October 25, 2024

Cream Cheese Chicken Breasts

Name: Cream Cheese Chicken Breasts Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 50 min
Ingredients: 4 medium chicken breasts; 8 oz. cream cheese; 1 tsp. garlic powder; 1 tbsp. basil; 1 tsp. thyme

Cream cheese chicken breasts are a great meal option for your homecooked dinner or lunches. This dish combines tender and juicy chicken with a rich and flavourful cream cheese topping. These chicken breasts are topped with a mixture of cream cheese and herbs such as thyme, basil, and garlic powder which add extra depth to the cream cheese topping. The topping keeps the chicken moist while baking which creates a nice mild balance between the chicken and the smooth cream cheese. This is best baked in the oven for added easiness to your dinner preparation!

In this blog post, you will learn how to make cream cheese chicken breasts.

How to Make Cream Cheese Chicken Breasts

Remove your cream cheese from the fridge and let it sit on your counter for about an hour before you are going to cook this recipe to help soften it. If you have softened cream cheese, then it should be good to use straight from the fridge. Place the entire block of cream cheese into a medium bowl and add the garlic powder, basil, and thyme. Mix that together well by hand with a silicone spatula or use a handheld mixer on medium speed.

Remove the chicken breasts from the packaging and pat them dry. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and season with salt and pepper. Generously coat each chicken breast with the spiced cream cheese spread and place into the oven to bake.

Once fully cooked through remove from the oven and let rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

What Fat Content Should My Cream Cheese Be?

Most stores offer either full-fat cream cheese, reduced fat cream cheese, or no fat cream cheese. For these cream cheese chicken breasts, the best cream cheese to use is the full-fat cream cheese (about 30% fat content) as this will give you the richest flavour and creamiest texture. Also, full-fat cream cheese maintains the moisture in the chicken the best of the cream cheese options while lower fat content cream cheese dishes can result in less creamy dishes.

Pros and Cons of Different Fat Contents

Full-Fat Cream Cheese (approximately 30% fat content)

Pros:
- Richer flavour and creamier texture
- Adds more moisture and a smoothness to this dish
- Is more stable while baking or cooking
- Gives a better taste and texture in richer recipes
Cons:
- Is higher in saturated fat so it is not ideal for people on diets or watching their fat intake
- Can feel a bit too heavy in dishes that are meant to be lighter

Reduced Fat Cream Cheese (approximately 20% fat content)

Pros:
- Lower in calories and fat which is perfect for people on diets or watching their fat intake
- Still has a lot of flavour and maintains its texture but will not taste as rich
- Great middle ground for health-conscious people who still want fat in their cream cheese for taste but want less fat for their diet
Cons:
- Not as creamy, so the dish can come out a bit drier
- Harder to blend so it may take a bit longer to blend the spices into it

Fat-Free Cream Cheese (approximately 0% fat content)

Pros:
- Lowest in calories and fat, which is good for very strict diets
- Perfect for cold dips and spreads where the creaminess of cream cheese is not as important
Cons:
- Lacks the creaminess of the full-fat or reduced fat cream cheese options
- Can taste more artificial because of the food stabilizers
- Not the best for cooking or baking because it can break down and separate more easily than the other options

In summary, full-fat cream cheese is the best option for this dish as it adds the best texture, taste, and creaminess to the chicken breasts. Reduced fat cream cheese is the next best option as it can still be cooked or baked with no issues, but it will not be as rich as the full-fat cream cheese. And lastly, is the fat-free cream cheese because it can be hard to work with and not good for baking; however, it is a great option for people on strict diets.

Do My Chicken Breasts Need to Rest When They Come out of the Oven?

Yes, you should let your chicken breasts rest after they come out of the oven. Allowing the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes helps the juices redistribute throughout the meat, making the chicken more tender and flavourful. If you cut into the chicken right away, the juices may escape, leaving the meat drier. Resting ensures a moist and well-textured final dish.

Ingredients

Chicken Breasts: chicken breasts are the main ingredient in this recipe. Chicken as a protein provides the perfect base that pairs perfectly with creamy fillings or toppings.

Cream Cheese: cream cheese adds the richness and creamy texture to the chicken. This creates a smooth, delicious topping that will keep the chicken moist during baking.

Garlic Powder: garlic powder adds to the dish a subtle and savoury garlic flavour without the need for cutting up garlic cloves. This spice will enhance the cream cheese and complements the chicken.

Basil: basil adds a fresh and slightly sweet note to the cream cheese topping. This helps to balance out the richness of the cream cheese.

Thyme: thyme brings an earthy flavour to the chicken which can deepen the taste of the chicken and complements the cream cheese.

Tips

Make sure to remove your cream cheese from the fridge prior to making this meal so that it has softened.
Instead of mixing the herbs with the softened cream cheese, try mixing the cream cheese with 1/2 c. of pesto.
Let your chicken breasts rest for 5-10 minutes after being removed from the oven to let the juices redistribute.

Looking for more Chicken Recipes? Try these recipes below.