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Easy Cream Cheese Chicken

Easy cream cheese chicken is a simple chicken skillet dinner with juicy chicken breasts and a tangy, velvety cream cheese sauce thick enough to coat every piece. The sauce comes together quickly after searing, then turns creamy and smooth on low heat with sour cream and lemon.
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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: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.5 tsp salt to taste
  • 0.5 tsp pepper to taste
  • 0.5 tsp garlic powder to taste
  • 0.5 tsp onion powder to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
creamy sauce
  • 3 garlic 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
garnish
  • 1 fresh chives for garnish
  • 1 lemon zest for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season 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.
  2. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside while you build the sauce.
Make the tangy cream cheese sauce
  1. Cook the minced garlic in the same pan over medium-high heat for 30 seconds, stirring to prevent browning.
  2. Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
  3. Add the cream cheese cubes and stir over medium-low heat until fully melted and smooth.
  4. Stir 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.
Combine and finish
  1. Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over each breast so every piece is coated.
  2. Garnish with fresh chives and lemon zest before serving.

Notes

For the creamiest texture, keep the heat at medium-low once the cream cheese is melted and maintain a gentle simmer at most—boiling can make the sour cream sauce break. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of broth to loosen. Freezing is not recommended due to possible texture changes in the cream base. If you want a lighter version, use low-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat sour cream while keeping the no-boil rule.