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Easy Cream Cheese Chicken

Easy cream cheese chicken with juicy chicken breasts and a tangy, velvety cream cheese sauce thick enough to coat every bite. Made in one simple chicken skillet with garlic, broth, sour cream, Italian seasoning, and bright lemon zest for a creamy weeknight chicken dinner.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 590
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breasts
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Use evenly sized breasts for even searing.
Seasoning and spices
  • 0.25 Salt To taste.
  • 0.25 pepper To taste.
  • 0.25 garlic powder To taste.
  • 0.25 onion powder To taste.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
Sear and sauce base
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic Minced.
  • 1 cup chicken broth
Creamy sauce
  • 8 oz cream cheese Cubed and softened.
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice Fresh.
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
Garnish
  • 0.25 fresh chives
  • 0.5 lemon zest

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering, then sear the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side until golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F; remove to a plate.
Build the tangy cream sauce
  1. In the same pan, cook the minced garlic for 30 seconds over medium heat until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
  2. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir over medium-low heat until fully melted and smooth. Stir in the sour cream, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning until the sauce is creamy and well combined; do not boil after adding sour cream.
Finish and garnish
  1. Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over each breast until coated. Garnish with fresh chives and lemon zest before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: soften the cream cheese so it melts quickly into a smooth, thick sauce. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days in a covered container; reheat gently on the stovetop to avoid breaking the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because sour-cream-based sauces can separate after thawing. For a dairy-light swap, use low-fat cream cheese and sour cream (texture may be slightly thinner).