Cranberry Cream Cheese Chicken Bake
Cranberry Cream Cheese Chicken Bake is chicken breasts baked under a seasoned cream cheese layer, a sweet-tart cranberry topping, and a blanket of mozzarella and cheddar. If your favorite bite at Thanksgiving is turkey with a little cranberry sauce on the fork, this is that same combo as an easy chicken dinner.
It’s about 10 minutes of stirring and spreading before it goes in the oven, and everything bakes in one 9×13 dish. I make it on regular weeknights in the fall, but it looks pretty enough to serve when family is over for the holidays. The cheese browns on top while the cranberry layer turns jammy underneath.
For more cheesy baked chicken recipes, be sure to also try my Ranch Chicken, Primavera Stuffed Chicken, or Chicken Parmesan Alfredo.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Ingredients
You’ll need the following ingredients to make this Cranberry Cream Cheese Chicken Bake:
Ingredient Notes
Whole Berry Cranberry Sauce: This is the layer that makes the dish, so read the label. A lot of canned cranberry sauce is sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. I like Cadia Organic Whole Cranberry Sauce because it’s just organic cranberries, cane sugar, and water. Jellied sauce works in a pinch, but whole berry gives you those pretty red berries on top.
Chicken Breasts: I stick with boneless, skinless breasts here to keep it lean. Boneless thighs are a good swap if you prefer darker meat, and they stay juicy even if they bake a few extra minutes.
Cream Cheese: Leave it on the counter while you prep so it’s soft enough to stir smooth. Neufchâtel swaps in one-for-one with about a third less fat.
Sour Cream: Plain Greek yogurt is my usual swap. It keeps the same tang and adds a little more protein.
Dijon and Worcestershire: Don’t skip these. The Dijon gives the cranberry layer a little bite, and the Worcestershire adds a savory note so the topping doesn’t taste like dessert.
Mozzarella and Cheddar: Mozzarella melts into a smooth layer, and cheddar is what turns golden and gives you those browned edges.
Recipe Variations
Make It Sweeter: Stir another tablespoon of brown sugar into the cranberry mixture.
Add Crunch: Sprinkle ⅓ cup chopped pecans over the cheese for the last 10 minutes of baking.
Swap the Cheese: Use Monterey Jack or provolone in place of the mozzarella, or swap the cheddar for white cheddar.
Add Fresh Herbs: Stir 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary or thyme into the cream cheese mixture for a more savory, holiday flavor.
Use Turkey Cutlets: Swap in thin turkey breast cutlets and start checking for 165°F around 20 minutes.
How To Make Cranberry Cream Cheese Chicken Bake: Step by Step
Here are quick visual instructions. Be sure to check out the full instructions with exact ingredients in the printable recipe card below.
Step 1: Arrange the chicken breasts in a greased 9×13 baking dish.
Step 2: Spread the seasoned cream cheese and sour cream mixture over the chicken.
Step 3: Spoon the cranberry, brown sugar, Dijon, and Worcestershire mixture over the cream cheese.
Step 4: Sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar evenly over the top.
Step 5: Bake uncovered until the cheese is golden and the chicken is cooked through.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
If your chicken breasts are thicker than about 1 inch, slice them in half lengthwise or pound them out. Thick breasts take longer to cook through, and the edges dry out while you wait on the center.
Thinner breasts cook faster, so start checking around the 25 to 30 minute mark.
Use an instant-read thermometer in the thickest piece. With all the toppings, it’s hard to tell when chicken is done just by looking.
Bake it uncovered. Foil traps steam, and you won’t get the browned cheese on top.
Give it 5 minutes of rest before serving so the layers set and don’t slide off when you scoop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Layer everything in the baking dish, cover it, and keep it in the fridge for up to a day. I add about 5 minutes to the bake time since it goes into the oven cold.
Definitely, and it's a great way to use up Thanksgiving leftovers. If your homemade sauce is on the tart side, keep the brown sugar in. If it's already sweet, you can leave the brown sugar out.
I serve it over mashed potatoes so the sauce has somewhere to go, with roasted green beans or my Apple Arugula Salad on the side. Rice or egg noodles work too.
I hope you love this Cranberry Cream Cheese Chicken Bake. Please consider leaving a star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below. Thank you so much!
More Recipes To Try
Cranberry Cream Cheese Chicken Bake
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
For the cream cheese layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
For the cranberry layer
- 1 cup whole berry cranberry sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
For topping
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
- If the chicken breasts are very thick, slice them in half lengthwise or pound them slightly so they cook evenly. Arrange the chicken in the baking dish in a single layer.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the softened cream cheese, sour cream, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until smooth. Spread the mixture evenly over the chicken.
- In a small bowl, stir together the cranberry sauce, brown sugar, Dijon mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Spoon it evenly over the cream cheese layer.
- Sprinkle the mozzarella and cheddar evenly over the top.
- Bake uncovered for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cheese is golden and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Let it rest for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with parsley if using. Serve each piece with a spoonful of the sauce from the bottom of the dish.
Notes
The nutritional details for recipes are estimated using MyFitnessPal and can vary with different products, measurement accuracy, and source reliability. We aim to provide accurate information but cannot guarantee the precise accuracy of the nutritional data