Description
This Cheesy Sour Cream Chicken Bake is a comforting, creamy dish featuring tender chicken breasts topped with a tangy sour cream and sharp cheddar mixture, finished with a crunchy buttery cracker and Parmesan topping. Perfect for easy weeknight dinners or cozy family meals, it combines simple ingredients into a flavorful, crowd-pleasing bake.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Sour Cream Mixture
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Topping
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup crushed buttery crackers (like Ritz)
Others
- Cooking spray or a drizzle of olive oil for greasing
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or olive oil to prevent sticking.
- Make Sour Cream Mixture: In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, shredded sharp cheddar cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt, and black pepper. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well incorporated.
- Coat Chicken: Spread the sour cream mixture evenly over each chicken breast, coating the tops generously to ensure flavor in every bite.
- Arrange Chicken: Place the coated chicken breasts evenly in the prepared baking dish, making sure they have space to cook properly.
- Prepare Topping: In a separate bowl, mix together the crushed buttery crackers and grated Parmesan cheese until evenly combined.
- Add Topping and Cover: Sprinkle the cracker and Parmesan mixture evenly over the coated chicken breasts. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil.
- Bake Covered: Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, allowing the chicken to cook through and the flavors to meld.
- Bake Uncovered: Remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. This step allows the topping to become golden, bubbly, and crispy, and ensures the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Garnish and Serve: Once done, optionally garnish the chicken with chopped fresh parsley for a pop of color and freshness before serving.
Notes
- For best results, use freshly shredded cheddar rather than pre-shredded for better melting.
- Make sure chicken breasts are of even thickness for uniform cooking; pounding them to an even thickness is optional.
- If you don’t have buttery crackers, plain crackers with a small amount of melted butter mixed in can be used as a substitute for the topping.
- Check chicken temperature with a meat thermometer to ensure it reaches 165°F for safe consumption.
- Garnishing with fresh parsley adds color but can be omitted if unavailable.