This Green Chili Chicken Bake recipe is rich, creamy and delicious. A quick and easy dinner with less than 10 ingredients made in one dish for quick and easy prep and clean up.
I don’t know if it is because I grew up surrounded by fantastic mexican food living in Texas or if it is just because the mexican flavors are just so, so good, but I really love green chilis and creamy cheese in just about any combo. Today’s combo is so rich, creamy and zesty in just the right way. It is comfort food at it’s best.
There is something a little magic that happens when you combine green chilis with cumin, garlic, and rich, creamy cheese. Then of course you add some nice, juicy, wholesome chicken breast, because… you know… this is dinner so that seems a little more “adult like” then just slurping up all of the cheesy goodness. Instead we just pile it on the chicken breast and then serve it with rice and beans, in tortillas, or if you want to do it a little lower carb you can serve it over a big pile of wilted spinach or other greens. Top it with a dollop of sour cream or my favorite, a huge scoop of this homemade Pico De Gallo, and you have a winner. This tastes pretty amazing just about any way you can cook up!
Green Chili Chicken Bake Recipe- Step by Step
For a full printable recipe, scroll down to the bottom of the post. To walk through how I make this with all of my thoughts, tips and tricks, read below!
Ingredients:
- 3-4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese, softened – You can use light cream cheese here if you prefer, but fat free will not work well since it doesn’t melt like normal cream cheese. Also, make sure the cheese is nice and soft before you begin to mix it so it combines well. If you don’t have time to leave it out, then put it in a glass bowl, cover, and microwave for about 30 seconds, then stir and add 30 more seconds if necessary. Softening the cream cheese will ensure that it isn’t lumpy and the flavor infuses every bit of the cheese for a delicious dinner.
- 1 4 oz can chopped green chilis- As I might have mentioned above I really love green chilis. I have tried a lot of brands, but I really prefer Old El Paso. I feel like their chilis are diced but instead of just being pieces in water, the liquid is thicker like pureed chilis which I find to be so much more flavorful than just chili pieces.
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese, shredded
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions:
- Heat the oven to 375F.
- In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper until combined. Then stir in the green chilis and stir until evenly mixed. The key here is just making sure that you are starting with nice softened cream cheese.
- Lay the chicken breasts flat in a baking dish. Cover the chicken breasts with the green chili mixture. Then top with the monterey jack cheese.Make sure that the chicken breast is laid in a flat single layer in the dish. I like to use a 2 qt pyrex or a corningware baking dish to give it just enough room. Since the chicken breasts are all different sizes, it is impossible to know exactly how long to cook, but the guidelines below should give you a good start. If the chicken breasts are thick or very large, it will take longer, and if they are smaller, probably less time. If you are in a pinch you can put it in a larger dish and cut the chicken breast up into smaller pieces and spread them out a bit more. This should speed up the cook time a good bit!
- Bake on the middle rack for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.I often get asked if you need to cover this while baking. I bake mine on the middle oven rack and do not need to cover it while baking and it comes out perfect. However, every oven is different, and if you bake yours and the cheese is getting browner than you want, feel free to loosely cover it with foil to avoid additional browning. I would let it bake as long as possible without covering though so that you don’t trap all the liquid in while it cooks which can make it soupy.
- Serve hot over spanish rice, greens, tortillas, or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Quick, easy, and of course delicious as promised! I really hope that you enjoy this recipe as much as we do! If you get a chance to try it out, snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @easyfamilyrecipes, or leave me a comment here. It makes my day to heart that people are making my recipes and spending time at the dinner table together!
Watch me Make Green Chile Chicken!
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Green Chili Chicken Bake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3-4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts trimmed
- 1 8 oz package cream cheese softened
- 1 4 oz can chopped green chilis I prefer Old El Paso
- 1 cup monterey jack cheese shredded
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375F.
- In a medium bowl, mix the cream cheese, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper until combined. Then stir in the green chilis and stir until evenly mixed.
- Lay the chicken breasts flat in a baking dish. Cover the chicken breasts with the green chili mixture. Then top with the monterey jack cheese.
- Bake on the middle rack for 35-45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear.
- Serve hot over spanish rice, greens, tortillas, or mashed potatoes. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes:
- You can cut the chicken in half, chunks, or use chicken tenderloins in lieu of full chicken breasts to make serving easier. Cooking time may be reduced.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator or in the freezer for up to a month.
Nutrition Information:
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
Ally KC says
This recipe was delicious! Even my 1.5 yr old toddler loved it. I actually made it all in a skillet. After cutting the breast pieces into strips, I browned them for 5 minutes on each side and spread the mixture into the skillet. when it all melted I put it under the broiler for another 4-5 minutes. So velvety and cheesy!
Chris says
My family loved this. It will be a regular in our dinner routine. I discribed it as a chicken enchilada with out all the work
Debbie says
Made this for dinner last night and it was absolutely delicious! My husband and I chose to have it with wheat tortillas. We will definitely be making this again in the very near future.
Dedra says
Tried and love!!!
Alissa says
This was sooooo good.!! I had to hide 1/2 of the last chicken breast and sauce in the fridge so I could sneak it for lunch the next day BUT my 11 year old found it an took it with her to basketball practice….. I really liked how quick and easy this was and that i had all the ingredients on hand!! we are a busy ranching family and everybody wants this made once a week!!… Thank you so much…. I also made it with 1/3 cup of salsa instead of green chilis and it was a big hit too!!
Jessie says
This dish is so delicious! I’m the only one doing Keto in the family and I made a double batch – but they ate it all!
Tripp says
Just made this for dinner last night and it was delicious. Definitely will make this again.
I used deboned chicken thighs instead of breasts and made some substitutions: Greek yogurt for half the cream cheese, and fresh roasted peppers–two jalapenos, two hatch chilies, and half a red bell pepper–instead of the 4 oz can. Then I served it on homemade tortillas, which just made it that much better.
Becky says
This has become one of our favorites. My husband and I are eating low carb so we usually serve it over riced cauliflower. Its so flavorful and the easiest recipe ever!
Thanks for posting it ?.
Donah K says
Made this tonight it was delicious! Will definitely be making it again. Topped mine with pepper jack. Next time will garnish with cilantro and maybe a bit of green onion but it’s great just as is. It is absolutely company worthy!!!
Teresa says
Does anyone know how many carbs are in 1 serving and how much is one serving. Looks yummy. Thank you