Easy cream cheese chicken is just a few basic ingredients and simple to make, with a deliciously creamy sauce that coats every piece. Ready in less than 30 minutes!
Serve over steamed rice and pair with broccoli or another vegetable and dinner is done!
This post has been updated with new photos and a new recipe video.
So you know I'm all about the easy chicken dinners right?
Well this is a super simple, deliciously creamy chicken recipe I've been making for years and years now and just had to share with you!
Easy cream cheese chicken has tender strips of chicken that are cooked and coated in a yummy cream cheese mixture, along with some onions and mushrooms.
Everything gets sprinkled with mozzarella cheese, which melts down over the chicken and veggies at the end.
It's so scrumptious and it's perfect when I need something that's quick but comforting. Something easy and kid friendly that the whole family will happily sit down to at night.
Plus, this recipe is ready in about 25 minutes and it's only got 7 main ingredients!
And I love that this has no heavy cream, which I never seem to have in the fridge.
That luxuriously creamy sauce that coats the chicken and mushrooms is just cream cheese and some chicken broth. It melts down with all the flavors from the sautéed onions and mushrooms and the seared bits from the chicken and makes such a delicious sauce.
(I've used that trick before with chicken breast with jalapeño cheese sauce and healthy creamy Italian chicken skillet, among others.)
And because of that sauce, you're definitely going to want to serve this over some fluffy steamed rice. (Some readers also love it with mashed potatoes.) Add some steamed broccoli or peas, green beans or asparagus, and dinner is done.
I've also got this slow cooker cream cheese chicken if you want to try making it that way for a hands off version.
OK, let's get cooking!
Ingredient Notes:
Chicken: You can use more than the 1 ½ lbs. of chicken in this recipe, but you'll want to increase the cream cheese and chicken broth to make extra sauce. The sauce is SOOO good!
Mushrooms: I love the mushrooms in with this recipe but you could skip them if you don't have any on hand - or don't like them. I've made this without mushrooms before and it was still delicious.
Cream cheese: The recipe calls for the ⅓-less fat cream cheese and it's deliciously creamy. Go for the real deal if you prefer, but I don't recommend using fat free cream cheese.
Broth: If you don't have any chicken broth, you could substitute vegetable broth or just use water.
Mozzarella: I love the melty mozzarella cheese on top but you could also try this served with grated Parmesan if you prefer.
Parsley: The parsley is good as a garnish but adds a nice herby freshness too. Feel free to skip it or to use some dried herbs as a seasoning on the chicken if you'd like.
As is, this recipe is gluten-free, low carb and keto-friendly.
Chicken Tip:
You'll notice I cut my boneless, skinless chicken breasts into long strips. That helps ensure more even and quick cooking and also helps stretch the chicken to feed more people. Win, win, win!
You could also dice up the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes if you'd rather have smaller pieces. Just be sure not to overcook them.
And feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe too. They just might need some additional cook time to get cooked all the way through.
There you go, another family favorite from our table to yours!
I hope you give this a try for a weeknight dinner that's ready in less than 30 minutes.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. You can browse all of my 30-minute chicken recipes for more cooking inspiration!
Easy Cream Cheese Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 8 oz. white button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut in long, 1-inch wide strips
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 oz. regular or reduced-fat plain cream cheese
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ to ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
For serving:
- Steamed brown or white rice
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil.
- Add onions and mushrooms and sauté for 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
- Meanwhile, slice the chicken into strips and season with the salt and pepper.
- Increase the heat to medium high, then add the seasoned chicken strips to the pan. Sear for 6-8 minutes, turning once, until the chicken strips are golden brown.
- Add the cream cheese and chicken broth and stir until the cream cheese is melted and well incorporated. Sprinkle the mozzarella over the entire pan, then cover, reduce heat and cook another 2-3 minutes, our until chicken is cooked through. (It should reach 165 if you are using a meat thermometer.) Season to taste with extra salt and pepper.
- Serve the chicken and mushrooms over steamed rice, with parsley if desired.
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Notes
Video
Nutrition
Here is an earlier photo of this recipe:
Annette says
Easy Cream Cheese Chicken. The best!!!! Made this last night. We all enjoyed it. I’ll be making it this weekend for dinner guests. So glad I found your recipes.
Shae says
This seems to be a favorite in my household. I do modify the recipe a little but overall one of my favorite go to!
Kathryn Doherty says
Oh I'm so thrilled to hear that Shae! Thank you so much for sharing! : )
Maryn says
This was quite easy to make and the payoff was tasty! Great balance of flavors too. I had some leftover cream cheese so this was a perfect way to use it up.
Kathryn Doherty says
Oh that's great, I'm so happy you found this recipe and enjoyed it! Thank you for sharing!
Charlene Brule-Lemmen says
Could you use bone-in chicken thighs?
Kathryn Doherty says
Hi, boneless chicken thighs would be the better substitution here. Bone in would take a really long time to cook in the skillet, and you'd want to de-bone them and then mix the cooked meat into the sauce to serve it that way, so each bite is nicely coated with the cream cheese mixture. If you can start with boneless chicken thighs, that would be the best bet. Hope that helps!
JoAnna says
Easy Best of all, it is DELICIOUS, and it keeps for a second night.
Kathryn Doherty says
Oh I'm so happy to hear you love this chicken JoAnna! Thanks so much for sharing! : )
DeeBee says
I am all about making anything that is easy...and this was EASY! I loved every bit of it with one drawback - I didn't make enough of the sauce! Now I know to do that next time because that was what brought the whole thing together. Easy and Delicious! Will make again!
Kathryn Doherty says
I'm so happy to hear you loved this and it's on the rotation! Thank you so much for taking the time to share with me! : )
Noga L. Sklar says
Absolutely delicious ana easy to prepare.
Noga Sklar says
Absolutely delicious and easy to prepare.
Kathryn Doherty says
Oh I'm so happy to hear you loved this recipe! Thank you for sharing! : )
Cherie says
Made with tenders and broccoli and served with Pierogies and used cheddar cheese.
Tressa says
This is a really tasty recipe! I’ve even added some red bell pepper & fresh spinach to it and served it over angel hair pasta.
Kathryn Doherty says
I'm so glad you love it! And I love those additions/serving ideas - yum!
Reena says
I prepared this cream cheese chicken dish at my home. This dish is very tasty and delicious. It is quite easy to make this cream chicken dish. Thanks for sharing this fantastic recipe.