Cream Cheese Chicken (Printable)
Tender seared chicken in a rich cream cheese and Parmesan sauce with garlic and Italian herbs.
# What You'll Need:
→ Poultry
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 lb)
→ Dairy
02 - 7 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 1/4 cup milk
04 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
05 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
06 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
07 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 2 tbsp fresh chives or parsley, chopped
→ Pantry Staples
09 - 1 tbsp olive oil
10 - 1/2 tsp salt
11 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
12 - 1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs
# Directions:
01 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Place in the skillet and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side until a golden crust forms. Remove and set aside on a plate.
02 - In the same skillet, add the chopped onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
03 - Add the cream cheese, milk, and Parmesan to the skillet. Whisk continuously until the mixture comes together into a smooth, creamy sauce. Stir in the dried Italian herbs and blend evenly.
04 - Return the seared chicken breasts to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce. Spoon the sauce over the chicken to coat. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer gently for 15 to 18 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and is fully cooked through.
05 - Transfer the chicken to serving plates and spoon the creamy sauce generously over each portion. Sprinkle with fresh chives or parsley and serve immediately.
# Cooking Tips:
01 -
- The cream cheese sauce comes together in minutes and tastes like something from a restaurant that charges twenty dollars a plate.
- It is genuinely easy enough for a Tuesday but impressive enough for company, and leftovers reheat beautifully without breaking.
02 -
- Do not skip pounding the chicken flat because uneven breasts mean some pieces dry out while others are still pink inside and there is no rescuing that at the dinner table.
- Keep the heat low once you cover the pan, a vigorous boil will cause the cream cheese sauce to separate and turn greasy instead of silky.
03 -
- If your sauce looks broken or curdled, whisk in a tablespoon of cold butter off heat and it will emulsify back into something smooth and beautiful.
- A pinch of red pepper flakes stirred into the sauce right before you add the chicken balances all that richness with a subtle warmth that keeps people going back for another bite.