Last Updated on May 6, 2024
How about chicken and crab meat mixed to make this delicious chicken Chesapeake sauce recipe that oozes with yummy flavors, that’ll definitely leave you wanting more?
Chesapeake is a famous dish from the east coast of America. It is an appetizer made of a combination of crab meat, chicken, Ritz crackers, and a selection of seasonings. The taste of this dish is very delicious but can be difficult to make, as it does require some skill and practice.
It’s a little tricky to make this dish, and it definitely requires time and patience. However, we’re here to help you make this recipe successfully. Let’s take a look at this chicken Chesapeake sauce recipe.
Chicken Chesapeake Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1/2 lb Phillips Lump Crab Meat
- 1/2 lb Phillips Jumbo Lump Crab Meat
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- 3/4 cup Ritz crackers crushed
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 tsp lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp Phillips Seafood Seasoning
- 3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp pimentos chopped, if desired
- seasoned flour (to taste)
- melted butter (to taste)
Preparation
Step #1: Preheat the oven
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Step #2: First mixture
Add the egg, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, seafood seasoning, and mayonnaise to a bowl. Mix the ingredients well and set them aside.
Step #3: Second mixture
In a separate bowl, add the crab meat, Ritz crackers, and parsley. Mix them very lightly to combine.
Step #4: Combine
Add the mixture of the wet ingredients to the crab mixture and combine. This will be the crab stuffing.
Step #5: Prepare your pockets
Use a knife to carefully make a “pocket” into each chicken breast to insert the crab stuffing with ease. Then, use a spoon to put a mound of crab filling into the middle of each pocket. Fold over to close and place the stuffed breasts into a baking pan of your choice.
Step #6: Season
Season them to your liking with seasoned flour. And pour melted butter over each chicken breast to keep them moist and flavorful. Place into the center of a preheated oven.
Step #7: Bake
Bake at 350 degrees F for around 25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. When cooked, the internal temperature should be 165 degrees F. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
How To Make Crab Imperial
Ingredients
- 1 pound of crab meat
- 2 tbsp old bay seasoning – adjust to your liking
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp sour cream – optional
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice – optional
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- Salt – to taste
- Cayenne pepper – to taste
- 1 egg, beaten
- 8 whole Saltine crackers, crushed
- ½ tsp paprika
For the chicken
- 5 to 6 large chicken breasts – boneless and skinless
- Salt and cayenne pepper – to taste
- 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
How to Make Chicken Chesapeake with Imperial Sauce Recipe
Step #1: Preheat the oven
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
Step #2: Clean the meat
Wash the crab meat, ensuring the crab meat does not have any shell or guts remaining.
Step #3: Mix
Use a bowl to mix all the ingredients for the crab imperial; except the pepper, salt, and crab meat.
Step #4: Combine
Once mixed, then add the crab meat, salt, and pepper and combine well.
Step #5: Prepare your pan
Grease your baking dish with butter, or use a non-stick spray. Add the crab imperial mixture and bake for around 20 minutes.
Step #6: Set aside
Remove from the oven and leave to rest for at least 10 minutes.
Step #7: Tenderize the chicken breasts
Do this (ensuring they’re the same thickness) by pounding them in a Ziplock bag with a rolling pin.
Step #8: Cut your pockets
Once uniformly thick, butterfly them by creating a pocket-like incision at the middle of each breast.
Step #9: Season
Season them with salt, pepper, and old bay seasoning.
Step #10: Prepare your baking sheet
Grease another baking sheet and set it aside.
Step #11: Stuff
Stuff the chicken with 2 tablespoons of crab imperial and place them onto the prepared baking dish.
Step #12: Bake
Use toothpicks to hold the chicken together as binding tools. Bake for at least 30 minutes, or until it’s cooked through and turns golden brown. If using a cooking thermometer, ensure it’s 165 degrees F when cooked.
Step #13: Let them cool
Leave to cool for around 10 minutes, then serve with rice, French fries, or salad.
Step #14: Enjoy!
Garnish with lemon wedges, if you’d like.
Tips On Making The Best Chicken Chesapeake
- You don’t have to bake the crab imperial, you can also use it raw and bake it alongside the chicken breast. This can help to save time if you’re looking for a quick meal.
- You can flavor your chicken breasts as you wish. The simplest way to do this is to marinate the chicken in a mixture of extra virgin olive oil and white wine. Keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to use. The marinade will have absorbed into your chicken, making it yummy and moist. You can also pour melted butter over your stuffed breasts to give them an extra creamy taste.
- Use breadcrumbs or crushed crackers as a coating.
- You can cook the chicken breasts in a skillet with melted butter before transferring them to the oven. If so, they’ll only need around 10 minutes in the oven. Or you can grill them before baking for about 5 minutes.
- For this recipe, try to use real crabmeat and chicken breast.
- You can use crab imperial as a topping or a stuffing. But it’s best used as stuffing.
- You can also make crab imperial ahead of time! Cover and refrigerate if doing so. This will make it easier to create your chicken Chesapeake sauce recipe.
Final Thoughts
You will not want to miss out on this chicken Chesapeake sauce recipe for another minute longer once you’ve tasted it! The sauce itself is not difficult to make, and it’s very easy to have the entire meal in one pot. The only tricky part is preparing the crab meat. If you are looking for a good way to get the whole family involved, then this recipe may just be the one you’re looking for!
Chesapeake Chicken is also great when served over rice, mashed potatoes, or even pasta. You can even serve the whole dish over a bed of salad greens, with some lemon dressing. What are you waiting for? Try it! Let us know in the comments how your chicken Chesapeake turned out.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make chicken Chesapeake?
It is easy to make the chicken Chesapeake following the recipes above. You can season it as per your preferences, to make this recipe more suited to you.
What side dish goes good with chicken Chesapeake?
You can serve it with either rice or cornbread, French fries, or anything else you love to serve with - it goes well with practically anything!
Can you cook chicken in sauce?
Yes, of course! You can cook it in the sauce if you'd like, and can even freeze it for future use.
| Preparation Time | Cook Time | Servings |
| 20 mins | 30 mins | 4 |
Chicken Chesapeake Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1/2 lb Phillips Lump Crab Meat
- 1/2 lb Phillips Jumbo Lump Crab Meat
- 1/4 cup parsley chopped
- 3/4 cup Ritz crackers crushed
- 1 large egg
- 3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3/4 tsp lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp Phillips Seafood Seasoning
- 3/4 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp pimentos chopped if desired
- Seasoned flour to taste
- Melted butter to taste
Instructions
- Step #1: Preheat the ovenPreheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
- Step #2: First mixtureAdd the egg, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, seafood seasoning, and mayonnaise to a bowl. Mix the ingredients well and set them aside.
- Step #3: Second mixtureIn a separate bowl, add the crab meat, Ritz crackers, and parsley. Mix them very lightly to combine.
- Step #4: CombineAdd the mixture of the wet ingredients to the crab mixture and combine. This will be the crab stuffing.
- Step #5: Prepare your pocketsUse a knife to carefully make a “pocket” into each chicken breast to insert the crab stuffing with ease. Then, use a spoon to put a mound of crab filling into the middle of each pocket. Fold over to close and place the stuffed breasts into a baking pan of your choice.
- Step #6: SeasonSeason them to your liking with seasoned flour. And pour melted butter over each chicken breast to keep them moist and flavorful. Place into the center of a preheated oven.
- Step #7: BakeBake at 350 degrees F for around 25 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. When cooked, the internal temperature should be 165 degrees F. Remove from the oven and enjoy!
Nutrition
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My name is Ania, and I am very glad to see you here. I have always loved cooking; even some of my earliest memories are flipping through a cookbook and making pudding standing on a stool because I was too small to reach the stove.
You should know that I am not a professionally trained chef, just a big food lover who grew up in a family obsessed with cooking and focused on what we eat.
