Boursin Chicken is a quick skillet dinner of golden, pan-seared chicken cutlets in a silky garlic and herb cream sauce. The sauce is just chicken broth and one package of Boursin cheese, whisked into the same pan the chicken cooked in, so it picks up all those browned bits. Four ingredients plus salt and pepper, one skillet, 25 minutes. It serves 4.
How to make it: Season thin chicken cutlets and sear them in a hot skillet until they reach 165°F, then set them aside. Whisk chicken broth and a softened package of Boursin into the pan until smooth, simmer a few minutes, then return the chicken to warm through in the sauce and finish with parsley.
Why You’ll Love It
- A sauce with no measuring: the cheese brings the garlic, herbs and creaminess all at once.
- 25 minutes, one skillet: sear, whisk, simmer, done.
- Four main ingredients: chicken, oil, broth and a package of Boursin.
- Made for mashed potatoes: there’s plenty of sauce to spoon over a side.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken cutlets: About a pound, sold as thinly sliced chicken breasts. Or slice whole breasts in half lengthwise, to about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, and pound any uneven pieces flat so they cook evenly.
Boursin Fine Herbs and Garlic cheese: One package, usually 5.3 ounces, softened. Use the soft cheese in the package, not the crumbles: those have potato starch and other added ingredients, and they don’t melt into a smooth sauce.
Chicken broth: Three-quarters of a cup, plus a splash more to thin the sauce if needed. Regular broth can make the sauce fairly salty, so low-sodium broth is a good choice; season at the end.
Oil: A tablespoon of avocado oil, or olive oil, just enough to coat the pan.
Fresh parsley: A quarter cup, minced, stirred in at the end. Fresh chives work too.
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast cutlets (about 1 pound)
- Salt and pepper, to season
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 3/4 cup chicken broth, plus more as needed
- 1 package (usually 5.3 ounces) Boursin Fine Herbs and Garlic cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
How to Make Boursin Chicken
1. Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken cutlets dry and season lightly with salt and pepper on all sides. If you are starting with whole breasts, slice them lengthwise in half so the pieces are about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, and pound any uneven pieces to an even thickness.
2. Cook the chicken. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmery. Cook the chicken about 5 to 6 minutes per side, until it is cooked through and a food thermometer reads 165°F. If the oil splatters or the chicken browns too fast, turn the heat down and cover the pan with a lid. Move the chicken to a plate.
3. Make the sauce. Add the chicken broth and the Boursin, broken into pieces, to the skillet. Whisk until smooth, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
4. Finish and serve. Turn the heat to low. Return the chicken and any plate juices to the skillet, spoon the sauce over it and let it warm through for a couple of minutes. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in another splash of broth. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve right away.
How to Make a Smooth, Creamy Boursin Sauce
The whole dish lives or dies on the sauce, and a few small habits keep it silky instead of grainy or gluey:
| Do this | Why |
|---|---|
| Soften the cheese first | Soft cheese whisks into the broth smoothly |
| Use the package, not the crumbles | The crumbles have added starch and won’t make a smooth sauce |
| Make it in the chicken’s skillet | The browned bits add a deeper, savory flavor |
| Simmer gently on medium-low | A gentle simmer thickens the sauce without breaking it |
| Serve it right away | The sauce keeps thickening as it sits |
Too thick? Whisk in a splash of chicken broth, a little at a time. Too thin? Let it simmer a minute or two longer.
Wipe out any dark spots. If the chicken left charred bits in the pan, wipe them out with a paper towel before the broth goes in, so the sauce doesn’t taste bitter.
Tips for Success
Use a big pan
A skillet of 10 inches or more fits four cutlets without crowding, so they brown instead of steaming.
Cooking for more people?
Sear the chicken in two batches, wiping the pan out a little between them so it doesn’t burn. The sauce can be doubled right in the skillet.
Check the chicken with a thermometer
Thin cutlets cook fast, but thickness varies. The chicken is done at 165°F, the USDA FSIS temperature for poultry.
Variations
- With onion and butter: season the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, sear it in a tablespoon each of olive oil and butter, and soften half a chopped onion in the pan before making the sauce.
- Floured and golden: dredge 1 1/2 pounds of chicken in 1/4 cup of flour before searing, and soften 2 small chopped shallots before adding the broth.
- Bigger portions: use 4 whole chicken breasts, about 2 pounds; sear them over medium heat, then cover and cook on low until they reach 165°F. Make the sauce with 1 cup of broth reduced by about half before the cheese goes in.
- Chicken stroganoff: cook bite-size chicken with sliced mushrooms and onion, make the Boursin sauce with broth, and serve it over egg noodles.
- Another cheese: any flavor of Boursin works, or a soft, spreadable garlic and herb cheese.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours in shallow covered containers, and eat them within 3 to 4 days, as USDA FSIS advises. Reheat them covered until the chicken reaches 165°F; a splash of broth loosens the sauce.
Don’t freeze this one. The sauce separates and the chicken dries out, and FSIS lists cream sauces among the foods that don’t freeze well.
What to Serve With It
Spoon the chicken and sauce over mashed potatoes, rice or pasta. For something fancier, try garlic Parmesan mashed potato cups. Add a green vegetable like smothered green beans or roasted asparagus and carrots. If you love creamy chicken dinners, make baked cream cheese chicken, creamy garlic chicken or Marry Me chicken next.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a creamy Boursin chicken sauce?
After searing the chicken, whisk 3/4 cup of chicken broth and a softened package of Boursin into the same skillet until smooth, scraping up the browned bits, then simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes.
Can I use Boursin crumbles?
No. The crumbles contain potato starch and other added ingredients, so they won’t melt into a smooth sauce. Use the soft cheese sold in the package.
What if I can’t find Boursin?
Use another flavor of Boursin, or a soft, spreadable garlic and herb cheese from another brand.
Can I use whole chicken breasts?
Yes. Slice them in half lengthwise into thinner cutlets, or cook them whole over medium heat and cover the pan until they reach 165°F.
Can I freeze Boursin chicken?
No. The cream sauce separates when frozen and the chicken dries out. Keep leftovers in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Final Notes
Take the Boursin out of the refrigerator when you start the chicken, and it will be soft by the time you need it. If you make it, tell me in the comments what you served it with.
Boursin Chicken
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Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast cutlets thinly sliced chicken breasts, about 1 pound; or slice whole breasts lengthwise in half
- salt and pepper to season lightly on all sides
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil just enough to coat the bottom of the pan; olive oil works too
- 3/4 cup chicken broth plus more as needed
- 1 package Boursin Fine Herbs and Garlic cheese usually 5.3 ounces; softened; the package, not the crumbles
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley minced, for serving; minced fresh chives also work
Instructions
- Pat the chicken cutlets dry and season lightly with salt and pepper on all sides. If you are starting with whole breasts, slice them lengthwise in half so the pieces are about 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick, and pound any uneven pieces to an even thickness.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmery. Cook the chicken about 5 to 6 minutes per side, until it is cooked through and a food thermometer reads 165°F. If the oil splatters or the chicken browns too fast, turn the heat down and cover the pan with a lid. Move the chicken to a plate.
- Add the chicken broth and the Boursin, broken into pieces, to the skillet. Whisk until smooth, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley.
- Turn the heat to low. Return the chicken and any plate juices to the skillet, spoon the sauce over it and let it warm through for a couple of minutes. If the sauce gets too thick, whisk in another splash of broth. Taste, adjust the seasoning and serve right away.
