Description
Chicken Chesapeake is the perfect dish for special occasions like Valentine’s Day or anniversary dinners. Seared chicken topped with fresh crab and shredded cheddar cheese is baked in the oven until wonderfully bubbly and delicious.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Crab
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
- 3/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 1/8 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 8 oz. lump crab meat, drained well
Chicken
- 1.5 – 2 lbs. boneless, skinless, chicken breasts, 2 large or 4 smaller breasts
- 2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
- Olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese
Sauce
- 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp. fresh chopped parsley
- Lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, salt, parsley, and lemon juice and mix well. Gently fold in the crab meat with a rubber spatula. Be careful not to shred the crab meat and check for any hard and sharp cartilages. Cover and refrigerate while preparing the chicken.
- If using two larger chicken breasts, cut each breast in half lengthwise to create four cutlets. Pound each cutlet between plastic wrap until no more than 1/4-inch thick. Season each cutlet all over with Old Bay, rubbing in the seasoning with your fingertips.
- Heat a large heavy-duty saute pan over medium-high heat, preferably cast-iron or a stainless steel pan. Add enough oil to lightly cover the entire surface of the pan. When oil is hot and shimmering, add chicken cutlets in a single layer. Make sure not to overcrowd. Cook in batches if needed.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes per side or just until lightly golden on the outside. Transfer the cutlets onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a baking dish lightly coated with nonstick spray.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Take the crab mixture out of the refrigerator and gently mix in any accumulated moisture from the bottom of the bowl. Spoon the crab mixture evenly over each chicken cutlet.
- Bake for 12-15 minutes or until chicken internal temperature registers at 165F. Use an instant-read meat thermometer for accuracy. In the last 5 minutes, add shredded cheese. While the chicken is baking, prepare the sauce.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour and cook, stirring, just until all of the flour is absorbed. Whisk in 1/2 cup milk and Old Bay, and cook until the mixture has thickened, about 1-2 minutes while stirring constantly. If the sauce is too thick, add more milk until desired consistency. Stir in parsley.
- Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes, then spoon sauce over the chicken and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- Old Bay: Old Bay tastes similar to cajun seasoning and is very salty. I recommend tasting the cream sauce at the end and if needed, adding just a smidgen of salt. Make sure not to overseason or the entire dish will be too salty.
- Parsley: I recommend using fresh parsley and not dried. This dish is very rich and you want the clean and earthy flavor of fresh parsley.
- Crab meat: Make sure to use fresh lump crab meat and not canned. If it was previously frozen, thaw and drain well over a few sheets of paper towels. You don’t want any excess moisture.
- Milk: You can make the sauce with half and half but it will be thicker. You’ll need to thin it out either with more half-and-half or milk.
- Serving: Don’t forget to cut up fresh lemon wedges to serve alongside the chicken. Lemon will cut through the richness and saltiness of the dish.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken cutlet topped with crab and sauce
- Calories: 535
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 722.1 mg
- Fat: 30.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.5 g
- Protein: 58.2 g
- Cholesterol: 248.5 mg