This is the skillet chicken I make when I've got a few chicken breasts and not much of a plan beyond the stovetop. The payoff is a creamy feta sauce, tangy and rich, silky enough to coat a spoon instead of clumping on it. That texture comes down to one thing: letting the broth reduce before the cream goes in.
What Makes This Different
The sauce stays silky, and that's not an accident. I build it on reduced chicken broth and cream, so the feta softens into little bits instead of clumping.
The original leaned on evaporated milk and too much feta, and the cheese never fully softened in (more paste than sauce). Swapping in a broth-and-cream base is what fixed it, plain and simple.
It's a one-pan, weeknight dinner, about 35 minutes start to finish. Just don't rush the broth reduction before the cream goes in.
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What I Learned Making This
This was one of the first recipes I ever shared on Garnish with Lemon, back before I really knew what I was doing in front of a camera. It's held onto a following since then, but the sauce never quite lived up to it: thick and pasty more often than not, something to scrape off the pan more than spoon over the chicken.
I revisited the sauce this year with a technique from Eating Well as my jumping-off point: reduced broth and cream instead of evaporated milk. It's a small swap, but it made a real difference: the sauce comes out smooth and silky every time now.
★★★★★
"This was so good! I added some cooked, squeezed spinach for color and extra veggies. Hubby said to add it to the rotation! Thank you!"
Jenn
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chicken breasts: Use 6-ounce pieces for even cooking. If yours run bigger (10 to 12 ounces), slice them in half or pound them to an even thickness so they cook at the same rate.
- Neutral oil: Grapeseed, avocado or canola all sear the chicken well without smoking.
- Feta cheese: Block or crumbled both work, but block softens a bit more evenly into the sauce.
- Chicken broth: This is the ingredient that makes the sauce work. Reducing it by half concentrates the flavor before the cream goes in, so the sauce doesn't taste watered down.
- Heavy cream: This is where the richness comes from. Lighter creams thin the sauce too much. I've tested half-and-half for a lighter option, and it works, though the sauce won't be quite as rich.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is more flavorful here than the jarred kind.
- Lemon juice: Brightens the sauce and cuts the richness of the cream and feta.
- Chives: Fresh herbs add color and a milk oniony bite. Parsley or dill both work well if that's what you have.
How To Make It
Sear the Chicken
Cook until golden, then remove it from the pan.
Build the Sauce base
Deglaze the pan with broth and garlic, and let it reduce.
Finish & Serve
Stir in cream, lemon juice, feta and chives. Return the chicken to the sauce to finish, then serve.
Before You Make This
- Don't rush the broth reduction. Letting the broth cook down by half before you add the cream concentrates the flavor. Skip it or rush it, and you'll end up with a thinner, more diluted sauce: there's more liquid left in the pan, and the cream only gets a few minutes to thicken it back up.
- Stick to the feta amount in the recipe. More feels like it should mean better, but feta doesn't melt smooth the way other cheeses do. Too much of it relative to the broth and cream is what turns a sauce pasty, not a rushed reduction.
- Use evenly sized chicken. If your chicken breasts vary in size, a quick pound with a mallet means they finish cooking at the same time instead of some pieces drying out while others catch up.
- Sauce too thick? Thin it, don't panic. A splash of broth or cream stirred in off the heat will loosen it back up without diluting the flavor.
- Herb swaps are fine. Not into chives? Parsley or dill both work in their place.
Serving Suggestions
I like this best over couscous or rice, something with enough surface area to soak up the sauce. Pasta works too if that's what's in the pantry. If you want to round it out Mediterranean-style, Lisa's Greek-inspired Quinoa Salad is a natural side. It's got the same lemon-and-feta thread running through it.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can make the sauce up to a day ahead and gently reheat it before adding the chicken back in. If it's thickened in the fridge, a splash of broth or cream will loosen it back up. Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
FAQs
Not really. Feta softens in the warm sauce rather than fully dissolving, so you'll still see small soft bits of it throughout. That's the texture, not a sign anything went wrong.
Absolutely! Boneless, skinless thighs work great. They may need an extra minute or two of cooking time.
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Recipe
Skillet Chicken with Creamy Feta Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 (6-oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1½ tablespoons neutral oil (avocado, grapeseed, canola)
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
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Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts evenly with salt and pepper.4 (6-oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the oil to the skillet and sear the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature reaches 165℉. Remove the chicken and keep it warm.1½ tablespoons neutral oil (avocado, grapeseed, canola)
- Reduce the heat to medium. Pour in the chicken broth and minced garlic, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan (deglazing). Allow the mixture to simmer until the broth is reduced by half (around 3 minutes).¾ cup chicken broth, 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Stir in the cream, lemon juice, feta cheese and half of the chives. Cook until the sauce has thickened slightly (about 2 -3 minutes).¾ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
- Return the chicken to the skillet to reheat. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Serve immediately. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and garnish with the remaining chives.2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, divided
Notes
- For even cooking, use chicken breasts of a uniform size (6 oz is ideal) or lightly pound thicker pieces.
- Reduce the broth by half before adding the cream. This concentrates the flavor so the sauce doesn't taste watered down.
- Stick to the feta amount listed. It doesn't melt smooth the way other cheeses do, so too much relative to the broth and cream is what makes a sauce turn pasty.
- Half-and-half works in place of heavy cream for a lighter sauce, though it won't be quite as rich.
- Not into chives? Parsley or dill are good swaps.
- Leftovers keep for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Excellent served over rice, quinoa, or couscous.
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Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Diana says
I used roasted garlic and a little hot sauce, not a lot. Just needed a little zip. This recipe was very good. I served with rice and poured the sauce over the rice. Next time I’ll serve over pasta.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Diana. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Jenn says
This was so good! I added some cooked, squeezed spinach for color and extra veggies. Hubby said to add it to the rotation! Thank you!
Hi Jenn, love the spinach addition! Adding that to my notes now. Thanks for stopping back to give us your thoughts!