Life on the east coast involves lots of seafood; especially delicious shellfish! Arguably one of the best dishes known to Maryland is Chicken Chesapeake. Chicken Chesapeake is a delectable dish with both the tender, juicy flavor of chicken topped with Maryland crab smothered in a cheesy Old Bay cream sauce. The blend of flavors is extremely unique as it boasts a tangy, citrus, buttery flavor incomparable to any other dish out there.
What is Chicken Chesapeake?
Chicken Chesapeake is a chicken and seafood dish popularized in the Chesapeake Bay region, specifically Maryland. This is why it’s sometimes referred to as “Maryland Chicken Chesapeake”. It boasts tender, succulent chicken breasts topped with a cheesy crab imperial mixture flavored with Old Bay seasoning. The perfect blend of land and sea and excellent for a special occasion!
This dish is a summertime favorite for most foodies due to it’s bright and silky qualities. Enjoy this dish in a shore town with the smell of sea salt in the air – you’ll be in heaven.
What type of crab should I use for Chicken Chesapeake?
Blue crab is the most popular type of crab eaten in the Chesapeake Bay region. This dish would be served best with fresh blue crab as it’s going to have the best and sweetest flavor. Check with your local fish market to see what they’ve got!
No local fish market? No worries, we can make this work with canned crab. If you are going to go with canned, you may see a few different types available in store.
So what type of canned crab should you use? The most common types available are lump crab meat and claw meat. Lump crab is a light and white in appearance that comes from the backfin of the crab. It is sweeter with a lighter flavor. Claw meat has a stronger flavor, is less sweet, and more oily. We prefer lump meat for this dish so that it doesn’t overpower our beautiful chicken flavor!
What are good side dishes for Chicken Chesapeake?
If you’re going to get Chicken Chesapeake from a restaurant, you will often see it served with Old Bay seasoned fries. Makes sense. However, I prefer to serve it with a brightly flavored rice. I make white rice and blend in a small amount of butter, lemon juice, garlic powder, and whatever parsley I have remaining from the recipe.
Other great side dishes are steamed veggies, green beans or a light pasta. The chicken Chesapeake dish is a bit heavy, so any light side dish will work best. Serve with a crisp, white wine for bonus points!
How long can you store leftovers?
Chicken Chesapeake can remain in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 5 days. It can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat through microwave or baking.
Ingredients
To cook the chicken:
- 3 Chicken breasts
- 2 ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
To make the crab mixture:
- 8 oz lump blue crab
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 ½ tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 ½ tbsp parsley
- ¼ tsp salt
To make the sauce:
- ¾ cup whole milk
- 3 tbsp unsalted kerrygold butter (room temperature)
- 2 tsp fresh parsley
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- ¾ tsp Old Bay seasoning
How to make Chicken Chesapeake
Begin by getting out your chicken breast. Slice them down the middle lengthwise so that they are half the thickness. Season with the Old Bay seasoning and salt to taste. Set aside and allow it to reach room temperature.
While the chicken in resting, begin to make your crab mixture. Sautee 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped for 1 minute and add to a large mixing bowl. Add in 2 ½ tbsp mayonnaise, 1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 egg, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning, 1 ½ tbsp parsley, and ¼ tsp salt.
Once mixed, gently fold in crab meat so that it remains chunky. We don’t want to blend it down into a mush! Allow to thicken and cool in the refrigerator while we cook our chicken.
Preheat oven to 400°F while we sear our chicken to a golden brown color. Heat a large pan to medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Pat the chicken of any excess water and cook for 2 minutes on each side.
In the last 30 seconds of cooking, add in a squirt of fresh lemon juice. Set aside on a dish with paper towels to allow the chicken to drain excess moisture.
After about 2 minutes of the chicken resting, place a sheet of parchment paper onto a baking sheet or casserole dish. Place each chicken breast evenly apart.
Spoon the crab mixture we had set aside in the refrigerator on top of the chicken and allow to bake for 8 minutes. At the 8-minute mark, add your shredded cheese and return to the oven for another 15 minutes until melted.
While the chicken is cooling, begin to make your sauce. Blend ¾ cup milk with 3 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp parsley, 1 tsp lemon juice and ¾ tsp Old Bay seasoning in a medium bowl.
Top each chicken breast with about 3 spoonfuls of sauce. Top with fresh cut parsley and serve with a side of your choice. Enjoy!
Chicken Chesapeake with Maryland Crab
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Prep Time 25 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Servings 6 people
Calories 433 kcal
Ingredients
Chicken
- 3 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 2 ½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
Crab Mixture
- 8 oz blue crab lump meat
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 2 ½ tbsp mayonnaise Hellman's
- 1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 ½ tbsp parsley
- ¼ tsp salt
Cream Sauce
- 3/4 cup whole milk
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter kerrygold, room temperature
- 2 tsp fresh parsley
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp Old Bay seasoning
Instructions
Slice chicken breasts down the middle lengthwise so that they are half the thickness. Season with the Old Bay seasoning and salt to taste. Set aside and allow to reach room temperature.
Make your crab mixture. Sautee 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped for 1 minute and add to a large mixing bowl. Add in 2 ½ tbsp mayonnaise, 1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp lemon juice, 1 egg, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning, 1 ½ tbsp parsley, and ¼ tsp salt. Fold in crab meat so that it remains chunky. Allow to thicken and cool in the refrigerator while we cook our chicken.
Preheat oven to 400F while we sear our chicken to a golden brown color. Heat a large pan to medium-high heat and drizzle with olive oil. Pat the chicken of any excess water and cook for 2 minutes on each side. In the last 30 seconds of cooking, add in a squirt of fresh lemon juice. Set aside on a dish with paper towels to allow the chicken to drain excess moisture.
After about 2 minutes of the chicken resting, place parchment paper onto a baking sheet or casserole dish. Place chicken breast evenly apart. Spoon crab mixture from the refrigerator on top of the chicken and allow to bake for 8 minutes. At the 8-minute mark, add your shredded cheese and return to the oven for another 15 minutes or until melted.
While chicken is cooling, make your sauce. Blend ¾ cup milk with 3 tbsp melted butter, 1 tsp parsley, 1 tsp lemon juice and ¾ tsp Old Bay seasoning. Top each chicken breast with about 3 spoonfuls of sauce. Top with fresh cut parsley and serve with a side of your choice. Enjoy!
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