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Creamy Baked Chicken is a simple and delicious kid-friendly chicken dinner that can be quickly whipped up on a busy night. It’s got a layer of cream cheese, mayo, and Parmesan to keep it moist and tender, then it’s topped with breadcrumbs for a delightfully crispy finish.

baking dish, chicken breasts with breadcrumb topping, pink napkin, forks, parsley, white plates

This is one of our favorite chicken dinners – the creamy layer keeps the chicken so juicy and tender and the topping gives it just the right amount of crunch. It’s the perfect main course to serve with any side dish you like. Serve it with some Baked Potatoes and simple Frozen Vegetables or copycat Olive Garden Salad for a meal that’s practically hands off!

How do you keep chicken moist in the oven?

Plain chicken breast is easy to dry out in the oven, so adding a layer of something creamy on top really helps to lock in the moisture. It’s the same reason I add olive oil to coat my famous Oven Baked Chicken Breasts.

Mayo on chicken probably isn’t something you’d ever thought about, but I promise you it helps to keep this dish so moist and juicy. Even my husband who doesn’t normally like white meat thought this was a keeper. It’s mixed with cream cheese and Parmesan cheese, as well as garlic and paprika to add flavor, so it’s not just all mayonnaise. Even if you aren’t a big fan of mayo, I urge you to give this a try – it’s so good! Every bite has creamy and crunchy textures and is packed with flavor.

close up of chicken breasts with breadcrumbs and parsley

How to Make Creamy Baked Chicken

Creamy Layer: Mix together cream cheese, mayo, parmesan cheese. Stir in garlic powder and paprika. The paprika is a deep red color which creates a sort of pink hue. If you want to keep the cream cheese layer you can just sprinkle the paprika on the chicken. I really wanted that creamy layer to be delicious so I added it.

Crispy Layer: Mix breadcrumbs and dried or fresh parsley together. I almost always prefer panko breadcrumbs because they just give a better crunch than regular breadcrumbs.

Assemble: Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Go easy on the salt because the creamy layer is a little salty too. Spread the cream cheese mixture all over the top of the chicken, then top with the breadcrumbs. Press down gently to keep them in place.

Collage showing steps for making creamy baked chicken

Bake the chicken uncovered at 425 degrees – high heat helps to cook the chicken quicker to keep it from drying out. The recipe gives a cooking time from 15-25 minutes, but it really depends on how large the pieces are. Start checking at the 15-18 minutes mark and make sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

Make Ahead: You can make the cream cheese layer up to 2 days in advance. The rest of the dish should be prepared fresh. Creamy Baked Chicken is best enjoyed fresh as well, to get that crispy texture from the breadcrumbs.

Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Freezing is not recommended.

Reheating: We have reheated this in the air fryer with great results. Other methods had not worked as well, but microwaving won’t ruin the dish.

white plate, fork and knife, chicken breast cut with breadcrumbs on top

More Chicken Recipes to Try

Recipe