Here I’ll show you a really simple yet absolutely delicious way to serve chicken breast for dinner!
The unlikely star of this irresistible sauce for chicken is a mighty block of cream cheese! There are so many recipes with cream cheese, but turning it into a pan sauce for chicken is one of the most delicious things you can do! Follow me…
Chicken Breast
Back again with the trusty chicken breast. You really can’t go wrong when you slice 2 chicken breasts through the centre to create 4 even-sized breasts. When pan-fried, the chicken will cook quicker and more evenly. Also, it simply INVITES itself to be drenched in a delicious sauce.
Chicken seasoning
You’ll only need store cupboard staples – nothing fancy! However, the seasoning is essential. Not only will it flavour the chicken itself, but it’ll also infuse into the sauce too. I love using smoked paprika to add a lovely smokey twang. I also go in with some onion and garlic powder to give that deep savoury flavour, which pairs delightfully with the cream cheese. I also use a small amount of oregano and an even smaller amount of thyme. I find thyme pretty powerful and it can be a little distracting if you use too much.
Cooking the chicken
We will fry the chicken in a pan with oil and butter. The butter adds a nice rich flavour, whilst the oil helps prevent the butter from burning.
Process shots: slice chicken (photo 1), season both sides (photo 2), add to pan with oil and butter (photo 3), fry both sides then remove (photo 4).
Cream Cheese Sauce for Chicken
There will be leftover fat in the pan which is perfect for frying the shallots. As they fry they’ll release a small amount of moisture which helps lightly deglaze the pan and collect all the leftover flavour too.
From there you only need 3 ingredients for the sauce:
- Chicken Stock – This makes the base of the sauce.
- Cream Cheese – Make sure it’s full-fat for the best flavour! I use Philadelphia.
- Dijon Mustard – This cuts through the richness of the sauce. It’s very subtle – in fact you’ll barely notice it!
Alongside the 3 ingredients above, make sure you add in the resting juices from the chicken. This is bonus flavour, so don’t waste it!
Process shots: add shallots to pan (photo 1), fry (photo 2), stir in cream cheese and stock (photo 3), add mustard (photo 4), stir to combine (photo 5), add chicken back to pan (photo 6).
Cream Cheese Chicken FAQ
Will the cream cheese completely blend into the sauce?
Yes! It’ll likely split a bit at first, but just give it a really good whisk and it’ll come together.
How do I thicken the sauce?
It’ll naturally thicken, quite quickly too. After simmering for a minute or so it should be good to go!
What if I over-thicken the sauce?
Just thin it out with a splash of stock or water.
Serving Cream Cheese Chicken
Once you’ve coated the chicken in the sauce, you’ll want to finish with some fresh chives and black pepper. The chives add a final pop of colour and flavour (which pairs PERFECTLY with the cream cheese), whilst the pepper adds a final hit of ‘spice’ which helps cut through the rich sauce.
Here I’ve served with Potato Wedges and Broccolini, but you can add any Sides you fancy!
For more EASY sauces for chicken check out my Chicken Breast Sauce Collection!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this cream cheese chicken shall we?!
How to make Cream Cheese Chicken (Full Recipe & Video)
Cream Cheese Chicken
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Large Pan & Tongs
- Wooden Spoon
- Jug (for stock)
- Small Pot (for seasoning mix)
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2x 250g/9oz Chicken Breasts, brought close to room temp
- 1/2 tsp EACH: Smoked Paprika, Salt
- 1/4 tsp EACH: Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Dried Oregano, Black Pepper, plus more to serve
- 1/8 tsp Dried Thyme
- 1 tbsp EACH: Unsalted Butter, Olive Oil
Sauce
- 2 Shallots, very finely diced
- 180ml / 3/4 cup Chicken Stock (use low-salt if sensitive to salt)
- 1x 165g/5.8oz tub of full-fat Cream Cheese, brought close to room temp (I use Philadelphia)
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard (see notes)
- finely diced Fresh Chives, to serve
Instructions
- Horizontally slice each chicken breast right through the centre to create 4 even-sized breasts. Combine the seasoning mix in a small pot or bowl, then evenly sprinkle over both sides of each breast.
- Place a large pan over medium-high heat and stir in the butter and oil. Add the chicken and fry for a few minutes on each side, or until lightly charred on the outside and piping hot/white through the centre. Remove and place on a plate to one side then lower the heat to medium.
- Add the shallots and fry in the leftover fat until soft and golden. Pour in the stock, then stir in the cream cheese until it blends into a sauce. You'll need to give it a good whisk to smooth out all the small lumps. Stir in the dijon, then stir in the resting juices from the chicken.
- The sauce should be relatively thick already, but if it's not just gently simmer for a couple of minutes. If you over thicken it just stir in a splash more stock or water to thin it out.
- Add the chicken back in and baste in the sauce, then sprinkle with chives and a pinch of black pepper. Serve up and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
For more recipes using cream cheese check out my Cream Cheese Pasta and Chipotle Chicken Taquitos!
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Creamy Chicken Recipes
- Creamy Cajun Chicken
- Creamy Bacon Chicken
- Creamy Tarragon Chicken
- Creamy Garlic Chicken
- Creamy Tomato Chicken
Just made this and am eating it .it’s gorgeous.thankyou.i didn’t have cream so I used low fat garlic and herb cream cheese.im trying to stay away from cream
Thankyou for the recipe.
So pleased it went down well, June! C.
I followed this recipe quite closely, but as always, it gets adjusted depending on what’s in the fridge!
I added some mushrooms to the sauce, and served it with courgettes and frozen corn.
Whilst everything was cooked well, the sauce was lovely and creamy, but I found it just lacked that one bold flavour…Just not sure what?!
Will definitely do again, and try to find the missing spark!
Hi Stephen! Sorry to hear it didn’t quite meet your expectations. It is a fairly simple sauce, but with all the little layers of flavour added together – the fond in the pan, the chicken seasoning, resting juices, Dijon etc — I find it has plenty of depth. It may simply have needed a little more seasoning at the end, especially as things like stock and cream cheese can vary quite a bit in saltiness between brands. Either way, I appreciate the feedback and I’m glad to hear you’ll be giving it another go! C.
Hi I added a squeeze of lemon juice at then end… it lifted the sauce, for me that was what was missing! Maybe try that if you make it again…
I used a plant based cream cheese and added a little plain flour to the chicken seasoning,to help stabilise and thicken the sauce. It dropped the saturated fat dramatically…. Tip Don’t boil the sauce if using plant cream cheese… I assume same if using lower fat cream cheese, not tried that so can’t comment….
This was great! I ended up doubling the liquid to get the sauce a little thinner and just because I had it and needed to use it tossed a half a bag of spinach into the sauce at the end and let it wilt and served the whole thing over pasta.
So pleased it went down well, Donna! 🙂 C.
My 18 year old closed his eyes, nodded his head and said, “That’s gas.”
I’m going to assume that’s a good thing hahah! C.
I chose this recipe for my 14-year-old to make. It turned out PHENOMENAL!!! My picky husband gave it 10 stars! We served it over mashed potatoes, and agreed to make 2-3 times more delicious sauce next time. Thank you!!!
Wow – that’s awesome to hear! C.