Cream Cheese Chicken (Printable)

Tender 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

09 - 1 tbsp olive oil
10 - 1/2 tsp salt
11 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
12 - 1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, then add to the pan. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
02 - In the same skillet, add onions and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and sauté for 1 more minute until fragrant.
03 - Stir in the cream cheese, milk, and Parmesan. Whisk until a smooth sauce forms. Mix in Italian herbs.
04 - Return the chicken breasts to the pan. Spoon sauce over the chicken, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
05 - Sprinkle with fresh chives or parsley before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in the same pan, which means every bit of golden chicken flavor gets folded right into the cream cheese.
  • It tastes like something you would order at a neighborhood bistro, but it honestly takes less effort than a weeknight pasta.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and the sauce thickens overnight into something even richer.
02 -
  • If the cream cheese is not fully softened it will leave white streaks in the sauce that no amount of whisking can fix.
  • The chicken will continue cooking in the sauce after you return it to the pan, so pull it from the initial sear when it still looks slightly underdone in the center.
03 -
  • Use a heavy bottomed skillet if you have one because thin pans create hot spots that scorch the cream cheese before it has time to melt evenly.
  • Let the chicken rest for five minutes after the final simmer before slicing so the juices redistribute and every bite stays moist.

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