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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!
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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.
Definitely trying this recipe tonight! Been bouncing back and forth between a couple of similar recipes to try out but your writing won me over on this one !๐ I love your writing style and this recipe looks so good! Canโt wait to try it! Looking forward to reading more from you!
I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for chiming in! ๐
Amazing!! Made this for the first time tonight. Only changes I made were 1) I pounded the chicken breasts a bit before putting in my 2) braising pan for cooking in the oven (I put the pan lid on for cooking in the oven). Oh, I also added sliced medallions of fresh bocconcini mozzarella to the chicken for the last three minutes. So, so, so delicious. Served with No Yokes egg noodles and steamed broccoli. My husband loved it as did I. This is a total keeper. thanks for sharing this recipe!
That’s great! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
Easy-peasy!! Really fast and yummy. I like rosemary, but I don’t LOVE it, so I used less of that and used some seasoned salt to add a little *extra”. My mom, who’s REALLY not a rosemary fan loved this dish and wants me to make it again. I’m so glad I found this little gem.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share this! I have a very old pampered chef garlic press that still works beautifully, so I used it for about a bulb of fresh garlic. (We love garlic!) I paired it with a nice salad, some peas and crescent rolls for a quick weeknight dinner! I will most definitely be exploring your recipes more!
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
Any thoughts on brining the chicken first?
I made this today for my lunches this week. I used about twice as much garlic, because I’m a fiend for the stuff. I cut the chicken into chunks, because it makes measuring portions easier.
It was fabulous!
I put it in pint sized containers with raw spinach and some of the garlic butter.
My husband fixes Baked Garlic Butter Chicken for me (love it) but if you have Meijers store they sell Garlic Butter , Land O Lakes. Its easier to deal with plus we add Garlic Pepper on top of chicken and it turns out great.
Can I use boneless skinless chicken thights
Hi!
Sure! It tastes great with chicken thighs. ๐
No, ABSOLUTELY not
It wonโt work
Hands down, BEST chicken I ever had.
Can you use chicken cutlets for this recipe? If so cooking time?
Has anyone tried this in a crockpot? How long would you need to cook it??
Iโm trying to get an idea on taste comparison… Would you say that this kind of tastes like Chicken Kiev? Iโm going to try making it tonight. My hubby loves chicken Kiev Iโm just not good at rolling it… it looks beautiful
Hi!
I think that’s a good comparison, actually. Minus the flour and eggs, but yeah, it does kind of taste like Chicken Kiev. I hope you’ll both like it! ๐