Velvety, easy-to-make cream cheese chicken combines juicy pan-seared chicken thighs with a tangy, luscious, and cheesy, irresistible sauce. This amazingly delicious skillet chicken dinner is a dish that will make the weeknight rotation.
Serve with mashed potatoes, Instant Pot rice, or even my simple buttered egg noodles.
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Weeknights are getting better with my quick and easy cream cheese chicken.
This dish is just so flavorful! Moist, tender chicken thighs are seasoned with a mixture of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika; then they’re seared to perfection.
I make a pan sauce with cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and Dijon mustard that’s super flavorful and compliments the chicken beautifully.
This dish is so easy, too. It takes 35 minutes to bring it all together, which is the perfect time to make your favorite sides.
Cream cheese chicken is a simple, delicious meal that will please everyone.
🥘 Ingredients
Velvety cream cheese chicken is so delicious with just a few simple ingredients. I love how. Full-fat cream cheese makes this dish so delicious, so don’t use the low-fat stuff.
- 2 pounds Chicken Thighs – This recipe can use bone-in or boneless chicken thighs. You can also use chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins if you prefer white meat.
- ½ teaspoon Salt – This is part of our seasoning blend. Feel free to use sea salt, kosher salt, or table salt.
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper – This will also season our chicken thighs. I prefer to use freshly ground black pepper for the best flavor.
- ¼ teaspoon Paprika – Another seasoning for the chicken thighs. Paprika helps to give the chicken thighs a beautiful color as they brown.
- ¼ teaspoon Garlic Powder – The final seasoning for the chicken thighs! Garlic powder is perfect for the chicken thighs.
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil – I like to use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) to brown my chicken thighs. You can also use your favorite oil to brown the thighs.
- ⅓ cup Chicken Broth – Chicken broth helps to create the sauce. You can homemade, store-bought, or chicken bouillon reconstituted in water.
- 2 tablespoons Butter – The butter helps to bind the sauce, making it extra smooth and luscious. It also makes the sauce taste amazing.
- 4 ounces Full-Fat Cream Cheese - This is half a standard 8-ounce block. I love how ultra-creamy the cream cheese makes the sauce.
- 1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard – Dijon mustard adds a zesty depth of flavor to the sauce. We’re just using a little here—so the mustard flavor isn’t strong.
- ¼ cup Cheddar Cheese – I recommend grating the cheddar from a block instead of pre-grated because the preservatives can make the sauce grainy.
If you don’t prefer cheddar cheese, you can use another cheese like Colby, Colby-jack, mozzarella, or any cheese you like.
For extra flavorful chicken, use my chicken seasoning!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Cream Cheese Chicken
The recipe takes just 35 minutes total, but it’ll taste like it’s taken hours.
This recipe serves 4.
- Prep. Prepare your 2 pounds of chicken by rinsing it and then patting the pieces dry with paper towels. Then, trim any excess fat or skin off the thighs as needed. If you’re using chicken breasts, cut the breasts into evenly sized pieces that are no more than 1 inch thick.
- Season. Next, liberally season both sides of the chicken thighs with ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon of paprika, and ¼ teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Sear the chicken. Bring a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil to medium heat. Then, once the oil is beginning to shimmer, add the seasoned chicken. Leave space between the pieces (work in batches if needed). If using skin-on chicken, sear skin down first for about 3 to 4 minutes, then flip and cook until done. Next, once the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), remove it from the pan. Set aside on a plate or cutting board and loosely cover with foil.
- Start your pan sauce. To make the sauce, reduce the heat to medium-low and add ⅓ cup chicken broth to deglaze the pan. Stir the bottom of the pan to release all the delicious, browned bits. Then, add 2 tablespoons of butter into the broth and stir to melt.
- Finish the sauce. Next, add 4 ounces of cream cheese and whisk to help break it up and make a creamy sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickens, stirring or whisking frequently. Then, stir 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard and ¼ cup grated cheese into the sauce. Stir these until melted in nicely. Taste to adjust seasonings and thickness of sauce. Then, return the seared chicken to your pan sauce.
- Serve. Remove from heat and serve immediately, spooning the sauce over your pan-seared chicken when serving.
I also love to pair this dish with a green veggie like simply sautéed broccolini! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Seasoning the Chicken: Combine all your seasonings before adding them to the chicken. This ensures an even distribution of flavors across the chicken thighs.
- Adjusting Sauce Consistency: If the sauce becomes too thick, gradually add broth to thin it to your preferred consistency. Add the broth a tablespoon at a time, tasting as you go to ensure the sauce remains flavorful.
- Sauce Simmering Tips: Keep the sauce gently simmering without letting it boil. Boiling can cause the sauce to split, making it curdled or grainy. For a creamy and smooth sauce, carefully manage the heat.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Transfer the cooled leftovers to an airtight container; the dish will keep well for up to 4 days.
You can also freeze for another day. Transfer to an airtight container, then wrap with plastic wrap and freeze. It will keep for about 6 months in your freezer.
To make sure the sauce reheats well, you want it to be completely defrosted before heating. I recommend placing it in your fridge the night before you want to reheat.
Reheating
I highly recommend reheating on the stove-top. Add the sauce and chicken to a skillet over low to medium heat and add a little broth to thin out the sauce.
Cover and gently reheat until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) and the sauce is hot.
❓ Recipe FAQs
If your cream cheese sauce begins to split, first make sure your heat has been reduced. Then, stir in a few tablespoons of water or broth into the mixture and stir! Mix ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch with about 1 tablespoon of cold water or broth and stir. These should help the mixture to return to a creamy state.
This might mean your heat was a little too high! If the chicken broth has completely evaporated, lower your heat and add another ⅓ cup. The broth should be reduced slightly, but you want to have most of it to help create the sauce.
🍗 More Chicken Recipes
- Baked BBQ Chicken Drumsticks
- Crispy Panko Chicken Tenderloins
- Air Fryer Chicken Patties
- Sweet & Sour Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken
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📖 Recipe Card
Cream Cheese Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless, or use chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon olive oil (extra virgin)
- ⅓ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 4 oz cream cheese (½ an 8-ounce block)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese (grated)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Prepare your chicken by rinsing and patting it dry with paper towels. Trim any excess fat or skin as needed. If using chicken breasts, cut the breasts into evenly-sized pieces that are no more than 1 inch thick.
- Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
- Bring a large skillet with the olive oil to medium heat. Once the oil begins to shimmer, add the chicken. Leave space between pieces (work in batches if necessary). If using skin-on chicken, sear the skin side down first for about 3-4 minutes, then flip and cook until done.
- Once the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C), remove it from the pan. Place the cooked chicken on a plate or cutting board and loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and add the chicken broth to deglaze the skillet, stirring to break up any cooked on pieces. Melt the butter in the broth after stirring.
- Add the cream cheese and whisk to break up and make a creamy sauce. Simmer until the sauce thickens, stirring or whisking frequently. Stir in the Dijon mustard and grated cheese. Stir until melted, adjust the sauce thickness if needed, then return the chicken to your pan sauce.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately, spooning the sauce over your pan-seared chicken when serving.
Notes
- Other cheeses like Colby, Colby-jack, or Mozzarella can also be used.
- Use more chicken broth, if needed, to thin the sauce. Add about a tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Alana Theis says
This is a new phase of mine. I made a very thin spaghetti to go with it and oh my God so flipping good.
Anne D says
My husband really liked this recipe. He said, “it’s something different!” I tend to make a lot of pasta with more of an Alfredo style sauce, so he appreciated the flavor change, and he really likes mustard. I served this with rice pilaf and steamed broccoli. I served the chicken without the sauce to my kids, and they liked it plain.
Val says
We really liked this recipe. Doubled it for company and they asked for the recipe. Will be making this often. Served it with rice, broccoli, and carrots. Only thing I did was add more broth so we had lots of sauce. Thank you for a great recipe.
Anonymous says
Loved this recipe
Dawn says
I made your cream cheese chicken recipe yesterday and it was a hit! My brother even complained that there wasn’t enough and I had doubled the recipe. My son had a big pile and took home leftovers he couldn’t finish. We don’t like dijon mustard, but you were right, it wasn’t strong. I believe it added to the flavor of the dish. We had it at ver penne noodles because we that’s all I had. A delicious dish. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
cheftell says
Among a dozen+ recipes I used your recipe as a base to make my own with additional ingredients I like.
Peggy says
So delicious!!!
Kim Huysentruyt says
Tried this recipe and loved it!
Anna says
This is a great recipe to use on any cream cheese left hanging in the fridge. I added lemon juice and fresh garlic to add more flavor and it tasted delicious!
Andrew says
Really easy and really tasty, like a previous comment chicken needs a little longer, and we added mushrooms just before the broth, will do it again for sure. Norm UK.
Cheryl says
I am no cook...but this is delicious!
Micaela Q says
Had to fry the chicken a little longer, 6-7 minutes. Just don’t fry the chicken too much. Doubled up on the measurements for seasons but it was DELICIOUS!!!
Katy says
I was originally going to comment because I was so pleased to see the ingredient measurements throughout the recipe… Brilliant! I’ve been wishing that recipes would have this for years!
But, I personally just did not think it was that good… I couldn’t taste much but the Dijon mustard because it was overpowering, and my sauce separated. I did everything and tried everything that was listed and everything I can think of and it still separated. I should’ve known when there was no flour listed. But glad I tried it and know now. Was looking for a cheesy thigh recipe. I’ll see if my kids will still eat it!
Angela @ BakeItWithLove.com says
I'm sorry it didn't work out for you, if you do give it a go again make sure that your butter is fully melted before adding your dairy to prevent the sauce from splitting.
Jadey says
Mine separated too! I added an extra 4 oz of cream cheese and subbed a bullion cube for the broth with half the water. Fixed the separation immediately!
PJ says
Hi Katy, if your sauce separated (“Broke” in kitchen terms), the heat was too high. Hope this helps!
Kimmy says
Fantastic weeknight dinner and so easy to make. My husband says "make this meal every week please"!
Susie says
I didn't have dijon mustard, but added Worcestershire sauce. Was very good!
Joanne says
Our family loves the creamy chicken, we serve it over rice and broccoli.
Kim B says
Creamy goodness! Excellent chicken recipe, I love the richness!
Bill Harold says
Wow this was sooo easy, the cream cheese sauce was excellent!
Who ME? says
Tasty sauce but I had to add an extra 1/2 cup of broth - it got too thick. Wil definitely try again.
Yvette says
Blew us away! Absolutely amazing. I added spinach and broccoli to the sauce along with the chicken. Cooked it for another 20 minutes. It came out perfect. We ate so much it’s ridiculous. Just ridiculous.