This Creamy Chicken Skillet is about to become your new go-to recipe. Imagine juicy chicken breasts nestled in a rich and creamy sauce, bursting with flavor from sun-dried tomatoes and a hint of fresh thyme.
We’re talking a restaurant-worthy dish in under 30 minutes, made with simple ingredients you likely already have on hand (hello, pantry staples!). So ditch the takeout menus and get ready to whip up a creamy, dreamy dinner that’ll satisfy the whole family. Let’s get cooking!
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Why you will love this recipe
Fast and Fabulous: Short on time? No problem! This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, thanks to simple ingredients and quick cooking methods.
Creamy Dream Sauce: The star of the show is the irresistible creamy sauce. It’s rich, flavorful, and perfect for coating every bite of juicy chicken. It reminds me of my coconut lime chicken recipe but without the coconut, of course.
Customizable Comfort: Don’t love sun-dried tomatoes? Swap them for something else! The beauty of this recipe is its flexibility. Play around with different veggies and cheeses to create your own perfect flavor profile.
Family-Friendly: This dish is a crowd-pleaser! The creamy sauce and tender chicken are a surefire hit with adults and kids alike. Plus, it’s easily adaptable to different spice preferences. The best part, you can make this without the sauce like I do with my skillet chicken breast recipe!
Pantry Staples Shine: This recipe relies on ingredients you probably already have on hand. No need for a special grocery store run – dinner is just minutes away!
Creamy chicken skillet Ingredients
- Butter: We’ll use a total of 4 tablespoons of butter, split between searing the chicken and building our creamy sauce.
- Chicken Breasts: 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts are the perfect base for this dish.
- Kosher Salt & Freshly Ground Black Pepper: Seasoning is key! These add depth of flavor to both the chicken and the sauce.
- Garlic: Freshly chopped garlic adds a warm, aromatic kick to the sauce.
- Fresh Thyme: A sprig of fresh thyme brings a lovely herbal note that complements the other ingredients beautifully.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: A touch of heat adds a little excitement to the creamy sauce. Adjust the amount to your spice preference.
- Chicken Broth: I like to use chicken broth for the base, but you can also use beef or pork broth!
- Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Chopped sun-dried tomatoes add a burst of tangy, concentrated tomato flavor.
- Heavy Cream: Heavy cream creates a luxuriously rich and creamy sauce that coats the chicken perfectly.
- Parmesan Cheese: Finely grated Parmesan cheese adds the perfect finish to our dish.
Creamy chicken skillet instructions
Step 1: Heat a large skillet (12-inch works well) over medium heat. Season your chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan, then add the chicken breasts. Sear the chicken for a total of about 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Remember: The chicken won’t be cooked through at this point, that’s okay!
Step 2: Set the browned chicken aside on a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan along with the chopped garlic and fresh thyme leaves. Cook for a minute or two, stirring often, until fragrant.
Step 3: Now, pour in the chicken broth, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir everything together to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer.
Step 4: Nestle the seared chicken breasts back into the simmering sauce in the skillet. Carefully transfer the entire skillet to a preheated oven set to 400°F (204°C). Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Pro Tip: Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the chicken. It should reach 165°F (74°C) for safe consumption.
Key takeaways
This is such an easy recipe to make for any night of the week with weekend style of flavor! I make this with mashed potatoes and mix it all together! My husband absolutely loves it that way, and I love that I can stretch it into 2 meals that way.
If you notice, this is essentially like Merry Me Chicken, if you have heard of that before. And after I made it for my husband the first time, he told me it was his favorite chicken dish he has ever had. So, I guess it lives up to its name!
If you tried this Creamy Chicken Skillet or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
More Chicken recipes you’ll love
- Easy cajun chicken pasta
- Chicken pesto pasta
- Simple chicken pot pie
- Crispy chicken wings
- Honey ginger chicken
Creamy Chicken Skillet (Merry Me Chicken!)
Equipment
- 12" fry pan or cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp salted butter
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (2 pounds total)
- 1 tsp Kosher salt more to taste
- ½ tsp Freshly ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ½ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup finely grated Parmesan
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet (12-inch works well) over medium heat. Season your chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan, then add the chicken breasts. Sear the chicken for a total of about 10 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Remember: The chicken won't be cooked through at this point, that's okay!
- Set the browned chicken aside on a plate. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan along with the chopped garlic and fresh thyme leaves. Cook for a minute or two, stirring often, until fragrant.
- Now, pour in the chicken broth, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, heavy cream, and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir everything together to combine and bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Nestle the seared chicken breasts back into the simmering sauce in the skillet. Carefully transfer the entire skillet to a preheated oven set to 400°F (204°C). Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Fantastic recipe!