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This creamy herb chicken recipe has a rich yet fresh and bright cream sauce! It’s fast, easy, and uses everyday ingredients to make the ideal warmer weather dinner.
Try my Creamy Maple Chicken or Tarragon Chicken next for more simple chicken recipes that are sure to dazzle.
Why you’ll love it
In under 30 minutes this chicken with a creamy herb sauce is on the table. You can make this dish year-round, but it especially shines during the summer for easy entertaining or a family meal. Fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage are the stars of the simple sauce.
If you’ve got fresh herbs from the garden, this is the ideal way to use them. I’ve been making this tender, creamy chicken recipe for a good while now, and everyone is always delighted with the ridiculously tasty sauce!
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using two boneless skinless chicken breasts cut it half lengthwise so they cook faster and more evenly
- Garlic powder – along with salt & pepper, this seasons the cutlets directly for infusing plenty of flavor
- Flour – for dredging and getting a nice crust on the chicken
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Dijon mustard – a smidgen of this gives the sauce a pop of savory flavor and dimension. It doesn’t make it taste mustard-y!
- White wine – I recommend a dry white wine like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio for an elegant touch
- Poultry mix – it’s a standard mix of sage, thyme, and rosemary that perfectly complements chicken. Find it in the fresh herbs section of the grocery store. It’s typically refrigerated.
- Heavy cream – what makes the sauce silky and irresistible
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use my trusty 10.25″ Le Creuset skillet for this recipe and many others.
- A sharp chef’s knife will help cut the chicken into smaller cutlets with ease and finely chop the herbs.
- Use an instant read meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is cooked to that perfect 165F.
- I love angled measuring cups for liquid ingredients.
How to make creamy herb chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut the chicken to make four thinner cutlets, and season them with salt & pepper and garlic powder. Dredge in flour. Pan fry until golden, then set aside. Add the wine and Dijon to the skillet, stir, and let it reduce.
Stir in the cream and finely chopped fresh herbs. Return the chicken to the pan, and let it simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and the sauce thickens up a bit. Season with extra salt & pepper if needed, and garnish with fresh parsley if desired.
Substitutions and variations
- I don’t recommend subbing the heavy cream for a lower fat alternative. The sauce will be thinner, not taste as rich, and be more prone to curdling.
- I like the classic poultry mix, but you can definitely get more creative with the herbs if you want. If you’ve got other fresh garden herbs, feel free to use them!
- I haven’t made this recipe with dried herbs, but you could definitely use a dried herb blend (try Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence) or individual dried herbs. Just be sure to start with small amounts, taste, and go from there since some herbs taste more concentrated when dried.
What to serve with creamy herb chicken
- Rice, pasta like my Garlic Butter Noodles, Mashed Potatoes, or a classic Baked Potato would be great starchy sides.
- Some vegetable side dishes that would go well are my Easy Glazed Carrots, broccoli or Asparagus or green beans, and Roasted Cauliflower.
- Craving a salad to balance everything? Try mixed greens with my Homemade Italian Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store any leftover herb chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- In a saucepan, reheat slowly until warmed through. Use a low heat so that the sauce doesn’t separate.
- I don’t recommend freezing creamy sauces.
If you made this creamy chicken recipe with a herb sauce, leave a star rating and review below! Ask any questions not answered above. Find me on Instagram as well.
Creamy Herb Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 cup dry white wine or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon chopped poultry herb mix (sage/thyme/rosemary)
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Chopped fresh parsley optional, to taste
Instructions
- Cut chicken in half lengthwise; sprinkle both sides with the garlic powder and salt & pepper, then dredge the chicken in the flour so it’s completely coated.
- Add the olive oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in when the pan is hot. Cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes/side until it's nice and golden, then take the chicken out of the pan and set aside.
- Add the white wine and mustard to the pan and stir thoroughly. Let it bubble for a few minutes (it should reduce quite a bit).
- Stir in the cream and herbs and add the chicken back into the pan. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes or so (you may need to turn the heat down), until the chicken is cooked though and the sauce is thickened. Season with extra salt & pepper as needed, and sprinkle the chopped parsley on top if using.
Notes
- You can find poultry herb mix in the fresh herbs section of the grocery store (often refrigerated).
- I recommend chopping the herbs as finely as possible for a smoother sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on May 24, 2018. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Can you substitute half and half for the heavy cream?
I don’t recommend it. The sauce will be thinner and more prone to curdling. You may need to tweak it to thicken it up if you do try.
Made this tonight and loved it! Quick, easy, simple, and delicious. Used Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute instead of fresh herbs and substituted chicken broth for the wine. Thank you for sharing!
I’m so happy it worked out!! I need to try that herb blend!
Hi Natasha!
I made this dish the other night and paired it with brown sugar glazed carrots and mashed potatoes from scratch! Omg! Amazing! Love this chicken dish! It has become one of my favorites! I wanted to lick the dish! Lol! My fiancé said the leftovers the next day were delicious as well! Thanks so much!!!! Made my night!
That’s awesome!! I’m so glad you two enjoyed it!
I made this for dinner tonight, both my husband and I loved it. One thing though, where does the butter come into play? I didn’t see it in the instructions and ended up just putting it in with the stock and mustard. It turned out amazing so we’ll definitely make it again.
It’s in step 2 🙂 But where you added it is totally fine. I’m so glad you liked it!
Hi Natasha! I am not a fan of Dijon mustard but you use it in a fair amount of your recipes. Is there a suitable alternative that I can use? Mustard in general is one of the very few ingredients that steer clear of.
Hi! I would just leave it out in cases like these where it isn’t a large amount. I don’t find you can really taste it in sauces… it’s kinda like when you add a small amount of anchovy and it gives that extra bit of umami flavor. But I totally get it if it’s one of your most hated ingredients haha. ♥️
Good rule of thumb – thanks! I made the ‘meatballs in a cream sauce’ and I could really taste the Dijon since it called for 2 tbls. Can I leave out there as well? Or would I need an alternative?
I think you could probably leave it out there as well. 🙂
I made this tonight for my boyfriend and I and it’s amazing! So much flavor and would definitely make again. We paired it with asparagus.
That’s awesome! Thanks so much for letting me know! ❤️❤️
Made this a couple of weeks ago, and my husband and I agreed that it was one of the best meals I’d ever made…and I cook a LOT. Added sautéed mushrooms and fresh spinach to the sauce. I’m making it again this weekend for my daughter and her boyfriend.
Oh that’s wonderful! ♥️
Made this tonight and used dried Italian seasoning and doubled the recipe and it turned out delicious. Hard to go wrong with this recipe—it was excellent!! Thank you.
So happy you liked it!! 🙂
I made this creamy herb chicken recipe last night it turn out really good my family like it and I used the fresh garlic in the recipe .
Awesome!!
Can you double the sauce?
Sure, I don’t see why not. You may need to add a little more flour to keep the same consistency, though.
Could you brown chicken pieces and then put this in the oven to cook?
Hi Paula! You could try, but I haven’t tested it so I can’t really speculate on oven temperature or cooking time. Just be careful not to have the oven too hot because the sauce is likely to separate. And the chicken doesn’t need too long or it will overcook.