If you love the flavor of garlic, then this recipe is for you! This Baked Garlic Chicken is one of the most flavorful and delicious recipes that has ever graced our dinner table. Both kids and adults will clean their plates and probably ask for more because the creamy texture and delicious garlic flavor make this simply irresistible. Even though these flavors are restaurant quality, this easy dinner is so simple to make. With only six simple ingredients and one casserole dish, you can have this in the oven in as little as 10 minutes and cleaned up afterward just as quickly. The best part though will be that first bite when you get to indulge in all the delicious creamy garlic flavor!
Baked Garlic Chicken Recipe
This garlic chicken recipe has been on my mind for quite awhile. Some recipes come to me and I know exactly how they are supposed to be from the first minute, other times I have it in my mind but really have to marinate on the idea for awhile (see what I did there, ha!) until I figure out the way to make the flavors combine and shine in the best way.
I am so glad I took the time (and by took the time, I mean close to a year) to think about it until I had no doubt it would be to-die-for delicious because this chicken hit the mark.
The thing is, chicken can be really boring and bland. And some recipes where chicken really shines are so complicated and messy to make that it really just isn’t worth it. I have 3 kids, a full time job, and a husband whose career requires my support. I like to cook, but I just don’t have time for lengthy, messy, high maintenance recipes. I don’t.
This Baked Garlic Chicken recipe checks all of the boxes, and does it with the flavor and deliciousness of a meal that took much longer. I hope you will agree!
What to serve with Baked Garlic Chicken
This garlic chicken recipe is full of rich creaminess and packed with garlic flavor. The great thing about this combo is that since garlic is a flavor that is used across the board in almost every type of cuisine, you can really serve this dish with almost any of your favorite side dishes and it will go great! I have a few that we especially love, and will list both traditional and low carb serving ideas. We generally pair the dish with 2-3 options using some from each list.
Baked Garlic Chicken Side Dishes
- Potatoes- This goes exceptionally well with potatoes! Our favorites are these mashed potatoes and these crispy smashed potatoes.
- Pasta
- Garlic Bread
- Cauliflower Soup
- Grains- Try wild rice, cous cous, or quinoa
Low Carb Serving Options
- Side Salad
- Sautéed Green Beans
- Sautéed Spinach
- Roasted Cauliflower or Cauliflower Rice
- Zoodles
- Roasted Cauliflower
That should give you a few ideas to start with! If you have another way that you love to serve this dish, make sure to let me know in the comments so I can try it out!
How to make Baked Garlic Chicken
The beauty of this recipe is that it is super simple! I am going to walk through a couple of things with you here, just to make sure that I can answer any questions that come up. The full version on the Baked Garlic Chicken recipe with a printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post, and if you still have questions, please leave them in the comments for me and I will try to get back to you!
Baked Garlic Chicken Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast- this will be about 3-4 normal sized chicken breasts. If they are extra thick, I would recommend butterflying them (cutting the thickness in half) so that they cook more quickly and evenly.
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened- I use regular original Philadelphia cream cheese. You can also use low fat or neufchatel cheese.
- 1/2 cup sour cream or greek yogurt- Either will work in the recipe, however I use cream cheese since it is what I have on hand most regularly.
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed through a garlic press- This may sound like a lot of garlic, but once it is cooked it will just be pure delicious flavor! I do absolutely recommend using fresh garlic, not jarred. Since garlic is the key ingredient in this dish it really will give you a much better flavor with fresh! If you hate peeling garlic they do sell it pre-peeled in many stores.
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese- You could really use any flavor cheese here since garlic is good with all of them, but I do think mozzarella goes exceptionally well with the dish.
You can serve the chicken just as is out of the oven, but if you want to add a little color for presentation both of these are great options for garnish.
- Fresh Parsley
- Grape tomatoes, quartered
Baked Garlic Chicken Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, salt and pepper until combined. Make sure that your cream cheese is softened. It does not combine well until it is soft. If you forget to take it out of the fridge ahead of time you can just put it in a microwavable safe bowl and pop it into the microwave for 30 sec increments, stirring in between until it is smooth and creamy.
- Lay chicken breast flat in a casserole dish. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the chicken and top with the mozzarella cheese. You can also choose to cut the chicken into smaller pieces or use chicken tenderloins to make it easier to serve. If you do use smaller pieces of chicken it will take less time to cook, so keep an eye on it.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (165˚F internal temp.) I bake my chicken uncovered and have never had a problem with it getting too browned. With that said, each oven cooks differently based on size, power, climate etc. I would keep an eye on it and if you notice it getting more browned than you want, you can loosely cover it with foil for the remainder of the cooking time.
Remove from oven and garnish with parsley and tomatoes as desired. Serve it up hot with any, or as many, of the side options as you want.
What to do with the Baked Garlic Chicken leftovers
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container and placed in the:
- Refrigerator for up to 3 days
- Freezer for up to a month.
Garlic Chicken meal ideas
You can use the leftovers from this garlic chicken in a variety of ways so you feel like you are eating a completely new meal. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Chop up and top a salad with it
- Make a grain bowl with quinoa, roasted veggies and chopped garlic chicken. Drizzle with balsamic glaze for an extra treat.
- Mix with a veggie like broccoli and use as a filling for stuffed shells, manacotti, etc.
- Mix with rice and make stuffed peppers
I really hope you love eating this chicken as much as we did. I was hogging all of the leftovers of this one because it was by far the tastiest thing in our fridge. If you do get a chance to make it, make sure to tag me on Instagram @easyfamilyrecipes or. leave me a note in the comments with how your family ate it and how you liked it. Nothing makes my day more than knowing others are enjoying the recipes I share!
-Kimber
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Baked Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream or greek yogurt
- 6 cloves garlic crushed through a garlic press
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
- For Garnish optional
- Parsley
- grape tomatoes quartered
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, sour cream, garlic, salt and pepper until combined.
- Lay chicken breast flat in a casserole dish. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of the chicken and top with the mozzarella cheese.
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (165˚F internal temp.) Remove from oven and garnish with parsley and tomatoes as desired. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- You can cut the chicken in half, chunks, or use chicken tenderloins in lieu of full chicken breasts to make serving easier. Cooking time may be reduced.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to a month.
Nutrition Information:
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Deebi27 says
Can’t wait to try this, yummm! I am thinking pasta. asparagus and some cheesy garlic bread…
Ivory says
This looks so mouthwatering delicious, until its making me hungry. Yummy!
Ruth says
Can you prepare ahead of time?
Kimber says
You should be able to mix up the cream cheese mixture ahead of time and just spread it on when you are ready to cook. Hope that helps!
Tracy says
Tried this today…flavor was great but it turned out very liquidy. Not sure why. The only change I made was to use a full bag of mozzarella cheese.
Tara Murphy says
Made this tonight omg sooooo good! I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and light Italian cheese blend – was WW friendly at 6 points per piece for 4 pieces!
Kimber says
That is so awesome to know! I just love flavor packed recipes like this and it is even better when they fit in perfectly with our goals!
Roseanne says
Your video shows Parmesan cheese mixed with cream cheese and sour cream and again topped with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, but no mention of it in ingredient list or directions. Can you please clarify?
Kimber says
Hi Roseanne- The video player cycles through all of my recipes. You can find that recipe here: https://www.thepinningmama.com/baked-garlic-parmesan-chicken/
Carol says
Would this recipe be crockpot friendly
Sarah says
We made this recipe last night, and although quite tasty, with so much cheese it was a bit strong/rich for our family. We added a touch more garlic (we are huge garlic lovers?), and then chopped up the leftovers and added it to some rotini!? Quite yummy and a little less intense, yet still very delicious. Thanks for the recipe!!!?
Lori Heidle says
Made it – loved it!!!! Thanks !
Stacey Klein says
This recipie was great! My wife and I cooked it together. It was tasty and moist. I expected it to be dry.
This was our first recipient from Pinterest. There will be more to come. Thank you Pintrest!!!