Cream Cheese Chicken

Cream Cheese Chicken is a delicious meal of tender chicken covered in a creamy sauce. It’s easy to make in a skillet and great for a weekday meal.

chicken with cream cheese sauce on a platter.


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Chicken with Cream Cheese Sauce

Chicken is an excellent protein. It’s inexpensive and easy to cook, but chicken recipes aren’t always inspiring. But you are in for a real surprise when you try this Chicken and Cream Cheese recipe.

The star of the show is the creamy cheese sauce. The hint of vermouth and garlic helps to balance out the richness of the cream cheese, adding an incredible amount of depth.

Why This is the Best Recipe For Chicken With Cream Cheese

This cream cheese chicken recipe is simple to make. It has a complex flavor profile that is mild enough for pickier eaters but not too bland to bore the rest of your family. You don’t even have to be a pro in the kitchen to make this meal!

As a bonus, the chicken cream cheese sauce is highly versatile, allowing you to use it as a fantastic pasta sauce or even as a baked potato topping.

Cream cheese chicken is low carb and keto-friendly. Serve it with a low-carb vegetable for a complete meal.

Recipe Ingredients

To make this cream cheese chicken recipe, you will need:

  • Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Butter
  • Dry vermouth
  • Garlic powder
  • Cream cheese
  • Green onion for garnish
cream cheese chicken ingredients on a tray.

Ingredient Substitutions

The dry vermouth adds a hit of acidity and floral notes to this recipe, and you should certainly use it if you can. However, if you can’t, you will still need to use something to add a bit of a bite to the recipe to counteract the cream cheese’s heaviness.

An equal amount of dry white wine, like Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, works well, as does white wine vinegar. You can also add a splash of fresh lemon juice to brighten the chicken sauce.

You don’t have to use full-fat cream cheese in this recipe, or even cream cheese at all. Neufchatel cheese is similar to cream cheese in taste and texture, but it’s lower in fat and calories.

If you can’t find cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese in your local supermarket, try any mild cheese spread like those made by Laughing Cow or Boursin.

How to Make Cream Cheese Chicken

There are two separate parts to this recipe; cooking the chicken and mixing the sauce:

To pan sear the chicken breasts:

  1. Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel and season both sides liberally with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat until it is hot.
  3. Swirl the butter around the pan.
  4. When the butter stops foaming, put the chicken breasts in the pan and let them cook without touching for 7 to 9 minutes.
  5. When the first side is nicely browned, flip and cook until the chicken’s internal temperature is 155 degrees, about 6 more minutes.
  6. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep them warm.
two cooked chicken breasts in a cast iron skillet.

To make the cream cheese sauce for chicken:

  1. Return the pan to the burner and reduce the heat to medium-low.
  2. Pour the dry vermouth into the pan and use a wooden spatula to scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan.
  3. Let the dry vermouth reduce to about a third of its original volume.
  4. Stir in the room-temperature cream cheese.
  5. Add the garlic powder and a splash or two of the optional chicken stock or milk if you want.
  6. Whisk the sauce until it is smooth and has the same consistency as heavy cream.
  7. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat with the sauce. Let the chicken warm through before serving.
chicken breasts and cream cheese sauce in a skillet.
  1. Serve the chicken topped with the cream cheese sauce and garnished with sliced green onion.
sliced chicken topped with cream cheese sauce on a platter.

How to Serve Chicken Breast With Cream Cheese Sauce

Plate the chicken with an extra spoonful or two of the cheese sauce and garnish with thinly sliced green onions. If you don’t like green onion, try using chopped parsley for a little additional color. Add extra protein with a bit of crumbled bacon bits for a perfect keto chicken cream cheese sauce.

What Goes Well With Chicken and Cream Cheese Sauce?

Pasta is the natural pairing with this dish. Short pasta like penne or rigatoni works the best because it is less messy. You can also service simple vegetable sides like roasted asparagus, broccoli, or steamed green beans.

How to Store Creamy Cheese Sauce With Chicken Breasts

This is a dish that is best to make right before serving. However, if you are in a rush, you can cook the chicken in advance and store it wrapped in the fridge.

Remove any leftover chicken breasts from the sauce and keep the sauce and the chicken in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to three days.

How to Reheat Leftovers

  1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Place the chicken in an oven-safe pan with a few tablespoons of water. Cover with aluminum foil.
  3. Heat the pan in the oven until the chicken is warm.
  4. Remove the pan from the oven and put it over medium-low heat.
  5. Pour the sauce on the chicken breast and add some milk to thin out the sauce.
  6. Stir over the heat until the sauce is hot.
cream cheese chicken topped with green onions on a platter.

Favorite Low Carb Recipes

Check out more of my easy chicken dinner recipes and the best low carb recipes here on CopyKat!

This recipe is from Toni’s Simply the Best cookbook.

chicken with cream cheese sauce on a platter.

Cream Cheese Chicken

Tender chicken with cream cheese sauce is a delicious and low carb skillet meal.
5 from 10 votes
Print Pin Rate Add to Collection
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chicken Breast, Chicken Recipes, Cream Cheese, Cream Cheese Chicken
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 458kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1/2 cup dry vermouth
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 6 ounces cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup sliced green onions for garnish

Instructions

  • Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
  • Melt the butter in a heavy skillet.
  • Add the chicken breasts and brown them on each side until just barely done, 8 to 10 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
  • Pour the dry vermouth into the same skillet and stir, deglazing the pan by scraping up any browned bits. Simmer for 3 minutes.
  • Add the garlic powder and whisk in the softened cream cheese. The sauce should be the consistency of heavy cream. Add a little chicken stock or milk if it’s too thick.
  • Return the chicken with any accumulated juices to the pan. Check for seasoning.
  • To serve, spoon some sauce over the chicken and garnish with green onions. Serve with extra sauce on the side.

Nutrition

Calories: 458kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 198mg | Sodium: 426mg | Potassium: 938mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 850IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 62mg | Iron: 1.2mg

About Stephanie Manley

I recreate your favorite restaurant recipes, so you can prepare these dishes at home. I help you cook dinner, and serve up dishes you know your family will love. You can find most of the ingredients for all of the recipes in your local grocery store.

Stephanie is the author of CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home, and CopyKat.com's Dining Out in the Home 2.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathhy Hudson

    How much fresh garlic could be sustituted for coarse garlic powder and still have the chiken, vermouth,& cream chs. recipe taste great?

  2. Rhonda

    This was a hit at my house! I chopped the chicken into bites size after cooking (when I set it aside to make the sauce). The sauce was delicious!!!

  3. lostinlagrande

    I have made a recipe that is very similar to this one with great results. I added one can of artichoke hearts, quartered, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese mixed into the cream sauce. It’s a crowd pleaser

  4. Jeannie

    I wonder if you can make the chicken and cream cheese ahead of time and at the last minute re heat and make pasta and that way you have more time to visit with your company?

    So I don’t know if you are asking if you can make it hours ahead of time, or something like an hour ahead of time. I wouldn’t make this the night before and then reheat it, I would make this an hour before eating, and try to keep it warm, you may need to add some milk/cream to the sauce to keep it thinner, because with continuous heat the sauce will become thick.
    ~Stephanie

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