Cream Cheese Garlic Skillet Chicken
This 30-minute skillet entrée combines tender chicken and a rich, garlicky cream cheese sauce that's perfect with potatoes, pasta, or roasted veggies.
Yield: servings
Equipment
- Cutting board or flat work surface
- parchment paper or plastic wrap
- meat tenderizer or rolling pin
- Large skillet
- Tongs
- internal meat thermometer
- Large plate
- Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
Ingredients
For the Garlic Chicken
- 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts approximately 6 ounces each
- salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder divided
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or canola oil
For the Garlic Cream Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- ⅓ cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- ⅓ cup chicken broth
- ⅓ cup heavy cream or half and half, at room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- salt to taste
- freshly cracked black pepper to taste
- ½-1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice to taste, juice from ¼-½ of one lemon
Suggested Garnish
- chopped fresh parsley or chopped fresh chives
Serving Suggestions (All Optional)
- mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower
- angel hair pasta or palmini noodles
Instructions
- Cover cutting board with large sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Place 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts on cutting board and cover chicken with second sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap.
- Use meat tenderizer or rolling pin to pound chicken breasts until each is uniformly one-half-inch thick in all spots. Uncover chicken and discard parchment paper (or plastic wrap).
- Liberally season each chicken breast with plenty of salt and freshly cracked black pepper on all sides, then sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder onto each chicken breast. Flip chicken over and sprinkle ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder onto other side of each chicken breast. Set chicken aside.
- Heat large skillet over medium heat. When pan is warm, add 2 tablespoons avocado oil and swirl or tilt pan to distribute oil evenly across surface. Continue heating pan until oil is hot and shimmery.
- When oil is hot, place chicken breasts in skillet. Cook chicken 5 to 6 minutes or until golden brown, then flip chicken over. Cook 2 to 4 minutes more or until chicken reaches 160° Fahrenheit according to internal meat thermometer.
- As chicken reaches desired temperature, transfer chicken breasts to large plate and set aside.
- When all chicken breasts have been transferred to plate, add 2 tablespoons butter to skillet. Melt butter, swirling pan occasionally to distribute butter across skillet.
- Once butter is melted, add 2 teaspoons minced garlic. Sauté garlic, stirring constantly, 30 to 60 seconds or until fragrant.
- Pour ⅓ cup dry white wine into skillet to deglaze pan. Use spatula or wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to bottom of skillet.
- Stir in ⅓ cup chicken broth, then increase heat under skillet to medium-high. Bring liquid to gentle boil, then immediately reduce heat under skillet to medium-low. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes or until liquids have reduced by 50%.
- Once reduced, remove skillet from heat and let liquid cool slightly. Add 4 ounces cream cheese and ⅓ cup heavy cream. Whisk vigorously until cream cheese has melted and mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.
- Return skillet to heat. Add salt, freshly cracked black pepper, and ½-1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice. Stir gently to incorporate ingredients.
- Once ingredients are incorporated and sauce is warmed through, remove skillet from heat. Return chicken breasts to skillet. Let chicken rest in sauce until warmed through, flipping chicken breasts in sauce occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.
- Plate chicken breasts with mashed potatoes, pasta, or veggies as desired. Spoon plenty of sauce over tops of chicken breasts, then garnish with chopped parsley or chives and serve dish warm.
Notes
- Dry White Wine: Pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc work well in dishes like this.
- Make it Alcohol Free: Replace the white wine with ⅓ cup chicken broth. Note: this is in addition to the ⅓ cup chicken broth already called for in the recipe.
- Make it Keto: Serve your chicken with mashed cauliflower, mashed palmini, palmini noodles, or roasted broccoli.
- Make it Gluten Free: Be sure your chicken broth is 100% gluten-free.
Nutrition
Serving Size: 1serving | Calories: 497cal | Protein: 39g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 176mg | Sodium: 401mg | Potassium: 694mg | Total Carbs: 3g | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1g | Net Carbs: 3g | Vitamin A: 518IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 1mg