This easy Million Dollar Chicken Bake is juicy, flavorful, and everything but boring. Tenderized chicken breasts are spread with a creamy sauce made from cream cheese, sour cream, shredded cheese, and green onions, baked to perfection, and topped with crispy bacon bits.
Luckily, this Million Dollar Chicken casserole is also a perfect make-ahead freezer meal so feel free to double the recipe to make one for now and one for later. Below you will find a few recipe variation ideas to mix things up.
Recipe for Million Dollar Chicken Bake
If you are wondering how this Million Dollar Chicken Bake got its name, you will understand after just one bite. This super simple cheesy chicken bake not only tastes like a million bucks, it’s also one of those dependable recipes that everyone seems to always be in the mood for.
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The tenderized chicken breasts are spread with a creamy mixture of cream cheese, sour cream, shredded cheese, and seasoning, then topped with more cheese just before baking. Once the chicken has cooked and the cheese is nice and bubbly, it’s topped off with crispy bacon bits and more sliced green onions.
If you are looking for more easy, flavorful chicken dinner ideas that the whole family will love, you can also try this Crockpot Ranch Chicken, Buffalo Chicken Pasta, or our classic Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan.
Million Dollar Chicken Casserole Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts – you will need about 4 large boneless skinless chicken breasts to make this recipe. You should tenderize them first, which I have provided instructions for below. This will ensure that they are super tender and cook evenly.
- Salt and Pepper
- Cream Cheese – make sure your cream cheese is softened before trying to mix it with the other ingredients. You can soften cream cheese either by pulling it out ahead of time or warming gently in the microwave for about 10 seconds at a time just until soft.
- Garlic Powder and Onion Powder – I like to use garlic and onion powder because they have a slightly more mild and sweet flavor, and because they don’t have any chunks that can burn in the oven.
- Sour Cream – this adds loads of flavor and creates a creamy sauce over the chicken.
- Green Onions – the flavor of green onion and sour cream with the bacon bits and melted cheese is unmatched! You could substitute chives if you prefer.
- Shredded Cheese – I like to use shredded cheddar cheese, but shredded pepper jack cheese would taste great, too.
- Bacon – you will need about ½ pound of bacon to make the bacon bits to sprinkle over the top.
How to Make Million Dollar Chicken
- Tenderize the chicken. Place chicken between layers of parchment paper or inside a freezer bag. Use the bottom of a mason jar or sturdy cup to “whack” the chicken breasts a few times on the thickest part of the breast to tenderize the chicken.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture over the chicken breast. Set the tenderized chicken breasts in a baking dish and season on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, green onions, sour cream, half of the green onions, and half of the cheddar cheese. Mix well, then spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the chicken breasts. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top.
- Bake. Bake uncovered in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165 degrees and the juices of the chicken run clear.
- Make bacon bits. While the chicken is in the oven, heat a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the sliced bacon strips and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
- Let the chicken rest. When the chicken is done baking, remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes to let the juices evenly distribute.
- Serve. To serve, sprinkle with the remaining thinly sliced green onions and bacon bits. Enjoy!
Recipe Variation Ideas for Million Dollar Chicken
If you like this Million Dollar Chicken, here are a few more variations to try:
- Buffalo Chicken Million Dollar Chicken Bake: Toss shredded cooked chicken in buffalo sauce before layering it in the dish. Add crumbled blue cheese or ranch dressing for a buffalo chicken flavor.
- Sun-Dried Tomato and Pesto Million Dollar Chicken Bake: Incorporate chopped sun-dried tomatoes and a swirl of basil pesto into the cream cheese mixture.
- Mushroom and Swiss Million Dollar Chicken Bake: Sauté sliced mushrooms and mix them into the cream cheese and mayo layer, then top with Swiss cheese.
- Spinach and Artichoke Million Dollar Chicken Bake: Mix chopped spinach and artichoke hearts into the cream cheese and mayo mixture. Top the chicken with a blend of mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
This is called Million Dollar Chicken because it’s a tried and true recipe that tastes like a million bucks and is worth its weight in gold because of just how dependable and easy it is.
For this size of recipe, it should take roughly 35-40 minutes to finish baking in a preheated 350 degree oven. With that being said, there are always variables and you should always confirm whether chicken has finished cooking by checking that the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees F.
Yes! You can prep the entire thing ahead of time – just hold off on adding the bacon bits and cheese on the top. Cover and store it in a disposable baking dish or similar for up to 2 months. To thaw, just transfer to the fridge for about 24 hours. Top with bacon bits and cheese and bake as directed.
Storing and Reheating
- Refrigerator: store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: if you want to make this ahead of time as a freezer meal, hold off on adding the bacon bits and cheese on the top. Cover and store it in a disposable baking dish or similar for up to 2 months. To thaw, just transfer to the fridge for about 24 hours. Top with bacon bits and cheese and bake as directed.
- To reheat: either microwave or reheat in a preheated 350 degree oven until warmed through.
Million Dollar Chicken Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken breasts, (about 4 large)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 6 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup green onions, thinly sliced (divided)
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, (divided)
- 1/2 pound bacon, sliced into 1/2" strips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place chicken between layers of parchment paper or inside a freezer bag. Use the bottom of a mason jar or sturdy cup to "whack" the chicken breasts a few times on the thickest part of the breast to tenderize the chicken.
- Set the tenderized chicken breasts in a 9" x 13" baking dish and season on both sides with salt and pepper.
- In a large bowl, add the softened cream cheese, onion powder, garlic powder, green onions, sour cream, half of the green onions, and half of the cheddar cheese. Mix well, then spread the cream cheese mixture evenly over the chicken breasts. Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese over the top.
- Bake uncovered in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reads 165 degrees and the juices of the chicken run clear.
- While the chicken is in the oven, heat a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the sliced bacon strips and saute for 3-5 minutes, or until golden brown and slightly crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel.
- When the chicken is done baking, remove from the oven and let rest for 5-10 minutes to let the juices evenly distribute.
- To serve, sprinkle with the remaining thinly sliced green onions and bacon bits. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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More Of The Best Oven Baked Chicken Recipes
- Garlic and Herb Drumsticks
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- Simple Oven Baked Chicken
- Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
- Monterey Chicken
- Caprese Chicken
- Baked BBQ Chicken
- Oven Baked Chicken Drumsticks
- Oven Roasted Chicken and Potatoes
- More Easy Chicken Recipes
- More Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas
These easy oven baked Million Dollar Chicken Bake is the perfect solution for busy weeknights, dinner parties, birthday celebrations, or just about any other time. It’s a million dollar recipe – juicy, flavorful, anything but boring, and tastes great with just about any side dish.
