Creamy Parmesan Chicken is the ideal weeknight dinner solution, ready in a single skillet and under 30 minutes! Serve it up with pasta, rice, veggies, and more for a meal that’s both satisfying and sure to become a family favorite!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love Creamy Parmesan Chicken
There’s nothing better than a quick chicken recipe for an easy weeknight dinner…unless it’s made in one dish! Comforting and delicious, this creamy Parmesan chicken recipe checks off all our boxes when it comes to a recipe we know the whole family will enjoy. For instance, it’s:
- High-protein and full of flavor.
- Created with minimal prep work and easy cleanup.
- Great to make in bulk to serve large crowds or enjoy throughout the week.
- Super tasty served with pasta, potatoes, rice, and more!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Rich and flavorful, this chicken dish comes together with 11 budget-friendly ingredients. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Chicken – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best for this dish. If desired, you can also use thighs. Just make sure to pound them out thin!
- Seasonings – Salt, pepper, and fresh parsley help enhance the rest of the ingredients.
- Butter – Butter is melted down to form the base of the creamy sauce and provide a decadent flavor.
- Flour – Used to create a sort of roux and help thicken the sauce.
- Garlic – We recommend using fresh garlic cloves and mincing them into tiny pieces. However, to save time, you can find pre-minced varieties as well.
- Broth – We use chicken broth, but vegetable broth works, too. To help control the flavor, we recommend using low-sodium varieties to avoid overpowering the dish.
- Heavy Cream – This is the secret to creating a creamy, irresistible sauce!
- Parmesan Cheese – If you can, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself. Trust us, the flavor makes a world of difference!
- Olive Oil – This helps cook the chicken, keeping it moist.
How to Make Creamy Parmesan Chicken
This creamy parmesan chicken looks like a fancy meal straight from the kitchen of a high-end restaurant, but it’s super simple to make at home!
- Prepare the Chicken. Place the chicken breasts in a large bag, and use a meat mallet to pound it out into thin, even pieces. Then, season each side generously.
- Cook the Chicken. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, flipping it over halfway through until it is fully cooked and seared on either side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Create the Sauce. In the same skillet, add the butter and garlic. Cook until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn. Add the flour, and cook, stirring continuously until it is slightly golden. Pour in the broth and heavy cream. Then, reduce the heat to medium, and whisk until the ingredients are well combined and thickened.
- Season. Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the Parmesan and additional seasonings. Add the chicken back to the skillet.
- Warm. Place the skillet back over medium-low heat, and let the ingredients simmer until the chicken is cooked through and warm.
- Garnish. Add a sprinkle of extra seasonings and cheese, and serve warm!
Pro-Tips
Don’t Skip Preparing the Chicken! This ensures they cook quickly and evenly, keeping them tender and moist. If you don’t have a meat mallet, a heavy skillet works just as well. Or, you can also slice the breasts into bite-sized pieces.
Adjust the Seasonings. Be sure to give your recipe taste tests while cooking, and adjust the seasonings as needed to suit your preferences.
Don’t Burn the Flour. You’ll want to keep a close eye on your dry flour in the skillet, letting it cook just until it is heated through and beginning to turn golden. Any longer, and it will clump up and burn!
Serving Suggestions
This creamy parmesan chicken is one of the most versatile dishes we’ve ever made! Of course, you can enjoy it on its own, but we love to serve it over zucchini noodles, pasta, mashed potatoes, rice, or risotto.
You can also mix veggies like mushrooms, onions, peas, and broccoli into the skillet to add extra nutrients and fiber, making this a well-rounded meal!
How to Store
This recipe is great to make ahead of time and can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the fridge for 3-5 days. Then, to warm it up, pop it in the microwave for a few minutes. Or, place it back in a skillet over medium heat until it is heated through. Unfortunately, it doesn’t freeze well. So, we don’t recommend making it more than a day or two in advance.
Creamy Parmesan Chicken Common Questions
Yes and no. The names are commonly used to refer to the same dish. However, for cheese to be classified as Parmigiano-romano, it must come from specific regions of Italy, be made with specific ingredients, and be aged for at least one year. Parmesan on the other hand is not well-regulated and can be aged for as little as 10 months.
The best way to tell your chicken is done is to use an instant-read thermometer to ensure it reaches an internal temperature of 165° Fahrenheit.
Sure, to make this creamy parmesan chicken gluten-free, swap out the flour with a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour instead.
Yes! Just reduce the cooking time as needed as most fish cooks extremely quickly.
More Scrumptious Chicken Recipes
Looking for more easy-peasy chicken recipes? We’re sure you’re going to love these decadent dishes that make chicken the star of the show!
Creamy Parmesan Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless skinless
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 4 Tablespoons flour
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 Tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a large sealable bag, and use a mallet to pound it into 4 thin, even pieces. Season both sides of the breasts generously with oregano, salt, and pepper.4 chicken breasts, boneless skinless, 1 ½ teaspoons dried oregano, Salt to taste, Black pepper to taste
- Add the olive oil to a skillet over medium-high heat.1-2 Tablespoons olive oil
- Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side or until the breasts are seared and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the butter and garlic. Cook for 1 minute or until the garlic is fragrant. Add the flour, and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes or until the flour is a light golden brown color, stirring frequently.4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 cloves garlic, 4 Tablespoons flour
- Pour the broth and heavy cream into the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium, and whisk continuously until the sauce begins to thicken.1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Remove the skillet from the heat, and stir in the Parmesan, paprika, salt, and pepper. Adjust the seasonings to taste.1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, 1 teaspoon paprika
- Add the chicken and its juices back to the skillet. Place it back over medium-low heat, and let the ingredients simmer for 2-3 minutes or until the chicken has heated through.
- Garnish with fresh Italian parsley and extra Parmesan cheese. Serve warm!1 Tablespoon fresh parsley
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Equipment
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wow loved this. The chicken was so tender and the sauce was so tasty. Your recipes are great they are so quick and easy, but really tasty.
Thank you so much, Kim! We’re so glad you enjoyed it. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
This was amazing. We served it over roasted broccoli and it was a huge hit with everyone in the house, from 40 down to 1!
Amazing! We’re so glad it was such a hit! Thank you for trying it out. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
The recipe says to use 2 chicken breasts, but then step 1 says to pound out the chicken into 4 pieces. Are we supposed to filet the chicken breasts in two first? Or was it supposed to be 4 chicken breasts in the recipe? Just want to make sure I’ll have enough sauce. I’m guessing the recipe is just missing mentioning that we need to filet the two breasts into 4 total pieces? Thank you!
It’s supposed to be 4 chicken breasts! Sorry for the confusion. The recipe is updated. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
How much paprika? Thanks! Everything you 2 make is delicious!!!!
Thank you!! 1 teaspoon, but you can adjust to suit your preference. 😊
Xo,
Alia & Radwa
Loved the recipe. It was a hit. Very flavorful and great with mashed potatoes. The video for this recipe shows them adding paprika, and it is left out of the written recipe. I added a teaspoon of it as in the video. I would recommend doing so. Thumbs up 🌻
Good catch, we will adjust! So glad it was a hit! xo, Alia and Radwa