Description
This Creamy Pepperoncini Chicken Skillet is a flavorful and easy-to-make dinner featuring tender chicken breasts cooked in a rich, tangy sauce made with pepperoncini peppers, cream, and Parmesan. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal, it pairs beautifully with mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup sliced pepperoncini peppers
- 1 tablespoon pepperoncini juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Instructions
- Season and cook chicken: Season the chicken breasts evenly with salt and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until golden brown and fully cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté garlic: Reduce the heat to medium-low in the same skillet. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant, making sure not to burn it.
- Deglaze and prepare sauce: Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet to incorporate rich flavor into the sauce. Stir in the heavy cream, softened cream cheese, sliced pepperoncini peppers and their juice, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper flakes if using. Mix well and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.
- Combine chicken and sauce: Return the cooked chicken breasts to the skillet and spoon the creamy pepperoncini sauce over them. Let everything simmer together for 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken is thoroughly heated and the flavors meld.
- Finish and garnish: Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese over the top and garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving. Serve immediately for the best taste and texture.
Notes
- Serve over mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta for a complete meal.
- For extra tenderness, substitute chicken thighs instead of breasts.
- For a lighter creamy sauce, use Greek yogurt in place of cream cheese.
