Chicken Breasts With Creamy Parmesan Sauce

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 04/13/22
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 18 mins
Total: 28 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings

Delicious boneless chicken breasts are browned in the skillet and then served with wonderful and really easy cream cheese and Parmesan cheese sauce. The sauce is similar to a Mornay sauce with the addition of cream cheese. It's rich, creamy, and full of flavor. Taking less than 30 minutes to make, this is a great meal to put together on a busy weekend night.

There are a number of variations you can do for this chicken in Parmesan sauce. From adding in some mushrooms, chopped spinach or kale, or throw in some cheddar cheese. We've provided some thoughts in the variations section below the recipe.

Serve this simple chicken and Parmesan sauce with hot buttered noodles and creamed spinach or fresh sliced tomatoes for a meal your family will love.

Chicken with creamy parmesan sauce

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Ingredients

  • 4 to 6 chicken breasts halves, boneless, without skin

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced

  • 4 ounces cream cheese

  • 1 cup milk, or half-and-half

  • 2/3 to 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • Salt, to taste

Steps to Make It

For Chicken

  1. Gather the ingredients. 

    Chicken with creamy parmesan sauce ingredients.

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  2. Put chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap or in a plastic food storage bag and gently pound to thin evenly.

    Pound chicken in plastic wrap

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  3. Sprinkle the chicken breasts lightly with salt and pepper.

  4. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

    Heat olive oil in skillet

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  5. Add chicken and cook for about 5 to 6 minutes on each side, until nicely browned and cooked through. Juices should run clear when the thickest part of a chicken breast is cut with a knife.

    Cook chicken on both sides in skillet

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  6. The minimum safe temperature for chicken is 165 F. Test with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portions. Chicken breasts can become dry if overcooked.

    Next, you will make the sauce.

    Finished chicken breast in skillet

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For the Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter over medium-low heat.

    Melt butter in saucepan

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  3. Sauté the garlic and green onions for about 1 minute.

    Saute garlic and green onions

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  4. Add the cream cheese, milk or half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese and heat until hot and smooth.

    Add the cream cheese, milk or half-and-half, and Parmesan cheese and heat

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  5. Stir in pepper and salt, to taste.

    Stir in salt and pepper to sauce

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  6. Ladle sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley. Serve and enjoy.

    Ladle sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley.

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Tips

  • If the chicken breasts are large, slice them in half horizontally to make two cutlets of even thickness. Alternatively, buy presliced chicken breast cutlets. 
  • Serve the chicken over hot cooked noodles or another kind of pasta, or serve with rice or roasted potatoes. Add cooked greens, broccoli, or steamed green beans, or serve with a tossed salad. 

Recipe Variations

  • Replace the chicken with turkey breast cutlets.
  • For Tuscan flavor, add 1/2 cup of chopped sun-dried tomatoes (in oil, drained) and a tablespoon or more of freshly chopped basil leaves.
  • Substitute heavy cream for the cream cheese.
  • If you prefer cheddar cheese, add about 1 cup, shredded, in place of the Parmesan.
  • Add in 1 cup of chopped baby spinach or kale.
  • Add in some sliced mushrooms.

What is a serving size of chicken?

Boneless chicken breasts often weigh in at 8 to 10 ounces, while a serving size is about half of that—or about 4 ounces. Choose smaller chicken breasts for meals or turn a large chicken breast into two smaller serving-size cutlets by slicing it in half horizontally. 

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
416 Calories
23g Fat
6g Carbs
44g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 416
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 23g 30%
Saturated Fat 11g 53%
Cholesterol 145mg 48%
Sodium 619mg 27%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 44g
Vitamin C 2mg 11%
Calcium 203mg 16%
Iron 2mg 9%
Potassium 446mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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