Cream Cheese Chicken (Printable)
Juicy chicken breasts in a smooth cream cheese and Parmesan sauce, oven-baked to golden perfection.
# What You Need:
→ Meats
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5 oz each)
→ Dairy
02 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
03 - 1/4 cup milk
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
→ Vegetables & Aromatics
06 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
→ Spices & Seasonings
08 - 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs (or a mix of oregano, basil, and thyme)
09 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
10 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
→ Optional Garnish
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
# How-To:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F.
02 - Season chicken breasts evenly with salt, pepper, and half of the Italian herbs.
03 - In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add chicken breasts and sear each side for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, sauté the chopped onion for 2 to 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Add cream cheese and milk, stirring constantly until smooth and well combined. Stir in Parmesan cheese and the remaining Italian herbs.
06 - Return the seared chicken breasts to the skillet, turning to coat evenly with the cream cheese sauce.
07 - Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
08 - Remove from oven and garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in the same pan you sear the chicken in, so cleanup is almost effortless.
- It tastes like something you would order at a cozy bistro, but the whole thing is genuinely easy enough for a weeknight.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully and the sauce somehow gets even better the next day.
02 -
- Do not rush the cream cheese melting step on high heat or the sauce will break and separate into something greasy and sad.
- An ovenproof skillet is essential here because transferring everything to a separate baking dish means you lose all those flavorful browned bits stuck to the pan.
03 -
- Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before searing so you never end up with one piece that is overcooked while another is still pink inside.
- Use a cast iron skillet if you have one because it holds heat beautifully and gives the chicken a better sear than most nonstick pans ever will.