Zesty Italian Chicken is an EASY dinner idea made with only 4 simple ingredients! Chicken, Italian dressing, garlic & Italian seasoning combine for a juicy, flavorful Italian Chicken Recipe that everyone will love.

You are going to love this simple Italian Dressing Chicken Marinade Recipe because it is perfect for an easy family dinner or a large gathering. It is simple made with your favorite bottle of Italian salad dressing and some chicken breasts, the results are delicious tender and flavorful chicken.

Italian Dressing Chicken

I bet you did not know that your favorite salad dressings can do more than just coat some lettuce on a plate. This simple Italian chicken is marinated in dressing and then cooked for maximum flavor. Serve up this zesty chicken with pasta salads for a nice summer dish or keep it warm and hearty for winter with some roasted potatoes and green beans. Any way you serve this dish will be great, the dressing speaks for itself and is just such a great and easy way to prepare a yummy dinner for you and your family.

Zesty Italian Chicken Ingredients

-Chicken: You will need 4-5 chicken breasts for this recipe. I recommend having them be similar in size so that they cook nice and evenly.

-Minced Garlic: Using 1 teaspoon of minced garlic for added flavor and freshness.

-Italian seasoning: You will need 1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning to help spice up the mix and give a little more flavor to the chicken.

-Zesty Italian dressing: You can use any 16 ounce sized bottle of your favorite Italian dressing. Wishbone brand, Kraft brand, store brand, etc. will all work fine. You can not go wrong with the one that is already your favorite!

How to make Zesty Italian Chicken

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Then, spray a glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside. If you are preparing your chicken to marinate for 30 mins, hold off on preheating your oven at this time.

In a large bowl or in a ziplocked bag, combine the Italian seasoning, garlic, and Italian salad dressing, mix together to combine.

Next, add in your chicken breasts and let marinate for at least 30 minutes. You can also choose to prepare this chicken and marinate it over night or in the morning. I usually marinate mine all day covered in the fridge.

Now, place your marinated chicken inside the glass dish. For added flavor, spoon a bit of the marinade over the top of the chicken.

Cook in the oven for 1 hour or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. Enjoy!

Can I make this chicken dinner in the crockpot?

You definitely can! Slow cooker chicken is my all time favorite week day dinner style! For this recipe, just add all the ingredients to your crockpot, along with ½ cup chicken broth. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. The chicken will be done by 4 hours, but if you want to have fall-apart chicken that can be shredded, cook the full 6 hours. I am not a huge fan of cooking chicken on HIGH in the crockpot as I feel it causes the chicken to be tougher and dry.

Can I make this in an Instant Pot?

I love my instant pot! Using it is a great option as it helps chicken be super moist. Just add all the ingredients to your instant pot, then pour ½ cup chicken broth on top. Do a high pressure cook for 10-12 minutes, 12 minutes being for more fall-apart chicken that can be shredded. NPR (natural pressure release) for 20 minutes, then toggle the switch and QPR until the pin drops. (You can also just NPR the full way.)

Zesty Italian Chicken

Zesty Italian Chicken is an EASY dinner idea made with only 4 simple ingredients! Chicken, Italian dressing, garlic and Italian seasoning combine for a juicy, flavorful Italian Chicken Recipe that everyone will love.

Print Pin Rate

Course: chicken, dinner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Zesty Italian Chicken

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1

Marinating time: 30

Total Time: 1 40

Servings:

Calories: 266kcal

Author: Jessica & Nellie

Ingredients

4-5 Chicken Breasts boneless, skinless
1 tsp Minced Garlic
1 tsp Italian Seasoning
16 oz Italian Dressing

Instructions

OVEN DIRECTIONS

In a dish or Ziploc bag mix garlic, seasoning and dressing.
Place chicken in and marinate at least 30 mins, ideally 2-3 hours. I generally put it together in the morning and leave it all day.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9×13 pan with nonstick spray & transfer chicken to pan. Bake for 1 hour or until internal temperature is 165°F.
Serve with side dish & vegetable and enjoy!

CROCK POT INSTRUCTIONS

Slow cooker chicken is my favorite! Just add all the ingredients to your crockpot, along with 1/2 cup chicken broth. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours. Chicken will be done by 4 hours, but if you'd rather have fall-apart chicken that can be shredded, cook the full 6 hours. I'm not a huge fan of cooking chicken on HIGH in the crockpot as I feel it causes the chicken to be tougher and dry.

INSTANT POT INSTRUCTIONS

I love my instant pot! Using it is a great option as it helps chicken be super moist. Just add all the ingredients to your instant pot, then pour 1/2 cup chicken broth on top. Do a high pressure cook for 10-12 minutes, 12 minutes being for more fall-apart chicken that can be shredded. NPR (natural pressure release) for 20 minutes, then toggle the switch and QPR until the pin drops. (You can also just NPR the full way.)

Notes

Zesty Italian Chicken is a perfect weeknight dinner recipe, it’s quick, easy and delicious!

Nutrition

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Can you marinate chicken too long in Italian dressing?

You can marinate this chicken in a covered bowl or ziplocked bag for up to 48 hours in the fridge. This makes it perfect if you change dinner plans last minute. You do not want to go more than 2 days in the marinade though as it will cause the chicken to toughen up and not taste as good anymore.

Can I use different cuts of chicken for this recipe?

Absolutely! If you do not want to use chicken breasts you can use thighs, quarters, wings, or even legs. Italian dressing drumsticks would be a great summer dish recipe for the BBQ grill! Chicken tenders are also great options. Just make sure to adjust the cooking time for all pieces as the time will vary.

Check out these other delicious and easy chicken recipes

If you like a no-fuss meal then look no further. No seriously, with only 3 ingredients and some chicken you can impress without (hardly) lifting a finger. The best part is this zesty Italian chicken is full of flavor and so moist!

Zesty Italian chicken is an EASY dinner idea made with only 4 ingredients! Chicken, Italian dressing, garlic & Italian seasoning combine for a juicy, flavorful chicken recipe that everyone loves.