Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake is chicken breasts baked under a creamy topping of cream cheese, sour cream, chopped artichoke hearts, baby spinach and Italian-blend cheese, then finished under the broiler with more cheese until it turns golden. It tastes like a warm spinach artichoke dip, tangy and cheesy, but it is a full weeknight dinner. It serves 4 and is ready in 39 minutes.
How to make it: Stir softened cream cheese with sour cream, chopped artichokes, spinach, part of the cheese, Dijon and garlic powder. Pound the chicken to an even 1/2 inch, lay it in a baking dish, season it and spread the topping over it. Bake at 400°F until the chicken reaches 165°F, then add the rest of the cheese and broil until golden.
Why You’ll Love It
- Dip for dinner: everything you like about spinach artichoke dip, spread thick over chicken breasts.
- Quick: 10 minutes of prep and one dish in the oven.
- A golden cheese top: a few minutes under the broiler at the end.
- Easy to change: other cheeses, frozen spinach, a little heat, or cooked chicken in a casserole.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken breasts: Two pounds of boneless, skinless breasts, about 4. They are pounded thin in step 3.
Artichoke hearts: One 14-ounce can or jar, packed in water. Drain them and chop them coarsely.
Cream cheese and sour cream: Four ounces of cream cheese and 8 ounces of sour cream make the creamy base of the topping.
Baby spinach: Two cups, about 2 ounces. It goes into the topping raw, straight from the bag.
Italian-blend cheese: 1 1/2 cups (4 ounces), shredded and divided. Half a cup goes into the topping and the remaining cup goes on top for the broiler.
Seasoning: A teaspoon of Dijon mustard and 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder flavor the topping. The chicken gets kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Ingredients
- 1 can artichoke hearts (14 ounces), packed in water, drained and coarsely chopped
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cubed
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 2 cups baby spinach (about 2 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Italian-blend cheese (4 ounces), divided
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 4)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
How to Make Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake
1. Heat the oven. Set an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Make the topping. Drain the artichoke hearts and chop them coarsely. Cut the cream cheese into cubes, put them in a big microwave-safe bowl and heat on HIGH for about 30 seconds, until very soft. Stir in the chopped artichokes, sour cream, spinach, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese, the Dijon and the garlic powder until evenly mixed.
3. Pound the chicken. Work with one breast at a time. Seal it in a gallon-size zip-top bag and flatten it with a rolling pin or the smooth face of a meat mallet until it is an even 1/2 inch thick.
4. Season and top. Lay the breasts side by side in a baking dish that fits them in one layer, and sprinkle them all over with the salt and pepper. Spoon the spinach-artichoke topping onto the chicken and spread it out evenly.
5. Bake. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer in the chicken shows 165°F.
6. Broil the cheese. Pull the dish out and switch the oven to broil. Scatter the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the chicken and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese melts and browns in spots.
How Long to Bake Spinach Artichoke Chicken, by Cut
To bake chicken breast with artichoke hearts, spread the creamy artichoke topping over the raw chicken and bake until the chicken reaches 165°F. How long that takes depends on how the chicken is cut. The recipe above is written for breasts pounded to an even 1/2 inch; use these times when you start from a different cut:
- Pounded breasts, 1/2 inch thick: 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, then 3 to 4 minutes under the broiler for the cheese.
- Whole breasts, not pounded: breasts of about 6 ounces each in a 9×13-inch dish bake at 375°F for 30 to 35 minutes. Two pounds of whole breasts (3 to 4) laid flat in a large baking dish and baked on the middle rack at 375°F can take 30 to 40 minutes.
- Chicken tenders or 1-inch strips: 2 pounds in an even layer in a 9×13-inch dish, 375°F for 20 to 25 minutes.
For the longer bakes, the shredded cheese can go on at the start instead of under the broiler; it turns golden and bubbly while the chicken cooks.
Whatever the cut, go by the thermometer, not the clock. That goes for boneless chicken thighs too, which can stand in for the breasts. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 165°F.
Tips for Success
How do I keep the topping thick and creamy?
Drain the artichokes well and pat them dry before you chop them. Light sour cream is fine, but skip fat-free. Plain Greek yogurt can replace the sour cream if it is whole milk or 2%, because fat-free yogurt is too watery.
Is liquid in the bottom of the dish normal?
Yes. The chicken gives off some of its own juice as it bakes, and it collects in the dish. Serve the chicken over rice, which soaks up the extra juices.
Should it rest before serving?
You can serve it straight from the broiler, or let it rest for 5 minutes first if you like.
Variations
- A little heat: stir 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes into the topping, and rub the chicken with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika before it goes into the dish.
- No Dijon: use yellow mustard.
- Casserole with cooked chicken: skip the raw breasts and stir 2 heaping cups of cooked chicken into the topping. Spread it in a 9×13-inch dish, scatter the remaining cheese over it and bake at 375°F, covered with foil, for 20 minutes, then uncovered for 5 to 10 minutes, until golden brown and bubbling and the center reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Let it cool 10 to 15 minutes so it slices more neatly.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat them covered until the chicken reaches 165°F; in the microwave, cover the dish and rotate it for even heating. Don’t reheat leftovers in a slow cooker.
Leftovers can be frozen for 3 to 4 months, but FSIS names cream sauce and mayonnaise among the foods that don’t freeze well, and this topping is cream cheese and sour cream, so the quality may not hold up after thawing. Thaw frozen leftovers in the refrigerator.
What to Serve With It
Serve it with rice, mashed potatoes, quinoa, pasta or roasted potatoes, plus garlic bread to soak up the creamy topping. Roasted cauliflower, cauliflower rice or a side salad with balsamic vinaigrette work too. From this site, garlic herb roasted potatoes, carrots and zucchini and marinated cauliflower salad both fit on the plate.
For more creamy baked chicken, try baked cream cheese chicken or smothered cheesy sour cream chicken. If you like spinach with your chicken, the chicken, spinach and mushroom oven dish bakes chicken breasts under spinach, mushrooms, cream cheese and mozzarella, and smothered chicken with creamed spinach, bacon and mushrooms is made in a skillet.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients for an artichoke spinach dip chicken bake?
Chicken breasts under a topping of cream cheese, sour cream, artichoke hearts, baby spinach and Italian-blend cheese. The amounts are in the ingredient list above.
Which cheese goes in spinach artichoke chicken?
The recipe uses shredded Italian-blend cheese. Mozzarella with grated Parmesan is the swap: stir 1/2 cup of grated Parmesan into the topping and scatter 1 cup of shredded mozzarella over it.
Can I use frozen spinach?
Yes. The 2 ounces of fresh spinach in this recipe can be replaced with about 1 cup of frozen chopped spinach. Thaw it and squeeze it dry before it goes into the topping. Buy it chopped so it is easy to eat.
Can I use marinated artichoke hearts?
Yes. The artichokes are drained, so marinated ones work as well as hearts packed in water. Frozen artichoke hearts work too once they are defrosted.
Final Notes
When you stir the topping together it will be very thick, and that is how it should be. If you make it, or have a question, tell me in the comments.
Spinach Artichoke Chicken Bake
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Ingredients
- 1 can artichoke hearts 14 ounces, packed in water, drained and coarsely chopped
- 4 ounces cream cheese cubed
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 2 cups baby spinach about 2 ounces
- 1 1/2 cups shredded Italian-blend cheese 4 ounces, divided
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts about 4
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
Instructions
- Set an oven rack in the center position and preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Drain the artichoke hearts and chop them coarsely. Cut the cream cheese into cubes, put them in a big microwave-safe bowl and heat on HIGH for about 30 seconds, until very soft. Stir in the chopped artichokes, sour cream, spinach, 1/2 cup of the shredded cheese, the Dijon and the garlic powder until evenly mixed.
- Work with one breast at a time. Seal it in a gallon-size zip-top bag and flatten it with a rolling pin or the smooth face of a meat mallet until it is an even 1/2 inch thick.
- Lay the breasts side by side in a baking dish that fits them in one layer, and sprinkle them all over with the salt and pepper. Spoon the spinach-artichoke topping onto the chicken and spread it out evenly.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer in the chicken shows 165°F.
- Pull the dish out and switch the oven to broil. Scatter the remaining 1 cup of cheese over the chicken and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until the cheese melts and browns in spots.
