Million Dollar Chicken Bake {Air Fryer & Oven}
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Our easy Million Dollar Chicken Bake recipe is made with 6 ingredients and ready in under an hour. Make it in the air fryer or the oven for an easy weeknight meal that tastes like a million bucks.
Sometimes baked chicken recipes are lacking in flavor. All of the ingredients sound great, it smells good and looks fantastic, but the taste just isn’t there. My friend, that changes when you make this easy cream cheese chicken recipe.
We’re sharing tips to help you get the best results with this recipe. If you don’t need the tips, scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and a printable recipe card.
I love making it in my air fryer, especially in the summer, so I don’t have to heat up the whole house with the oven. And this recipe serves 6. But you may want to prepare a double batch to have leftovers for lunches.
While this dish goes great with just about any side dish, let me recommend Mexican street corn, Ruby Tuesday pasta salad, air fryer cornbread muffins, or classic green bean casserole. You can also serve this over regular rice or cauliflower rice.
And if you’re looking for another easy chicken casserole recipe, this French onion chicken and rice bake takes just 10 minutes of prep.
New to air frying? Get the low down on maximizing your usage of this amazing small appliance, including easy clean up tips, with our best air fryer tips for beginners.
Million Dollar Chicken Ingredients
- cream cheese – let it soften to room temperature before using
- mayonnaise – you’ll want to use real mayo, not Miracle Whip
- bacon – cooked crispy
- green onions – can use chives if preferred
- Colby jack cheese – freshly shredded melts best
- chicken breasts – boneless and skinless
- salt and pepper
Get the complete ingredients & directions in the recipe card below.
How to Make Million Dollar Chicken Bake In the Air Fryer
In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, mayo, cooked bacon, onions, and ¾ cup of cheese. Set aside.
Line the air fryer basket with foil or parchment paper, going up the sides a bit to create a tray to catch the juices.
Place the chicken in the basket and season with salt and pepper. It’s okay if the pieces are touching but keep them in an even layer.
Top the chicken with the cream cheese mixture and the remaining shredded cheese.
Cook for 35 to 45 minutes at 375 degrees F or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F (use a meat thermometer to check).
Garnish with more bacon and onions if desired and serve.
DON’T KNOW WHERE TO START?
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Oven Directions for Million Dollar Chicken Recipe
Grease a large casserole dish. Add the chicken and top with the cream cheese mixture and cheese.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees F or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
Tips for Making this Recipe
- Use thinner pieces of chicken if you are making this recipe in the air fryer. If your chicken pieces are thicker, thin them out with a meat mallet or cut them in half horizontally.
- If you use thicker cuts of chicken you will need to increase the cooking time.
- Depending on the size of your air fryer, you may need to cook in batches.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- For a lighter version: use Neufchatel cheese (aka low-fat cream cheese) and swap the mayonnaise for light mayo. I’ve heard you can use Greek yogurt for the mayo but I haven’t tried that yet.
- Spicier: add a few drops of your favorite hot sauce to the cream cheese mixture or slice a few jalapenos on top of the chicken.
- Casserole style: top with crushed Ritz crackers and melted butter or crushed pork rinds for more of a casserole vibe. If you decide to make a casserole in the oven, you can use rotisserie chicken for a quicker option.
- Italian flavor: Instead of bacon use pancetta and add a little Italian seasoning before cooking.
- Sandwiches: Spread the cream cheese mixture onto two slices of bread then add the chicken. Grill in a skillet like a grilled cheese.
How to Store Leftover Chicken Bake
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Need more air fryer help? Check out our favorite air fryer accessories, best oils to use and tips for choosing the right air fryer. This is the air fryer model I’m currently using.
Chicken Casserole Freezing Instructions
You can store the chicken bake in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. We usually portion the leftovers into 1-2 servings for easy reheating in the microwave, air fryer or oven.
If you choose to freeze an entire batch of million-dollar chicken we recommend preparing it in a disposable pan.
To reheat, allow the pan to thaw in the fridge overnight. Then bake at 350 degrees F until it’s warmed through. You can freeze before or after it has been cooked. If freezing before it’s cooked, wait to put the extra shredded cheese on until you’re ready to bake it.
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Million Dollar Chicken – 2 Ways!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 8 slices bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled (about ½ cup)
- 4 green onions, chopped, about ½ cup
- 1.5 cups colby jack cheese, shredded, divided
- 2 pounds chicken breasts, boneless skinless, trimmed & thinly cut
Instructions
- Cook bacon until crispy, using your preferred method.8 slices bacon
- Place the cream cheese, mayonnaise, bacon, onions, and ¾ cup of the shredded cheese in a medium bowl and stir to combine.6 ounces cream cheese, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 4 green onions
- Line the air fryer basket with aluminum foil or parchment paper, going up the sides a bit to contain any juices.
- Place the chicken in the lined basket and season with salt and pepper if desired. It’s ok if the chicken pieces are touching but make sure they are in an even layer.2 pounds chicken breasts
- Top chicken with the cream cheese mixture and remaining shredded cheese.
- Cook at 375 degrees F for 35-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
- Remove from air fryer and garnish with additional bacon and/or green onions if desired.
Notes
- Depending on the size of your air fryer basket, you may need to cook in batches.
- Oven directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Follow recipe as directed but place chicken in a greased casserole dish, top with the cream cheese mixture and finish with reserved cheese. Cook for approximately 30 minutes, until chicken reached 160 degrees F internal temperature.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the air fryer or microwave until heated through.
Nutritional Estimate
Nutritional information is provided as a reference, using an online calculator. We recommend verifying the information independently for accuracy.
