My Creamy Herb Chicken is the dish that will provide the comfort you need after a long, tiring day. With minimal effort, you can have it on the table in 30 minutes. Fresh herbs are the key to transforming a basic cream sauce into an aromatic, flavour-filled, luxurious companion for the chicken. This is easy comfort food without the fuss.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- The dish is nut-free and can be gluten-free by using the appropriate flour.
- Chicken tenderloins are ideal for quick, easy meals and they are so versatile. There are many ways to prepare them, such as my Creamy Garlic Chicken or Mediterranean Chicken Salad. As their name suggests, chicken tenderloins are reliably tender.
- Served with some crusty bread, this is a delicious meal made in one pan.
- Easy chicken dinners are always popular. Two of our favourites are Mediterranean Marinated Chicken Breast and Chicken Rissoles with Spinach and Feta.
Recipe Inspiration: this dish was developed from my Creamy Lemon Chicken after a visit to friends who have a lovely vegetable garden. They are typical gardeners, very generous and very keen to share their produce. We came home with lemons, lettuce, a variety of fresh herbs and this was the dish that was developed. The use of fresh herbs really lifts the simple sauce and it has become a favourite. I hope that you enjoy it as much as we do.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Chicken tenderloins: they are our preference as they cook quickly and are reliably tender. You can use the breast if you prefer, but it is inclined to become dry if even a little overcooked.
- Plain/all-purpose flour: we use this flour to coat the chicken for pan-frying. It also helps to slightly thicken the sauce. If necessary, use a gluten-free flour.
- Dried oregano: in this instance, the dried herb is my preference. It adds flavour to the chicken, leaving the fresh herbs to shine in the creamy sauce.
- Coarse cooking salt and freshly ground black pepper: for a good result, properly seasoning food is essential.
- Unsalted butter: we use unsalted butter to pan fry the chicken and make the sauce. That way we control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Extra virgin olive oil: we use some olive oil when pan frying the chicken to prevent the butter burning.
- Garlic cloves: we use fresh garlic cloves to add great flavour to the sauce.
- Fresh rosemary and thyme leaves: the fresh leaves of these Mediterranean herbs add great savoury flavour.
- Heavy/thickened cream: has a milk fat content of at least 35% and makes the sauce rich and velvety.
- Parsley: our preference is the flat-leaf Italian variety. It adds a subtle, herbaceous note to the sauce.
- Parmesan: we use Parmigiano Reggiano, but you can use Grana Padano if you prefer; it has excellent flavour. Freshly grated cheese will give you the best flavour and will melt into the sauce. Pre-grated cheese is often coated in thickeners to stop it from clumping, and it may not amalgamate properly in the sauce.
- Basil: we finish the dish with some fresh basil. It adds a bright flavour.
Variations:
Chicken: you can use chicken breast but be careful to not overcook it or it may become dry.
Herbs: some finely chopped chives would be a great addition.
How To Make Creamy Herb Chicken:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 - Season the chicken:
On a large plate, mix the flour, dried oregano, salt and pepper. Toss the chicken in the flour so it is well coated. Tap off any excess flour.
2 - Cook the chicken:
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook until just cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
3 - Prepare the sauce:
In the same pan, add the remaining butter and melt. Once heated, add the chopped garlic, and cook, being careful to not let the garlic burn.
Add in the rosemary, thyme and cream. Simmer the sauce until it thickens slightly. Stir through the parsley.
4 - Bring the dish together:
Return the chicken to the pan and turn off the heat. Check that the seasoning is to your taste. Stir through the Parmesan cheese. Serve with the finely chopped basil.
Hint: for the best result, be careful to not overcook the chicken. The suggested cooking time is a guide, but it may vary depending on the heat you use and the thickness of the chicken. If you prefer, to be precise, we recommend the use of a thermometer. The USDA recommends cooking chicken to 74 degrees C (165 degrees F).
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
It is best to serve this dish as soon as it is made as the creamy sauce may split if reheated. The cooking process is so fast that I recommend you prepare the separate components a day ahead, and store in the refrigerator for when you are ready to cook.
When leftovers are cool, store them in the fridge as soon as possible. For safety reasons, if leftovers have been out of the fridge for 2 hours, discard them. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, then reheat very gently on low heat on the stovetop or in a microwave until the internal temperature registers 74 degrees C (165 F). Reheating slowly may prevent the sauce separating.
I don't recommend freezing as the high dairy content may cause the sauce to separate when thawing.
Top Tip:
This dish can be prepared very quickly so I recommend that you have all your ingredients ready before you begin to cook. It will make for a smoother, quicker cooking process.
Serving Suggestions:
This Creamy Herb Chicken is ideal for family meals on busy weeknights or at any time that you would like to share a relaxed meal with friends. It is always a crowd pleaser, and the simple sauce means that it can be paired with many dishes. Some suggestions are:
- Serve with steamed rice or our easy Spelt Focaccia to soak up the delicious sauce.
- Our Semolina Gnocchi is a great side dish.
- Sautéed Asparagus or Sautéed Carrots are ideal.
- Kale and Apple Slaw is a refreshing addition.
I hope that you enjoy this Creamy Herb Chicken as much as I do. I look forward to hearing if you make it.
Alex xx
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Creamy Herb Chicken
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 500 g (1.1 lb) chicken tenderloins
- ¼ cup (40 g) all-purpose/plain flour - use gluten-free if needed See Note 1
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter See Note 2
- 2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
For the Creamy Herb Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 large garlic cloves - finely chopped
- 1 ¼ cups (310 ml) heavy whipping/thickened cream See Note 3
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves - finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary - finely chopped
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley - finely chopped
- ¼ cup (20 g) Parmesan cheese - freshly grated
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste See Note 4
- ¼ cup fresh basil leaves - finely sliced
Instructions
- Have all your ingredients prepared before you start to cook.There is a small, white, tough tendon at the end of the chicken tenderloin. You will need to remove it with a sharp knife or a pair of scissors. There’s no need to remove it all; the tendon inside the meat is very thin and you won’t notice it after cooking but it is important to remove the larger, thicker piece. Don’t try to pull it out or the meat may fall apart.
- On a large plate, mix the flour, oregano, salt and pepper. Toss the chicken in it so it is well coated. Tap off any excess flour.
- In a large frying pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes per side, or until just cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside. Loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
- In the same pan, over medium heat add the remaining butter and melt. Add in the garlic, and sauté for 1 minute, being careful to ensure it doesn't burn.
- Add in the rosemary, thyme and cream. Simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes, or until it thickens slightly. Stir through the parsley.
- Return the chicken to the pan and turn off the heat. Stir through the Parmesan cheese. Check that the seasoning is to your liking. Serve with the finely chopped basil.
Notes
- Gluten-free: adapt this recipe to gluten-free by using the appropriate flour.
- Tablespoon: we use a standard Australian tablespoon which is 20 ml (4 teaspoons). For readers located elsewhere in the world, please use 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon for each listed tablespoon.
- Cream: for a creamy texture and best flavour, use full-fat cream. Thickened/heavy whipping cream should have a minimum 35% fat content.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking - we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour. Proper seasoning is essential for a delicious dish that is well flavoured.
- Storage: cooled leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days. Reheat gently at a low heat. As the sauce is cream based, reheating can cause it to split - adding a little additional cream can stop this from happening.
- Freezing: this dish is not suitable for freezing.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
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