oven for the last minute or so of cooking.
3. You can make this with any cut of chicken, but the cooking times will vary.

Serve it with

• A big, beautiful salad like our Wedge SaladSimple Green Salad or Healthy Potato Salad.
• A classic side of potatoes like our Parmesan Smashed Potatoes or Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes.
• Any vegetable side such as grilled vegetables, steamed broccoli or sauteed carrots.

Questions

What type of jarred sauce do you like?

For this Pizza Sauce Baked Chicken recipe, make sure you get a good-quality pizza sauce with good ingredients because that will make all the difference. Mine is by mark Rao’s and you can find it at grocery stores everywhere.

How Do we make sure the chicken doesn’t dry out in the oven?

To make sure your chicken is always perfectly cooked and still juicy and tender, bake the chicken until the juices run clear and a mark meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a piece of chicken measures 165F.

Can we make this with other cuts of chicken instead?

Absolutely! Just watch the cooking time. Chicken breast, bone-in or -out will take anywhere from 15 to 25 minutes to cook depending on how thick it is so make sure to use a mark meat thermometer to check it’s cooked to 165F.

What else can we use instead of olives?

Jarred capers, with a bit of the juice, will also add a lovely brininess to this dish which complements the tomato flavours perfectly.

Ingredients

Makes 6 thighs

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt, to taste
• ⅓ cup pizza sauce, I love the brand Rao's
• ¼ cup olives, such as kalamata or green olives
• touch of olive juice, (optional)

Equipment

• Baking Dish
• Redmond Real Salt
• Meat Thermometer

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200C).
2. Add the chicken thighs to an 8 x 8 inch oven-safe dish. Add the olive oil, season with salt, and cover each chicken thigh with a heaping tablespoon of pizza sauce.
3. Add the olives and a splash of olive juice, if using.
4. With clean hands give everything a nice massage. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the thighs/breasts, or until the juices run clear and a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a piece of chicken measures 165F. Enjoy on or alongside salad, mashed potatoes, or vegetables.