Cream Cheese Chicken (Print)

Tender chicken simmered in a rich cream cheese and Parmesan sauce with garlic and herbs.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Poultry

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 lbs)

→ 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

# How To Make:

01 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the chicken in the skillet and sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side until a golden-brown crust forms. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
02 - In the same skillet, add the chopped onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 additional minute until fragrant.
03 - Lower the heat slightly. Add the softened cream cheese, milk, and grated Parmesan to the skillet. Whisk continuously until the cheeses melt into a smooth, velvety sauce. Stir in the dried Italian herbs until evenly incorporated.
04 - Return the seared chicken breasts to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce. Spoon the sauce generously over each piece. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet with a lid, and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and is fully cooked through.
05 - Remove the skillet from the heat. Sprinkle the chicken and sauce with freshly chopped chives or parsley. Serve immediately over rice, pasta, or alongside steamed vegetables.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce basically makes itself while the chicken finishes cooking, so you look like you tried way harder than you did.
  • It reheats beautifully, making it the kind of leftover that disappears before anything else in the fridge.
  • Four ingredients do the heavy lifting, and you probably have most of them sitting around right now.
02 -
  • If the cream cheese is cold when you add it, the sauce will break into greasy lumps and no amount of whisking will save it.
  • Do not crank the heat to speed up the simmer, because high heat causes the dairy to separate and turn grainy instead of velvety.
03 -
  • Pound the chicken to an even thickness before searing so you never end up with a dried out end and a raw middle.
  • Let the chicken rest for two minutes after the simmer before slicing so the juices redistribute instead of running all over your plate.

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