Baked Cream Cheese Chicken is golden seared chicken breast baked in a smooth, garlicky cream cheese sauce with fresh chives, finished with a bubbly cheddar top if you like. It is an easy weeknight dinner that tastes rich without much work.
How to make baked cream cheese chicken: Season and sear the chicken, make a quick sauce in the same skillet with garlic, broth and softened cream cheese, pour it over the chicken and bake at 375°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- Creamy sauce, no cream: a block of cream cheese and a little broth make a silky sauce.
- Juicy chicken: the sauce keeps the breasts moist while they bake.
- One skillet and one dish: the sauce is made in the pan you seared the chicken in.
- Short ingredient list: chicken, cream cheese, broth, garlic, chives and paprika.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken breasts: Use 4 boneless, skinless breasts of similar size so they finish together. Very thick ones can be pounded to an even thickness.
Cream cheese: Let the 8-ounce block soften on the counter first. Cold cream cheese stays in lumps, while softened cream cheese melts into the broth in a minute.
Chicken broth: Half a cup thins the cream cheese into a pourable sauce and picks up the browned bits from the skillet.
Paprika, garlic and chives: Paprika gives the seared chicken color, garlic flavors the sauce, and chives add a fresh onion note. I stir the chives into the sauce rather than only sprinkling them on top, so every bite gets some.
Cheddar: It is optional, but half a cup of sharp cheddar broiled on top gives you a golden, cheesy crust.
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Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese, optional, for topping
- Fresh parsley, optional, for garnish
How to Make Baked Cream Cheese Chicken
1. Heat the oven. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or olive oil.
2. Sear the chicken. Season the chicken on both sides with salt, pepper and paprika. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Set it aside.
3. Make the sauce. In the same skillet, cook the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the broth and cook for 1-2 minutes to reduce slightly. Add the softened cream cheese and stir until smooth, then add the chives and season with salt and pepper.
4. Assemble. Place the chicken in the baking dish and pour the cream cheese sauce over it. Sprinkle with cheddar if using.
5. Bake. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). If you used cheese, broil for the last 2-3 minutes to brown the top.
6. Serve. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm.
How to Get a Smooth Cream Cheese Sauce
The secret is softened cream cheese and gentle heat. Add it to the warm broth in chunks and stir until it melts completely before the sauce goes over the chicken. If you see small white flecks, keep stirring over low heat for another minute.
The sauce thickens a little more in the oven, so it should look slightly looser than you want when you pour it. You are aiming for a sauce that coats the back of a spoon and pools around the chicken, ready to spoon over rice or potatoes.
My habit is to scrape up every browned bit from the searing when the broth goes in. Those bits flavor the whole sauce, and it is the reason to make it in the same skillet.
Tips for Success
Why is my chicken dry?
It baked past 165°F. Start checking the thickest breast at 25 minutes and take the dish out as soon as it reaches temperature.
Why is the sauce lumpy?
The cream cheese was still cold. Soften it first, and stir it into the broth over gentle heat until completely smooth.
Why is the sauce too thin?
The broth did not reduce. Let it simmer for the full 1 to 2 minutes before adding the cream cheese.
Variations
- Add lemon: a dash of lemon juice in the sauce brightens the rich cream cheese.
If you like baked chicken with cream cheese, try Bacon-Wrapped Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken for a chive filling and crisp bacon.
For another baked dinner with cream cheese, try Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti, layered with beefy tomato sauce and topped with Parmesan.
Storage & Reheating
USDA FSIS says to refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow, covered containers and use them within 3 to 4 days, or freeze them for 3 to 4 months. Reheat until the chicken reaches 165°F, adding a splash of broth to loosen the sauce.
What to Serve With It
Serve it over rice, egg noodles or mashed potatoes to catch the sauce, with steamed broccoli or green beans. For more creamy chicken dinners, try smothered cheesy sour cream chicken, melt-in-your-mouth chicken breasts or garlic butter mushroom stuffed chicken. For a slow cooker version, there is 3-ingredient slow cooker cream cheese chicken or cream cheese crack chicken, and cream cheese chicken enchiladas are a good use of any leftover chicken.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do you mix with cream cheese for chicken?
Here it is chicken broth, garlic, chives, salt and pepper. The broth thins the cream cheese into a sauce, and the garlic and chives give it flavor.
How do you make a Philadelphia cream cheese sauce for chicken?
Cook minced garlic in the skillet, add chicken broth and let it reduce for a minute or two, then stir in softened cream cheese until smooth and season it. Pour it over the chicken and bake.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Yes. Sear boneless thighs the same way and bake them until they reach 165°F. They stay juicy in the sauce.
Baked Cream Cheese Chicken at a Glance
This baked cream cheese chicken is seared chicken breast baked in a smooth, garlicky cream cheese sauce with optional cheddar on top. It takes about 52 minutes and serves four.
- Chicken: four boneless, skinless chicken breasts, seasoned with paprika, salt and pepper.
- Sauce: an 8-ounce block of cream cheese, chicken broth, garlic and chives.
- Topping: shredded sharp cheddar if you like, and fresh parsley.
Regular brick cream cheese, like Philadelphia, works best because it melts smoothly.
Final Notes
Take the cream cheese out of the fridge before anything else, and the sauce comes together smoothly. If you have a question or make it for dinner, tell me how it turned out in the comments.
Baked Cream Cheese Chicken
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Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 tbsp fresh chives chopped
- 1 tsp paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese optional, for topping
- fresh parsley optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or olive oil.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and paprika on both sides. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in chicken broth and cook for 1-2 minutes to reduce slightly. Add softened cream cheese and stir until smooth. Add fresh chives and season with salt and pepper.
- Place the seared chicken breasts in the prepared baking dish and pour the cream cheese mixture over them. Optionally, sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C). If using cheese, broil for the last 2-3 minutes to brown the topping.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm with your favorite side dishes.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition values are estimates based on the listed ingredients and serving count. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion sizes.
