Baked Creamy Cheesy Chicken Breasts
Baked Creamy Cheesy Chicken Breasts are a quick and easy way to make a delicious dinner. They’re packed with flavor & creamy, cheesy goodness. Plus, it’s an incredibly versatile dish that can be enjoyed with a variety of sides.
Baked Chicken Breasts with Gruyere
Perfectly roasted, tender chicken breasts can be hard to come by, but these hit the mark!
They’re topped with just enough Gruyere and creamy sauce to make them luscious, and roasted just long enough to maintain their juiciness. With bubbly cheese and toasted bread crumbs, it’s a comfort food the whole family or your guests will love.
They pair wonderfully with any number of vegetable dishes or a crispy salad. Quick to make, and lovely for a weeknight dinner or special occasion. Add this to your bank of easy recipes!
Gather Your Ingredients
In addition to pantry staples of cooking spray, kosher salt + fresh cracked black pepper, you’ll need:
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Gruyere cheese — if unavailable, substitute with Swiss, a white cheddar or mozzarella cheese
- Unsalted butter
- Garlic cloves
- All-purpose flour — used to thicken the sauce.
- Milk — my go-to is 2%, but any variety will work.
- Dry vermouth — or white vermouth. I love cooking with vermouth because it adds an instant herbaceous quality to your dish. You can also use dry white wine or broth.
- Panko bread crumbs — they’re perfectly light and crispy.
- Fresh thyme
- Extra virgin olive oil
Let’s Get Cooking
A lot of creamy chicken dishes use cream of chicken soup, but we’re making the cream sauce from scratch.
- Arrange chicken breasts in an oven safe baking dish and season with salt + pepper. Top with shredded Gruyere.
- Make the sauce by sautéing garlic in butter, then mix in flour. Whisk in milk and vermouth, then simmer until thickened. Season to taste, then spoon it on top of the chicken.
- Combine breadcrumbs with olive oil and fresh thyme, then sprinkle some on each chicken breast.
- Bake in a 425°F oven for 13 to 15 minutes until done (with an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the meat).
Helpful Recipe Tips
This recipe is optimized to bake thinner cuts of chicken, or cutlets. You can sometimes find thin-sliced chicken breasts at the market, but I prefer to cut them myself starting with large breasts. Check out this video by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt to see how it’s done.
Pre-shredded cheese is convenient, but shredded fresh from the block is best to avoid additives that can mess with meltability. Purchase the smallest block you can find as you only need a couple ounces for this recipe. Have extra? Use it for grilled cheese sandwiches, mac + cheese or pasta!
Four pieces of chicken will nestle nicely into a 9-in by 13-in casserole dish. Use glass, ceramic, or enamel-coated cast iron. A large cast iron skillet works great, too.
Place leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Side Dish Ideas
This is a versatile dish that will pair well with a variety of side dishes including:
- Roasted carrots or Grilled Carrots with Carrot Top Persillade
- Roasted baby or smashed potatoes or Roasted Garlic + Mascarpone Mashed Potatoes
- Grilled Asparagus with Anchovy Breadcrumbs
- Steamed or roasted green beans, broccoli, brussels sprouts or root veggies
- Fresh salad
- Rice pilaf or rice casserole
What to Sip with Oven Baked Creamy Chicken
Pair this with lightly oaked Chardonnay, or a dry white like Chenin Blanc or Viognier. A medium dry cider or blonde ale would also be nice!
When to Make This Recipe
This dish is perfect for a busy night when you’re short on time or need a recipe for a last minute gathering. It’s easily scalable, too.
Looking for More Chicken Recipes?
- Grilled Skewers with Red Wine Sauce
- Rotisserie Chicken Pho in the Instant Pot
- Oven Fried Chicken Sliders with Remoulade Sauce
- Easy Weeknight Grilled Adobo Chicken Thighs
- Spicy Whiskey Glazed Chicken Wings
- Italian Chicken Party Wings
- Juicy Pan Roasted Bone-in Split Chicken Breasts
- Zhoug Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs
Baked Creamy Cheesy Chicken Breasts
Equipment
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (2 large breasts) halved lengthwise to create 4 thin cutlets
- kosher salt + fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 ounce Gruyere cheese, shredde
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ cup milk
- 2 tablespoon dry vermouth, or white wine
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped (or other fresh herbs)
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F.
- Arrange the chicken breasts in an oven-safe casserole spritzed with cooking spray. Season with kosher salt + fresh cracked black pepper. Divide the gruyere over each piece of chicken.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for about a minute. Whisk in the flour and cook for another minute. Add the milk and wine all at once and whisk smooth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium low. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Season with kosher salt + black pepper to taste. Spoon the sauce evenly over each chicken breast.
- In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, thyme and olive oil. Distribute the breadcrumbs over the top of each chicken breast.
- Bake the chicken for 13 to 15 minutes or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F in the thickest part of the meat. (Check the temp at 13 minutes to be sure not to overcook the chicken.)
Nutrition
Pin for Later! Baked Creamy Cheesy Chicken Breasts
Ah, the dinner rut. Hate when that happens. I think you’ll love this…it’s easy, too, so bonus!