The unlikely star of this irresistible sauce for chicken is a mighty block of cream cheese! Trust me on this one, it’s super delicious. 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).
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! Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this cream cheese chicken shall we?!
How to make Cream Cheese Chicken (Full Recipe & Video)
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
