Cream Cheese Chicken (Printable)

Juicy chicken breasts in a smooth, tangy cream cheese sauce with Parmesan and Italian herbs.

# What You'll 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 oven to 350°F.
02 - Season the 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 the 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 softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Reduce heat to low. Add the cream cheese and milk, stirring constantly until smooth and well combined. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and the remaining Italian herbs.
06 - Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, turning to coat evenly with the cream sauce. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature reaches 165°F).
07 - Remove from the 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 embarrassingly easy.
  • It tastes like something you would order at a cozy bistro, but the whole thing takes barely any effort.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully and the sauce actually gets thicker and richer overnight.
02 -
  • If the cream cheese is not fully softened it will clump and no amount of stirring will fix it, so plan ahead.
  • The chicken will not be fully cooked through after searing and that is intentional because it finishes in the oven.
03 -
  • Let the cream cheese sit out while you prep everything else and it will be perfectly soft by the time you need it.
  • A cast iron skillet moves seamlessly from stovetop to oven and holds heat beautifully for this recipe.

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