Baked Caesar Chicken with Creamy Parmesan Sauce

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Baked Caesar Chicken with Creamy Parmesan Sauce

Serves: 4
Oven: 190°C / 375°F (conventional)
Time: 10 min prep · 25–30 min bake

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (680–800 g total), pounded to even 1.5–2 cm thickness

120 ml creamy Caesar dressing (½ cup)

120 ml sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt (½ cup)

50 g finely grated Parmesan (½ cup, lightly packed)

25–30 g shredded mozzarella (¼ cup, optional)

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp black pepper

½ tsp paprika (sweet or smoked)

½ tsp fine salt (optional; depends on dressing saltiness)

1 tbsp olive oil (for the dish)

Fresh parsley, chopped, to finish

Optional crunchy topping: 30 g panko (½ cup) + 1 tbsp olive oil + 2 tbsp grated Parmesan + pinch of paprika

Tip: For the most tender result, use full-fat dairy. If your dressing is very tangy/salty, skip added salt.

Method

  1. Prep the dish
    Heat oven to 190°C / 375°F. Lightly oil a 23×33 cm (9×13 in) baking dish. Pat chicken very dry; pound to even thickness. Season both sides with garlic powder, paprika, pepper, and a small pinch of salt if needed.
  2. Mix the sauce
    Whisk Caesar dressing + sour cream/yogurt + Parmesan until smooth.
  3. Assemble
    Lay chicken in the dish (slight overlap is fine). Spread sauce evenly over the tops. Sprinkle mozzarella if using.
    Crunchy topping (optional): Toss panko + oil + Parmesan + paprika; scatter lightly over sauce.
  4. Bake
    Bake 25–30 min until the thickest part hits 74°C / 165°F. For a golden top, broil 2–3 min at the end—watch closely.
  5. Rest and serve
    Let rest 5 min so juices settle. Shower with parsley, a little extra Parmesan, and cracked pepper.

Smart add ons (same pan)

Asparagus or broccoli: Add to the pan with a drizzle of oil for the last 12–15 min.

Cherry tomatoes: Scatter for the last 10 min for a sweet, saucy pop.

Baby potatoes (par-roast): Halve, toss with oil/salt, roast on a separate tray 20 min at 200°C, then serve alongside.

Make ahead and storage

Prep ahead: Sauce and seasoned chicken can be kept separately up to 24 hrs; sauce on right before baking.

Leftovers: Refrigerate 3–4 days. Reheat covered at 160°C / 325°F for 10–12 min just to warm through (don’t boil the sauce).

Freezing: Best after baking/cooling (dairy sauces can split if frozen raw). Thaw overnight; rewarm gently as above.

Variations

Lemon-pepper: Add 1 tsp lemon zest + ½ tsp extra pepper to the sauce; finish with a squeeze of lemon.

Dijon-herb: Whisk 1 tsp Dijon + 1 tsp chopped thyme or parsley into the sauce.

Spicy Caesar: Stir in ½–1 tsp hot sauce or a pinch of chili flakes.

Extra crispy: Always use the panko-Parmesan topper and broil.

Hope you like it 😍

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