Fire up the Traeger because we’re mixing it up this week with this easy, homemade, Traeger Baked Cheddar Chicken recipe! Tender chicken breasts. Homemade cream sauce. Crunchy coating.
Traeger Baked Cheddar Chicken
We love a good homestyle chicken dish around here, and this one is particularly great. We use crushed up crackers for the crunchiest breading, which allows you to skip the fry pan and “bake” this hearty chicken dish but not lose out on any of the crunch.
Many versions of this exist on line, and a lot of them utilize cream of chicken and/or cheddar soup. That is definitely an option, but we tend to make our own homemade cream sauces in those kinds of dishes. It is so easy to do a homemade version, and then you’re sure what’s in it (and you can pronounce all of the ingredients too.)
Try these Cheddar Duchess Potatoes with this dish!
Check out all of my Traeger Recipes!
Traeger Baked Cheddar Chicken shopping list
Wondering if you have to hit the store? Here’s the list of items you’ll need to make this recipe. For specific amounts, please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- cheez-its (or another type of cheddar crackers)
- chicken breasts
- saltine crackers
- panko
- egg
- milk
- cheddar cheese
- olive oil
- butter
- flour
- salt & pepper
- garlic powder
- parsley
- sage
- chicken base
- marsala wine
- heavy cream
- sour cream
More Easy Traeger Chicken Recipes here!
How to make Baked Cheddar Chicken on the Traeger
This is just the overview so you can see what you’re actually getting into here. When you are cooking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
1
Preheat
Fire up the grill and let it heat to 400°F.
2
Bread
Start by taking 3-4 chicken breasts and cutting them up into large chunks.
Crush your crackers/panko mixture and put it in a shallow dish.
Mix up an egg with 1/2 cup of milk and set it in another dish.
Shred your cheese (or dump it out of the bag!) and put it in another shallow dish.
Prep your baking pans with cooking spray, and lay them all out next to each other, assembly-line style.
Dunk the chicken in the egg/milk mixture, and then coat it in the cheese.
You will have to kind of press the cheese on, and hold it on the chicken.
Carefully place the cheesed chicken into the crushed cracker/bread crumb mixture and press some onto both side of the chicken.
Place the chicken into your prepped baking dish. Repeat until all the chicken is coated.
3
Cook
Drizzle the chicken with a bit of olive oil, and place into the preheated grill.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is at least 165°F internal.
The amount of cook time will depend on how big you cut your chicken chunks and how tightly they are packed into the baking dish.
4
Make the sauce
While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce by melting 4 tablespoons of butter in a non-stick pan. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour until all the lumps are gone.
Cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes.
Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add 2 teaspoons of parsley and 1/4 teaspoons of sage.
Next add 2 cups of hot water, and 2 teaspoons of condensed chicken base. I use the Better Than Bouillon brand.
Cook this mixture until it is thickened, and then add approximately 1/2 cup of heavy cream, and 1/4 cup of sour cream. Stir until mixed, and reduce heat to low.
If you need to add more water because the gravy is too thick, don’t be afraid to. These kinds of sauces are very forgiving. If it is not thick enough, make a cold water + flour roux, and add a little bit at a time while the mixture is simmering until it is thickened to your liking.
5
Serve
Keep the sauce warm until your chicken is done. Drizzle sauce over chicken, and serve with your favorite sides. We made garlic mashed potatoes and creamy balsamic green beans.
Try with our Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes!
Baked Cheddar Chicken FAQ
What’s the best way to store leftovers?
We usually just cover the baking dish with Press-and-Seal or plastic wrap and toss it in the fridge. If you are fancier than that, you can transfer it to your storage container of choice. It keeps well for 2-3 days.
What’s the best way to reheat leftovers?
Since we’re dealing with breading and sauce here, the microwave isn’t really the best way to reheat. You CAN use it if that’s what is most convenient, but an air fryer, oven, or back on the grill will get you the best results from your leftovers.
Do you have to make this on a pellet grill?
Nope! The pellet grill is basically a big outdoor oven. If you don’t have one, if it is buried in snow, or if you just aren’t feeling it right now, your regular oven works just as well for this dish.
See all of my chicken recipes!
More great chicken recipes to enjoy!
This easy Traeger Grilled Chicken Sandwich is easy to whip up for a quick lunch or dinner! One of our favorite ways to use chicken breast.
Our Marinated Grilled Chicken Kabobs are perfect for a cookout or bbq! You can prep them in advance, and they cook up in a flash. Plus, the vegetables are already on the skewer!
Grilled Chicken Leg Quarters are a budget-friendly way to use this versatile cut of chicken. Go heavy on the seasoning and serve with your favorite carb. You’ll love it!
I like to call these “poor man’s chicken wings”, but the rest of the internet calls them Grilled Butterflied Chicken Legs. No matter what you decide to refer to them as, they are delicious!
Baked Cheddar Chicken
This crunchy, delicious, baked cheddar chicken is made right on the pellet grill! Homemade sauce. So. Much. CRUNCH. We love this recipe!
Ingredients
- 4 large chicken breasts, cut into large chunks
- 1 cup crushed Cheez-its
- 1 cup crushed saltines
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 4 tablespoons salted butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon sage
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 tablespoon condensed chicken base
- 3 tablespoons Marsala wine
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat your Traeger to 400°F. Lightly spray a grill-safe baking dish with cooking spray.
- Combine the crushed Cheez-its, saltines, and bread crumbs in a bowl.
- Whisk together the egg and milk.
- Dip the chicken in egg wash then dip into cheese, and press cheese onto chicken. Move carefully to the bread crumb/cracker mixture and coat with crumbs.
- Place the breaded chicken in the baking pan. Repeat until all chicken is coated.
- Drizzle lightly with the olive oil. Bake in the Traeger at 400°F for 30-40 minutes, or until chicken is 165°F internal.
- While chicken is cooking, prepare the sauce by melting the butter in a large pan. Add the flour and whisk to eliminate any lumps. Cook over medium-low heat for 2-3 minutes.
- Add salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Add the dried parsley and sage.
- Add hot water, condensed chicken base, and Marsala to the sauce pan and cook until mixture is thickened. Remove from heat and add the heavy cream and sour cream and stir to combine.
- Serve by pouring sauce over the chicken and enjoying! Works great with mashed potatoes!
Notes
This recipe was inspired by and adapted from Jamie Cooks It Up!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 622Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 797mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 32g
Nutrition data provided here is only an estimate. If you are tracking these things for medical purposes please consult an outside, trusted source. Thanks!
Rebecca Albanese
Thursday 2nd of November 2017
The sauce is fabulous! I did use a dry white wine since I didn't have marsala, but thumbs up on this one!
Nicole Johnson
Saturday 4th of November 2017
Great! Thanks so much for letting me know! <3
Candied Chicken Recipe - Taste and Tell
Tuesday 18th of April 2017
[…] check out more from around the web: Grilled Tandoori Chicken from Creme de la Crumb, Baked Cheddar Chicken from Or Whatever You Do, or this Italian Baked Chicken from The Cooking […]
Kathy Byrnes
Thursday 3rd of November 2016
This recipe is a keeper. My husband and I fixed this chicken dinner tonight following your recipe exactly. It was so good. The sauce is wonderful.
Nicole Johnson
Monday 7th of November 2016
That's awesome to hear, Kathy!! Thanks for taking the time to stop by and let me know. <3
Samantah
Friday 15th of April 2016
I made this once before and was not happy with the texture of the chicken or skin, but loved the flavor. Below are my changes. Make sauce and set aside 3/4 cup. Marinate the chicken thighs or legs overnight in the remaining sauce. Roast seasoned uncovered thighs or legs in 450* oven for 40 minutes, or until done throw away "dirty" marinade. Bring 3/4 cup "clean" or remaining marinade to boil and reduce by 1/2. When done the skin gets a beautiful deep brown color and is crunchy. The texture of the chicken is perfect
Nicole Johnson
Saturday 16th of April 2016
Hey Samantha! This recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, so making it with a skin-on cut will definitely not yield optimal results. Thanks for sharing your work-around for making this a skin-on dish
Cheesy Cheddar Burger Bites with Pringles - Or Whatever You Do
Monday 19th of January 2015
[…] week and saw these awesome new Cheez-It flavors, and had to try some. My kids LOVE Cheez-Its, so when I can incorporate them into a meal or a snack, I’m game. I hid them so they would still be there when I wanted to […]