Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake
181 Comments
Updated Oct 16, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
This spinach artichoke chicken bake is seriously packed with flavor! It’s a mix of diced chicken breast, artichoke hearts, bell pepper, and a creamy lemon-herb sauce that makes the whole dish even better as it cooks in the oven.
I find myself making this spinach artichoke chicken bake ALL the time. The inspiration for this recipe came when I was looking for a way to use up canned artichoke hearts in my pantry. And given how much I love my spinach artichoke dip and chicken broccoli casserole, I decided to meld those together into this tasty new recipe.
But the best part about this chicken bake recipe is how darn easy it is. I’m a big proponent of simple, meal-prep-friendly ideas, and this definitely checks that box. It’s wonderful served for a family dinner over mashed potatoes, rice or lentils, and the leftovers are just as good to enjoy throughout the week.
Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake Ingredients
- Chicken: This recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you could also use chicken thighs.
- Artichoke Hearts: To make the process easier, I’m using canned artichoke hearts that are already sliced and quartered.
- Fresh Vegetables: I’m using a combination of red bell pepper, onions, and spinach. If you’re not a fan of spinach, you can swap it for kale, Swiss chard, or another leafy green.
- Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise forms the base of the sauce, keeping this recipe dairy-free if you don’t add the cheese. And while you can use a store-bought version, it’s so easy to make homemade mayonnaise.
- Cheese: This is optional, but adding some freshly grated parmesan into the sauce helps to create a slightly cheesy, and creamy texture. And it’s not an overpowering cream sauce like other chicken casseroles.
- Garlic & Lemon: Just four cloves are needed, but feel free to add one more if you like an extra punch of garlic. As for lemon, you’ll need both lemon zest and lemon juice to give the sauce a bright punch of flavor.
- Dried Herbs: Dried oregano and thyme are the ultimate duo to give the sauce a delicious herby spin.
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake
Prep the chicken. First, grab a 9×13-inch baking pan so that everything fits perfectly. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C), slice the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces, and place them in a large mixing bowl.
Add the veggies. Chop up bell pepper, onion, and spinach. Then, add them to the bowl with the artichoke hearts and parmesan cheese (if using).
Mix up the sauce. In a small bowl, stir the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, salt, and black pepper. Then, pour the sauce on top of the chicken and veggie mix and gently stir everything until it’s well combined.
Time to bake. Place the mixture into an even layer in the casserole pan. Then bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Make sure to give it a taste test, and always feel free to add more salt and pepper if you’d like!
Common Questions
For a light meal, I’ll often eat this on its own or on top of salad greens. For a heartier meal, I’ll serve this over mashed potatoes, rice, or lentils.
There will be liquid that accumulates in the bottom of the pan from the veggies and chicken, that’s normal. But it helps to keep the chicken moist while cooking! Just use a slotted spoon to scoop out the chicken and veggies. And if you’re serving with mashed potatoes, rice or lentils, I love to drizzle those extra juices on top!
Storage Options
Let me emphasize how great of a meal prep recipe this is. It makes six servings, which is perfect for a two-person meal prep. For a family of four or more, bake a second batch to enjoy later in the week or freeze!
- To store for the week: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
- To freeze for later: Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. To reheat, simply microwave a portion for about 2 minutes. You can also add the whole thing back into a casserole pan and reheat in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 15 minutes.
More Chicken Recipes
I’ve got quite a few options of one-pan recipes listed below to help make weeknight dinners easy. And if you need even more ideas, check out my full list of chicken breast recipes or chicken thigh recipes.
- Chicken Stir Fry
- One Pan Chicken and Rice
- Greek Sheet Pan Chicken
- Balsamic Chicken with Brussels Sprouts
I hope you enjoy this spinach artichoke chicken bake as much as I do! Once you cook this up, let me know your thoughts in the comment box below. Your review will help other readers in the community.
Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3 to 4 chicken breasts)
- 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
- ½ medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 (13.5-ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts, drained and excess liquid gently squeezed out
- 2 cups (lightly packed) baby spinach, roughly chopped
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan (optional)
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced (about 1 tablespoon zest and 3 tablespoons juice)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the chicken. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces, and place in a large mixing bowl.
- Dice the veggies. Add the bell pepper, onion, artichoke hearts, spinach, and parmesan cheese (if using) to the mixing bowl on top of the chicken.
- Make the dressing. In a separate small mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon zest and juice, oregano, thyme, salt, and pepper.
- Stir it all together. Pour the dressing on top of the chicken and veggies and gently stir until well combined.
- Bake. Place the mixture into a 9×13-inch baking pan. Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Lisa’s Tips
- Note that liquid will accumulate in the bottom of the pan. That’s normal and expected (and it helps to keep the chicken moist while cooking). Simply use a slotted spoon to scoop out the chicken and veggies. Though if I’m serving this bake on top of rice or lentils, I love to drizzle some of those extra juices on top!
Nutrition
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
Love this recipe! Very easy, full of flavor. Made exactly as it says on recipe. Did some advanced prep….cut up and froze chicken, cut up bell pepper and onion. The advanced prep made it extra easy to assemble. I served to guests who raved about this dish. I served with rice and steamed broccoli. Definitely making again!
Hi Teri – Happy to hear you loved this spinach artichoke bake!
Sounds delicious! Can sour cream be substituted for the mayonnaise?
Yes, that can work as well. Enjoy!
Wondering if this has ever been served cold? I took a few bites during prep and was really tempted to not cook it at all and serve it on a bed of greens. Delicious!
Hi Kristen – I haven’t tried this chilled, but it could be good!
My husband and I had this for dinner last night and it was delicious. My husband’s comment was this is a keeper recipe. I served it by itself. Nothing else was needed. I loved how easy it was to prepare and how healthy it was. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Vicky – Thrilled to hear both you and your husband loved this chicken bake!
Delicious! Thank you! Great directions! Easy to assemble! Fabulous taste!
Hi Monica – Happy to hear you love this chicken bake recipe!
Delicious and simple. I served it with quinoa . Thank you!
Hi Penny – This sounds delicious served with quinoa!
Curious on why the sodium content is so high in the nutritional info? Is this because of the artichoke hearts?
Just made this and served with vermicelli rice noodles and was absolutely delicious. Will definitely try with basmati next time.
The nutrition info is calculated automatically from the ingredients, so yes, it’s probably due to standard sodium in canned veggies. Happy you loved the recipe!
This is great! I made it with thawed chicken breasts and they were really juicy when it was done – that’s not always the case with frozen chicken. I served it on brown rice, which was a really nice compliment to it. I’m adding this to our dinner rotation – definitely a keeper!
Hi Eleanor – I’m so glad you love this recipe!
This is the best recipe. I followed the recipe and it is easy and delicious.
Happy you loved it, Donna!
I made this last night for 5 of us. We all loved it, even a 3 year old! Lisa, this is an amazing recipe and I want to thank you for it. I plan to make this frequently. It is so delicious!
Yay, I’m happy you and your family love it, Deborah! Enjoy!
Your recipes are great and delicious. For sure I’m going to make this Spinach Artichoke Chicken this weekend.
Hi Angelina – I can’t wait for you to try this chicken bake!
Love this recipe, it is one of our favorites. I added a few capers in the last batch I made, which was delicious.
Since our family is allergic to peppers, I don’t use them in recipes, so miss out on the red color. Any thoughts on using sun-dried tomatoes instead?
Yes, you can use sun-dried tomatoes instead!
Just tried this for the first time – we loved it! It was so easy it’ll definitely be in our regular rotation!
Awesome, happy to hear you loved it, Miranda!
Going to try this, however the fat content is a little high to fit my macros. Lisa & co, how do you feel about substituting light mayo for the base. I love Parmesan so I’d hate to see that go.
Hi Thomas – You could definitely make that tweak to the mayo. No problem. Hope you enjoy it!
Wow! This was delicious and perfect for a busy weeknight meal! We LOVED the combination of flavors. The chicken was so tender! I rarely use artichokes, so this ramped up what I normally serve for an ordinary weeknight! Thanks!
Thanks, Karen! Happy you loved it!
This is a GREAT casserole! I used frozen chopped spinach instead of fresh, for convenience. One time I used about half a bag each spinach and collard greens–yummy! This is a great make ahead meal and freezes well. I’m a bariatric surgery patient and it’s easy to add more chicken to the recipe to bump up the protein content, and the fact that there aren’t any pastas or rice in it keeps the carb count down. But if my husband wants to have it over one of those starches, it’s easy to whip some up for him. (But he doesn’t even miss that.) It’s permanently in our meal prep rotation!
I’m so glad you love this spinach artichoke chicken bake! It really is such a great meal prep recipe.
So happy you both love the recipe, Kim! And yes, it’s great as-is or served on a variety of sides or starches. Enjoy!
This was delicious! I used Pecorino cheese instead of Parmesan and my package of chicken breast was only 1.5 pounds. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for another delicious healthy option.
You’re welcome, Krystal! Happy you loved it!
Second time making this. Yummy and easy to make.
Woot! Happy to hear it’s been on repeat.
This was delicious! Lisa, what artichokes did you use for this recipe? Simply canned or marinated? I wasn’t sure so I used one of each, but next time I would like to make it as you intended.
Hi Jenny – I tend to just use whatever I have in my pantry at the time, haha. So that might be canned sometimes and marinated others. When I developed the recipe I was using up canned artichokes, but either works!
This was absolutely delicious! I loved how light it was. I ended up needing 2 lemons for enough juice but other than that followed recipe exactly and it was perfect. I’ll be adding to my regular rotation. Thank you for another outstanding recipe! XO
You’re more than welcome, Peggy! I’m so happy you loved it.
Made this and had with cauli rice. Delicious!
Thrilled to hear you loved this chicken bake recipe, paige!
This was delicious. I served it with brown rice.
Happy to hear you loved the recipe, Michelle!
Would it make sense to season and brown the chicken first?
You can season the chicken if you’d like first, but there’s no need to brown it.
I love artichokes and was excited to make this. Let me say it did not disappoint! I added some sun-dried tomatoes I needed to use but followed the recipe to the letter otherwise. Everyone loved it and it will be part of my rotation now. Thank you!
Sounds delicious with the addition of sun-dried tomatoes! Happy you loved it, Steph!
I didn’t care for it at all, sorry
Hi Claudia – was there something in particular you didn’t like about it?
Hello. Is this something that can be made in a crock pot?
I haven’t tried this in a crockpot yet, but if you do, let me know how it turns out!
This was soooo good and full of flavor. I didn’t have fresh red pepper so I used 1/3 of a jar of Roasted Red Peppers w/ Garlic ( I think I’d use the whole jar next time), also used marinated artichokes (drained), added extra parmesan, used greek yogurt instead of mayo (didn’t have mayo), a handful of frozen spinach (all I had left). I would definitely use fresh spinach next time. Didn’t serve it over anything, it was great on its own. I served with a side of fresh steamed green beans. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers tonight!
So happy you loved it! And sounds great with all your tweaks as well. It’s a super flexible recipe!
This dish was fabulous! Each bite was a little different depending on how much fresh garlic or artichoke or spinach or onion you got with each bite! The sauce was so tasty & doesn’t over power the dish! My husband loved it too & requested not to lose this recipe!! 😊
Sounds like a winner for sure, yay! Happy you both loved it. :)
Every time I try something new of yours I’m always pleasantly surprised how much my 2 year old and husband love it. This recipe will go into our weekly rotation served with spaghetti squash! Thank you for another crowd favorite!!
Yay, I’m glad the whole family loved it!
Fabulous recipe!! Very easy to put together. I added the parmesan cheese and will probably add more next time as it was that good. I used Lisa’s homemade mayonnaise recipe in this, which was awesome! I also added extra garlic, which is always good according to Lisa!!! Great flavor!! This will be in my dinner meal regular rotation. Thank you Lisa! Loving your cookbook recipes and the Downshiftology group on Facebook tremendously!!
I’m glad the homemade mayonnaise worked out perfectly for this chicken bake, Susan!
Absolutely fabulous recipe for company or not! Perfect combination of ingredients, and it looks beautiful. I found it easy to make and easy to clean up. Thanks a bunch!
Thanks so much Marianne for your positive review! I’m thrilled you loved it!
I made this last night with green lentils as a side. The bake dish is so tasty and moist, especially due to Lisa’s dressing. The juices at the bottom were great added on top of the served plate. Will definitely be making this again, and maybe using the dressing on other Mediterranean style meals.
Love how you served this chicken bake with lentils on the side! The perfect balanced meal.
It was sooo insanely delicious and easy. I had mine over brown rice, so flavorful! I may try adding capers to the recipe next time. Just to add more zang. I love this recipe. New meal prep weekly staple!
Capers would be a delicious addition to this chicken bake!
I wasn’t sure if I would like this dish but oh my gosh, it was delicious! I didn’t add Parmesan cheese, because I didn’t have any, but it was yummy without! Thanks Lisa
Thrilled to hear you took a chance and ended up loving this dish, Libby!
I made the Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake – it was delicious! I forgot to take a picture. I will definitely make it again and have already passed the recipe on to friends.
That’s great to hear Debbi! I hope your friends enjoy this spinach artichoke chicken bake as well.
Great use of pantry and handy ingredients. Hubby wanted it to be creamier, but flavors were spot on.
You can always add more cheese and mayonnaise to make this chicken bake creamier!
I’m about to make this tonight! It sounds absolutely delicious!!
Just one question,
When should I add the cheese?
Hi Kaitlyn – you’ll add that in step 2.
Yummy! (Hubs even went back for seconds) I used the greens I had on hand (a combo of spinach, kale and arugula) I also used a combo of freshly grated Parm and Swiss because I happened to have both and they needed to be used. I served it over mashed potatoes. This one is going into the repeat rotation. Thanks for another winner! 😊
Thrilled to hear you’re loving this spinach artichoke chicken bake! It really is great for using up leftover leafy greens.
I just made this and, OMG, it’s delicious! Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this spinach artichoke chicken bake Bonnie!
Made it today….delicious….can’t wait to see how the flavours develop tomorrow, yum yum yum.
Hope you enjoy those leftovers, Lorraine!
I made this recipe tonight and it was absolutely delicious! So much flavour😋
I’m so happy you loved it, Andrea!
Thank you so much for this yummy recipe! I just made it for dinner. It’s so good! I think I will make this dish more often. Thank you again!!
Wonderful! It’s definitely a recipe I have on repeat as well. :)
Can I replaced the mayo with something else? Coconut cream?
You can also use Greek Yogurt or sour cream!
That looks great!!! Where did you get the pan you baked it in? Is it ceramic or enameled cast iron?
Hi Susie – you can find this enameled cast iron pan on the Shop page on our website!
This sounds delicious, I’m hoping to make it tomorrow. I have a large 935g jar of artichokes (from Costco). What weighed quantity do you suggest I use, please?
You’ll need 27 ounces of artichoke hearts, which is about 765 grams.
A five star rating for how EASY and TASTY this dish is!!! Next time I may add some crimini mushrooms too! Thank you again, Lisa.
Woot! Thanks so much for that five star rating, Marie! I’m thrilled you love the recipe. :)
It‘s very delicious recipe
I tried and it’s very easy. Thank you Lisa
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe looks amazing, thank you for sharing! I too have artichokes in the pantry that need to be used. But, they are marinated artichokes. Can I use them instead of canned?
Yes, those are fine as well!
Thank you for letting me know, Lisa. Cheers!
I made this for dinner tonight and all I can say is…Wow! It was so good. The sauce was amazing and had just the right amount of lemon in it. I served it over rice so we didn’t lose any of the sauce and it was perfect! Prep time took me more than 15 minutes but I like the fact that while it was cooking, I could get all the dishes cleaned up. I am definitely going to be making this again! Thanks Lisa!
Yay, so happy you loved the recipe, Cathy! That bright lemon flavor with the artichokes is the best. :)
Hi Lisa,
I love this recipe except for one thing- mayonnaise! Can you recommend a substitute for the mayonnaise?
Thank you!
Hi Carla – you could swap that with sour cream if you’d like.
Sounds really good
Looking forward to making it
Hope you enjoy the recipe, Barbara!
This recipe looks amazing. However, I’m currently on a very strict diet and can’t have the mayo or cheese. Do you have any thoughts on how it could be modified to come out somewhat similar? I’m wondering about maybe some chicken broth sauce?
Chicken broth would work. You could also try my dairy-free cashew cream recipe on my website!
I too am restricted in my diet. Coconut cream gives the same consistency and works well.