This oven baked 4-ingredient feta sun-dried tomato chicken is exactly the kind of Sunday recipe I lean on when I want something that looks special but basically cooks itself. You literally butterfly a few chicken breasts, lay them in a glass baking dish, then sprinkle crumbled feta and two pantry ingredients right over the raw chicken. The feta melts into salty, creamy pockets, the sun-dried tomatoes get a little toasty and sweet, and everything mingles with the olive oil into a built-in pan sauce. It’s a simple, Mediterranean-leaning bake that disappears faster than anything else on the table, which makes it perfect for casual company or a low-effort family dinner.
Serve this feta sun-dried tomato chicken straight from the glass baking dish with something that can soak up all the flavorful juices—think buttered orzo, rice, or a hunk of crusty bread. A simple green salad with a lemony vinaigrette or steamed green beans balances the richness really well. If you’re stretching it for a bigger crowd, slice the chicken and layer it into warm pitas with a handful of baby spinach or arugula. Leftovers (if you have any) are great sliced over mixed greens for lunch the next day.
Oven Baked Feta Sun-Dried Tomato ChickenServings: 4
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied (about 2 pounds total)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Grab a 9x13-inch glass baking dish and lightly drizzle or spray it with a bit of olive oil to keep the chicken from sticking.
Butterfly the chicken breasts: Place one chicken breast flat on a cutting board. With your hand on top to steady it, use a sharp knife to slice horizontally through the thickest side, stopping just before you cut all the way through, then open it like a book. Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
Lay the butterflied chicken breasts flat in a single layer in the glass baking dish. If they overlap a little, that’s okay; just tuck them in so they fit snugly.
Drizzle the olive oil evenly over the raw chicken breasts, then sprinkle with the kosher salt and black pepper. Use your hands to gently rub the oil and seasoning over both sides, then lay the chicken back down flat in the dish.
Sprinkle the chopped sun-dried tomatoes evenly over the raw butterflied chicken breasts, making sure each piece gets some. The tomatoes can fall into the spaces in the dish—that just adds flavor to the juices.
With clean hands, sprinkle the crumbled feta cheese generously over the top of the raw chicken and sun-dried tomatoes, letting it land in little piles and crumbles across the surface and into the edges of the glass baking dish.
Transfer the baking dish to the preheated oven and bake for 22–28 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part. The feta will be soft and lightly golden in spots, and there will be flavorful juices in the bottom of the dish.
Once baked, remove the dish from the oven and let the chicken rest for about 5 minutes so the juices settle. Spoon some of the pan juices, feta, and sun-dried tomatoes over the top of each piece as you serve.
For a Sunday spread, bring the glass baking dish right to the table on a trivet and let everyone help themselves. Slice the chicken breasts if you’d like smaller portions, and serve with your favorite sides to soak up the sauce.
Variations & Tips
For a bit more color and nutrition without adding much work, scatter a handful of halved cherry tomatoes or a cup of baby spinach around the chicken before baking; they’ll roast right in the same dish. If you prefer darker meat, you can swap in boneless, skinless chicken thighs—plan for a slightly longer cook time and still use a thermometer to check for 165°F (74°C). To lean into the Mediterranean flavors, add 1 teaspoon dried oregano or Italian seasoning when you season the chicken with salt and pepper. If you like a little heat, sprinkle on a pinch of red pepper flakes with the sun-dried tomatoes. For meal prep, you can butterfly and season the chicken, then top it with sun-dried tomatoes and feta, cover the glass dish, and refrigerate up to 12 hours before baking; just add a few extra minutes in the oven if it’s going in cold. Food safety tips: Always wash your hands, cutting board, and knife thoroughly after handling raw chicken. Use a separate cutting board for raw meat if possible. Make sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) measured with a food thermometer in the thickest part. Don’t leave the baked chicken out at room temperature for more than 2 hours; refrigerate leftovers promptly in a shallow container and eat within 3–4 days, reheating until hot all the way through.
