This Feta Chicken recipe was one of our first blog posts on Garnish with Lemon - and it's still one of the most popular to date. Come see why so many people love this quick and easy weeknight dinner!
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Chicken served with a creamy feta cheese sauce has long been a crowd-pleaser at my house. It's not super fancy food, and it's not complicated to make, but it's always a hit.
There are only so many ways you can excite people about chicken, but this Feta Chicken recipe is one of them! That flavorful, tangy feta cheese sauce steals the show here - with good reason.
Have some dinner guests you want to impress, but don't have the time to spend hours prepping a complicated dinner menu? No worries, I have you covered with this easy recipe everyone will love, and the best part is, no one will know it actually took no time at all.
This easy chicken recipe will give you weekend date night quality flavors, and only require weeknight busy schedule time and effort. It's really a win-win situation all around!
Instructions
I love a good homemade cheese sauce, especially when it's a recipe that takes less than 10 minutes to make. You can have the whole recipe, chicken and all completed and on the table in under 30 minutes, and here's how!
The chicken in this recipe can be grilled or cooked on the stove. Since we eat this Chicken Feta recipe all year round, we usually grill the chicken in the summer months and cook it on the stovetop in the winter.
The instructions for cooking the chicken remain the same regardless of how you cook it:
- Heat skillet or grill over medium-high heat.
- Lightly coat chicken breasts with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Add chicken to the pan or grill when hot. Cook on each side until cooked through.
- Remove from heat and keep warm.
Tips
Never made a feta cheese sauce before? Here are a couple of tips to get your sauce to look as thick and smooth as this one:
- If using a block of feta cheese, grate it as finely as possible. If using pre-crumbled feta cheese, try to break up the cheese into as small of pieces as possible. (There are always huge chunks in my feta whenever I buy it pre-crumbled). The finer the grate of the cheese, the easier your feta cheese will "melt".
- Stir in your cheese a few handfuls at a time to ensure a smoother and more even incorporation into the sauce.
- I like to use a "gravy" whisk when making any sort of sauce. Not familiar? It's basically a flat whisk that allows me to get into the edges of the pan better than a traditional balloon whisk.
FAQs
Not exactly. Feta cheese will not fully melt like a mozzarella or other softer cheese. This has to do with the varying moisture content in the different cheeses but I'm not going to get all scientific on you.
Know there will be a few bits visible in your sauce and that's totally fine and doesn't impact the flavor at all.
Yes, you can make the sauce ahead of time if you're in a time crunch. Simply reheat when ready to serve. It also never fails to add new life to any assortment of leftovers, so feel free to use it on other things, too
Serving Suggestions
The recipe world is your oyster when it comes to what to serve with this chicken with feta cheese sauce recipe. I honestly can't think of anything that would be wrong to pair with this combo. Serve it with potatoes, vegetables, salad, pasta, or anything else you can think of.
What's fun about this one is that with the right sides this can turn into a meal fit for a sophisticated dinner party, or a casual weeknight meal the whole family will enjoy.
My family's favorite way to eat this dish is with couscous or rice to soak up the savory sauce. Add a veggie of choice, like Oven Roasted Asparagus With Brown Butter, and voila, dinner is served!
Another great serving option is to make enough for the whole week and use it for lunch meal prep. Just grab a few airtight containers and fill with the chicken and feta sauce, veggie of your choice, and white or brown rice and you have a perfectly portioned and ready-to-go lunch for the rest of the week.
More Chicken Recipes
Tequila Lime Chicken Fajitas - Garnish with Lemon
Oven Baked Crispy Chicken - Barefeet in the Kitchen
Easy Pizza Chicken - All Day I Dream About Food
See all of our main dish recipes here!
Recipe
Skillet Chicken with Creamy Feta Cheese 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
- Excellent served over rice, quinoa, or couscous.
- For even cooking, use chicken breasts of a uniform size (6 oz is ideal) or lightly pound thicker pieces.
- Feel free to substitute the chives with a different fresh herb.
- Both block and pre-crumbled feta cheese work well in this recipe.
- While heavy cream yields the richest sauce, half-and-half can be used for a lighter option.
- Leftovers can be stored for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition info not guaranteed to be accurate.
Just say no to boring chicken! Make a meal your family will crave with this delicious Feta Chicken recipe with fresh chives. Seasoned, seared chicken breasts are drizzled with a flavorful, tangy feta cheese sauce. Easy enough for a weeknight meal and fancy enough when having people over for dinner.
Melissa says
Oh my goodness, this recipe is AMAZING! We grilled several chicken breasts that had olive oil, salt, pepper, cayenne, and smoked paprika sprinkled on them. The feta cheese sauce was so delicious smothered over the top of the chicken breast. I felt like I was eating a meal from a fancy restaurant... Couldn't believe how easy it was to prepare. This recipe is a keeper!
That sounds so good, Melissa! I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks for stopping back to let us know!
Linda Osheroff says
So pleased to come across your recipe for Feta Cheese Sauce. Definitely will prepare and enjoy this! Believe it would be lovely on grilled Salmon.
Hi Linda, we enjoy the sauce in a variety of ways, too. Hope you enjoy it!
Donna says
I can't wait to make this! I love feta cheese on anything.
Lisa says
I made this tonight and we absolutely loved it! I added fresh oregano & it imparted an amazing flavor throughout the sauce. Super easy recipe that is now on one of my pinterest boards. Thanks.
Hi Lisa, So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping back to let us know!
Alice says
This sauce should do wonders with broccoli, beets or chard as well - don't boil these veggies, but use the pan you baked the chicken in to stir fry or char or grill them. If you don't like feta, try any mature cheddar. I even like it with blue cheeses and garlic.
Great ideas, Alice. Thanks for sharing!