Cream Cheese Chicken (Printable Version)
Juicy chicken breasts in a rich cream cheese and Parmesan sauce, 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 tbsp 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 tsp dried Italian herbs (or a mix of oregano, basil, and thyme)
09 - 1/2 tsp salt
10 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
→ Optional Garnish
11 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F.
02 - Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and half of the Italian herbs, ensuring even coverage on both sides.
03 - In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add chicken and sear each side for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden. Remove and set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, sauté the chopped onion for 2–3 minutes until soft. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Add cream cheese and milk, stirring until smooth and well combined. Stir in Parmesan cheese and the remaining Italian herbs.
06 - Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, turning to coat evenly with the cream cheese sauce.
07 - Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
08 - Garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The cream cheese sauce comes together in the same pan, so cleanup is almost laughably easy.
- It tastes like something you would order at a cozy bistro, but the ingredient list is refreshingly short.
02 -
- Do not rush the cream cheese melting step, because cold cream cheese dumped into a hot pan will leave you with an unpleasant curdled texture.
- An ovenproof skillet is essential since transferring the sauce to a separate baking dish means you lose all those caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan.
03 -
- Pound the chicken to an even thickness before seasoning, and you will never have to worry about dry edges and underdone centers again.
- Letting the dish rest for five minutes after pulling it from the oven helps the sauce thicken slightly and settle into something velvety.