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Easy Cream Cheese Chicken

Easy cream cheese chicken with juicy skillet-seared chicken breasts in a tangy, velvety cream cheese sauce thick enough to coat every bite. Made as a simple weeknight chicken dinner with garlic, sour cream, lemon juice, and herb garnish for bright flavor.
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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: 610
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts Pat dry before seasoning for better browning.
Seasoning and aromatics
  • 0.5 tsp salt Season to taste.
  • 0.5 tsp pepper Season to taste.
  • 1 tsp garlic powder Season to taste.
  • 1 tsp onion powder Season to taste.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil Used for searing.
  • 3 garlic Minced.
Creamy sauce
  • 1 cup chicken broth For deglazing and sauce base.
  • 8 oz cream cheese Cubed and softened.
  • 0.5 cup sour cream Stir in off a full boil to prevent separation.
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice Fresh lemon juice.
  • 1 tsp Italian seasoning For seasoning the sauce.
Garnish
  • 1 fresh chives Chopped, for garnish.
  • 1 lemon zest Freshly zested, for garnish.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste, then heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and sear 5-6 minutes per side until deeply golden and the internal temperature reaches 165°F, then remove to a plate.
Build the tangy cream cheese 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 skillet.
  2. Add the cream cheese cubes and stir over medium-low heat until fully melted and smooth. Mix in the sour cream, lemon juice, and Italian seasoning until the sauce is creamy and well combined, and do not boil after adding sour cream.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over each breast so it coats the top surface. Garnish with fresh chives and lemon zest right before serving.

Notes

For the smoothest tangy sauce, keep the heat at medium-low after adding the cream cheese and avoid boiling once sour cream goes in. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet or microwave until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the creamy texture can break after thawing. For a lighter option, swap the sour cream for plain low-fat Greek yogurt and warm gently (still avoid boiling).