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Easy Cream Cheese Chicken

Easy cream cheese chicken with juicy pan-seared breasts coated in a thick, tangy velvety cream cheese sauce. Sautéed garlic and deglazed broth create a smooth base, finished with lemon juice, Italian seasoning, and a fresh herb garnish.
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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: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and seasoning
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.25 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.25 tsp pepper to taste
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 0.5 tsp onion powder to taste
Cream cheese sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 8 oz cream cheese cubed and softened
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 0.5 fresh chives for garnish
  • 0.5 lemon zest for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear until golden, 5-6 minutes per side, until 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 until fragrant. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  2. Add the cubed, softened cream cheese and stir over medium-low heat until fully melted and smooth.
  3. 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 so it coats completely. Garnish with fresh chives and lemon zest before serving.

Notes

For the thickest coating, keep the heat at medium-low once the cream cheese is melted—avoid bringing the sauce to a boil. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; freeze the cooked chicken and sauce up to 2 months. Dietary swap: use low-fat sour cream and reduced-fat cream cheese for a lighter version while keeping the lemon-tangy flavor.