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Easy Cream Cheese Chicken

Easy cream cheese chicken featuring juicy chicken breasts seared in a skillet and simmered in a tangy, velvety cream cheese sauce thick enough to coat every bite. Bright lemon juice, lemon zest, and fresh chives finish the rich filling for a quick weeknight chicken dinner.
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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: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 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
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
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
  • 0.25 tsp Fresh chives and lemon zest for garnish
  • 0.25 tsp lemon zest for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the boneless skinless chicken breasts with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder to taste. Sear in olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side until golden.
  2. Check doneness by ensuring the internal temperature reaches 165°F; remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate. Keep any juices behind in the pan.
Build the tangy cream cheese sauce
  1. Cook the minced garlic in the same pan over medium-high heat for 30 seconds until fragrant. Immediately pour in the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits.
  2. Add the cubed cream cheese and stir over medium-low heat until fully melted and smooth. Keep stirring until the sauce looks glossy and uniform.
  3. Stir in sour cream, fresh lemon juice, and Italian seasoning until the sauce is creamy and well combined; do not boil after adding sour cream. Keep the heat at a gentle simmer only.
Finish and serve
  1. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and spoon the tangy cream cheese sauce over each piece. Let the chicken warm briefly in the sauce without boiling.
  2. Garnish with fresh chives and lemon zest. Serve while the sauce is thick and coats the chicken surface.

Notes

Pro tip: cube and soften the cream cheese so it melts quickly into a smooth sauce—this keeps the texture velvety instead of grainy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat gently over low heat or microwave in short bursts until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because sour-cream-based sauces can break when thawed. If you want a lighter option, use reduced-fat cream cheese and reduced-fat sour cream for a similar tangy sauce.