This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Savor the rich and comforting taste of our Baked Garlic Butter Chicken. Juicy chicken breasts basted in golden garlic butter, seasoned with rosemary, and topped with melted Italian cheese.
Juicy Baked Garlic Butter Chicken
When it comes to comfort food recipes, my Baked Garlic Butter Chicken stands out from the crowd. Chicken dinner recipes are a dime a dozen, I know, but this garlic chicken stands tall amongst them. It’s simple yet incredibly delicious, and that’s mostly thanks to the garlic butter sauce. Made with a stick of butter and minced garlic, it creates a beautifully golden and flavorful crust with a tender and juicy interior.
The aromatic rosemary adds another layer to the flavor profile, while the shredded cheese gives it a melty, luxurious finish. Every bite is a combination of flavors – the juicy chicken, the savory garlic butter, the fragrant rosemary, and the melty cheese. What’s more, is that there’s no way we can mess this up. There’s like 5 ingredients we’re working with, and garlic and butter are the stars. 👌
Ingredients for Garlic Butter Chicken
- Skinless, Boneless Chicken Breasts
- Butter
- Garlic
- Fresh Rosemary
- Shredded Cheese
Perfect Oven Baked Chicken
Achieving a perfectly juicy baked chicken breast is easier than you think. The key is in the seasoning – a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper – and the cooking technique.
- Arrange the seasoned chicken breasts in a buttered baking dish.
- Melt butter in a skillet, add garlic, and sauté until lightly browned. Stir in rosemary.
- Pour the garlic butter over the chicken and bake for about 30 minutes.
- Add cheese and bake for another 3 minutes until melted.
- Let it rest for a bit, then serve with some of the garlic butter sauce spooned over top.
The oven does most of the work here, baking the chicken breasts to tender perfection. You’ll know your chicken is done when the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 165˚F. Remember to let it rest for a few minutes before serving to allow the juices to redistribute.
Substitutions
Substitutions can change the dish’s flavor profile, so consider this when choosing alternatives.
- Herbs: If you don’t have or don’t like rosemary, other herbs like thyme or parsley will also work well in this recipe.
- Cheese: You can replace the Italian cheese with another variety like mozzarella or even a sharper cheese like cheddar or Parmesan, depending on your preference.
- Butter: If you’re looking to reduce saturated fat, you can use olive oil or ghee instead of butter. It won’t have quite the same richness, but it can still work well with the garlic and herbs.
- Chicken Thighs will also work, but please remember that they require a longer cooking time, especially if they are also bone-in.
Tips for Success
- Ensure that the chicken is fully cooked to a safe internal temperature of 165˚F using a meat thermometer. This ensures food safety and can prevent overcooking, keeping your chicken juicy and tender.
- Rest the Chicken: After baking, allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before serving. This helps to redistribute the juices, resulting in a more flavorful and moist chicken.
- Don’t Burn the Garlic: Be careful not to burn the garlic when sautéing. Burnt garlic can impart a bitter taste. Keep the heat to medium and stir frequently.
I hope you’ll make this Baked Garlic Butter Chicken as soon as you get to your kitchen! And I hope you’ll love it!
Quick Baked Chicken Recipes
- One Dish Chicken Bake
- One Pot Lemon Chicken and Potatoes
- Easy Baked Chicken Breasts
- Garlic Brown Sugar Baked Chicken Breasts
ENJOY!
Pin this now to find it later
Pin It
Baked Garlic Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt and fresh ground black pepper,, to taste
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
- ½ cup shredded Italian cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375˚F.
- Lightly grease a baking dish with a pat of butter.
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper; arrange the chicken in a single layer in the prepared baking dish and set aside.
- Add butter to a skillet and melt over medium heat.
- Stir in the garlic and cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, or until lightly browned, stirring very frequently. DO NOT burn the garlic.
- Stir in the rosemary and remove from heat.
- Pour the prepared garlic butter over the chicken breasts.
- Bake for 30 to 32 minutes, or until the chicken's internal temperature registers at 165˚F.
- Sprinkle with cheese and cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
- Remove from oven and let stand for about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to serving plates; spoon garlic butter sauce over the chicken and serve.
Notes
- Switch up herbs like thyme or parsley if you’re not a fan of rosemary.
- Choose from cheeses like mozzarella, cheddar, or Parmesan, and consider olive oil or ghee as healthier alternatives to butter.
- You may use chicken thighs instead of breasts but adjust cooking time as they take longer. Check the internal temperature (165˚F) for doneness.
- Be sure to sauté garlic on medium heat, stirring often to avoid a bitter taste.
- Check the chicken’s doneness by ensuring it reaches 165˚F with a meat thermometer to keep it juicy and safe to eat.
- Let the chicken rest after baking for a more flavorful bite.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
Iโve never been good at cooking chicken. When you say you used frozen chicken in this recipe, do you mean frozen but thawed chicken, or do you mean straight out of the freezer to the baking pan chicken? I watched the video and the chicken looked like it was either fresh or thawed. I want to make this recipe and have it turn out well. Thanks!
Wow! Amazing! My sister lovvvvvves garlic so thought this would make her happy and it did! She even mentioned trying to bread the chicken to see if it would hold some more flavor when we try this recipe again sometime. Either way, very flavorful and cheesy and just enough garlic to keep everyone happy! Thanks for sharing a great recipe! Definitely one to keep on hand!
I use boneless chicken breasts and cook for the same time and it comes out amazing! I didn’t use rosemary the first time and it was still great. Tonight I am making it with rosemary and added some fresh chopped onions and it smells good. I think you can be flexible with the ingredients a little and still be great like she says. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Wonderful. This is my second time making it and it is delicious my husband loves it. Ann
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
I browned some large cubed potatoes, sprinkled with pepper, paprika, and parsley. I then browned the chicken, melted the butter with garlic, then baked it all together. Oh my! Super delish!
Made this last night, but bacon-wrapped the chicken, and instead of rosemary, used oregano and a dash of tarragon. This was FABULOUS. It’s been added to our rotation of foods. We made some steamed broccoli to go with it, and drizzled some of the garlic butter on the broccoli. Our guests are doing the Keto diet and this worked well for what they needed, as well. I added some fresh french bread and it was a WONDERFUL meal. Thanks!!
Can I pound out the thickest part of my chicken breast for this?
Hi!
Yes, absolutely.
Who is ‘Control’? I don’t think Control is coming for dinner! Just starting Keto diet…this sounds right up keto alley! I plan on cutting up whole chicken, that is what I have. I may even try it in my pressure cooker…will let you know results ๐ When I give the results, I will give stars, can’t do that before actually tasting the chicken! BTW, we just grew a LOT of garlic, so that is how I landed here.
This is the best chicken I’ve ever made! It was so moist and flavorful with just a handful of ingredients. It tasted like restaurant quality. This recipe is definitely going on my two week meal rotation!
This is amazing! Fiancรฉ and I are on the keto diet and we’ve been struggling lately to find interesting, high-fat meals that work for our diet. I’ll definitely be putting this at the top of our list. Added extra garlic and cheese as well! Thank you!
Can frozen chicken breasts be used for this recipe? Cannot wait to try it, looks incredible.
It can! I used frozen because it’s all I had on hand. Husband and son- both accomplished cooks- loved it. ๐
Did you change the cooktime at all with frozen chicken??
Ashley – I thawed frozen chicken first, then followed the recipe to the letter.
First off… Control is overrated so I’ll be using a bowl to eat this out of and french bread to soak up the garlicky buttery juicy goodness. Also, I’m 47 and didn’t learn to “not be scared” of the kitchen until I was 38 so I was also ecstatic when I found the minced garlic since I’m not that great with knives.