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CREAMY PARMESAN BASIL CHICKEN RECIPE

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This Creamy Parmesan Basil Chicken Recipe is a quick chicken breast recipe that tastes like it came from a restaurant!  This one pan chicken dish is easy to make for a weeknight dinner, and is full of so much flavor!
Creamy Basil Chicken recipe close up in a frying pan

What are you making for dinner?  If you want to know what you should make with chicken breasts, I have the answer.  This Creamy Parmesan Basil Chicken! Ever since I shared my Creamy Parmesan Basil Shrimp, you guys have been going crazy for it!  But sometimes you just need a tasty chicken recipe, so I decided to adapt it to a chicken recipe.  No more dry boring chicken breasts here – this recipe is a flavor explosion!

Macro closeup of chicken breasts with sauce and basil leaves

How to make chicken breasts tender

This is a technique I used in my Baked Chicken Parmesan Recipe.  I found that by slicing the chicken breast in half lengthwise (like a book), and then pounding them to an even thickness, it makes the chicken breast so much more tender, and tastes better.  The easiest way to do this is to use a zip top bag.  After slicing the chicken breasts in half, place them in a zip top bag and seal it.  Use a rolling pin to slightly pound them until they are an even thickness.

The other key to tasty chicken breasts is to SEASON your chicken with salt and pepper before cooking.  This makes a huge difference!

Creamy Basil Chicken in a frying pan

This is a simple chicken recipe, all made in one pan.  First we sear the chicken on both sides, then make the sauce for the chicken.  Add the chicken breasts back to the pan, and dinner is ready!  This creamy chicken is great served over pasta, but if you want to keep it low carb, we LOVED this served with roasted cauliflower!

Creamy Parmesan Basil Chicken Recipe

This Creamy Parmesan Basil Chicken Recipe is a quick chicken breast recipe that tastes like it came from a restaurant! This one pan chicken dish is easy to make for a weeknight dinner, and is full of so much flavor!
4.96 from 48 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Keyword: 30 Minute Dinners, Basil Recipe, Chicken Recipe, Creamy chicken, Date Night, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Low Carb, Pan fried chicken breast, Quick Recipes, Valentines Day Recipe, Weekend Meals, Weeknight Dinners
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 661kcal
Author: Meghan McMorrow | Fox and Briar

Ingredients

  • 1 pounds chicken breast 2 large breasts
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 4 large garlic cloves minced
  • 1/2 yellow onion finely minced
  • 3-4 ounces roasted red peppers thinly sliced
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup packed fresh basil leaves plus more for garnish
  • 1 cup fresh grated parmesan
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 cup white wine or chicken stock
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Cut breasts in half lengthwise, pound to even thickness
  • In a large non stick pan on medium-medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then sear, 4-5 minutes on each side, until just cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • In the same skillet add 1 tablespoons butter. Add onion, garlic, peppers, paprika, red chili pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Saute for about five minutes, until onions and peppers are softened.
  • Add wine to deglaze the skillet and bring to a gentle simmer until reduced by half.
  • Reduce heat to medium low. Add cream to the skillet and stir until a creamy sauce forms. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Add Parmesan, stir until melted into sauce. Stir in basil, simmer until wilted, 1-2 minutes.
  • Add chicken back to the skillet,  allow to warm up if needed.  Serve.

Notes

To pound chicken breasts, I slice them in half lengthwise (like a book), then place them in a sealed ziptop bag.  I use a rolling pin to pound them to an even thickness.
This is great served with pasta, but if you want to keep it low carb, it tastes great with roasted cauliflower!

Nutrition

Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 661kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 52g | Saturated Fat: 31g | Cholesterol: 239mg | Sodium: 919mg | Potassium: 620mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2350IU | Vitamin C: 14.9mg | Calcium: 374mg | Iron: 1.1mg
Nutritional information is an estimate for your convenience. If you have strict nutritional needs, please do your due diligence to make sure this recipe fits your needs.
Did you like this recipe?Please comment, rate and share! And don’t forget to tag me on Instagram @foxandbriar AND #foxandbriar so I can see what you made!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. 5 stars
    This chicken recipe was exactly what I was looking for, as I had fresh basil on hand and I’m always a sucker for anything with Parmesan cheese. The flavor is delicious and savory, without being over the top. (Although I did not have any red pepper flakes on hand, so it wasn’t as spicy as it should have been, I suppose.) I substituted diced sweet red pepper (for color, mostly). I will definitely make this again.

    Reply

  3. OMG!!! This is def. restaurant quality or better! I forgot the heavy cream so I randomly used some sour cream and crazy I know but almond milk. Still soooo stinking good!!! I also added chopped fresh tomatoes on the side. We will have this again for sure! It is sinfully good!

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious low carb recipe. No need to ever eat pasta if spaghetti squash can taste this good. Thanks you so much!

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    Oh my goodness. This recipe is to DIE for. Truly is restaurant quality. It’s a new staple in our family recipe book! Thank you!!!

    Reply

  7. This recipe was amazing!! The sauce is absolutely delicious! I LOVE basil, it really makes the dish!
    I also added some cut up tomatoes at the end, it gave it a nice taste as well!

    Reply

    • Hi Julia – I haven’t tried it so I can’t be sure. I think it would *probably* work, but the sauce won’t be as thick and creamy. Let us know if you give it a try!

      Reply

  11. Sorry not one of my favorites. Maybe
    It was because I didn’t have enough fresh basil off my plant or heavy cream.
    Try making heavy cream off the internet
    with butter and milk…disaster!
    I will give it another try because I love to cook.

    Reply

    • How rude to critique a recipe when you did not follow the directions!
      Ah, would you not make sure you had the actual ingredients before you tried it?
      You probably should not be near a stove.

      Reply

  12. 5 stars
    Found this recipe randomly when looking for a good recipe to use basil and chicken in, and I’m SO glad to have stumbled onto this one! It’s SO GOOD! Definitely a keeper and my wife has already requested that I make this again soon. It was great over egg noodles with some garlic bread on the side, but I could also see this being tasty over zucchini noodles.

    Thanks for such a great recipe!

    Reply

  13. 5 stars
    I made this last night and oh boy we sure did enjoy it! Delicious!!! I have an abundance of basil and this recipe is a perfect way to enjoy it! Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous dish. I used hot cherry peppers instead of roasted peppers because that is what I had on hand.

    Reply

  14. 3 stars
    Hard to say what went wrong… I’m a good cook (actually better than good) but this recipe just didn’t gel for me. I grow my own basil, too, so that was really fresh. Parmesan, freshly grated. Cream, fresh. I used a decent white wine and good smoked paprika, fresh sweet onions, minced my own garlic so can’t blame it on jarred garlic. Perhaps because I tripled the recipe? Not sure. But this was rather mediocre, at least for me. My hubby usually waxes poetic over my meals but even he was unimpressed, with just an “ok” comment. Bummer.

    Reply

  15. 5 stars
    I am NOT a fan of chicken breast, but I get it for the family. However, this recipe changed my mind. It was so awesome. Flavorful, moist, and lots of sauce. I had mine with baked potatoes for a change from pasta. The sauce was great on them too. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  18. 5 stars
    This is a delicious chicken recipe The sauce was just perfect. I prepared the vegetables ahead of time and cooked the chicken before guests arrived so just had to put everything together with the cream and cheese to warm. Was great for company because I didn’t have to spend a lot of time in the kitchen and could spend time with guests

    Reply

  19. So excited to try this recipe for dinner! I don’t have any white wine on hand but I do have red wine. Could I use red wine or would that change the flavor too much?

    Reply

    • Hi Maranda – I haven’t tried it but it would probably be fine! It will probably change the color of the sauce, your sauce might turn out pink 🙂

      Reply

  20. 5 stars
    This was super delicious! I stumbled upon it by chance and it has blown us all away! Rich, flavorful, a bit of zip from the crushed red peppers but not hot. A new favorite for sure!

    Reply

  21. 5 stars
    Being home during the quarantine has given me the time to cook and try new recipes. I have made this recipe twice. We had an overabundance of basil growing. This recipe is perfect and uses a lot of fresh basil. Tonight I ate it with roasted cauliflower and it was delicious!

    Reply

  22. 5 stars
    This recipe is so delicious! I was in my garden today and after smelling the fresh basil, I wanted to find a recipe to use it. My search landed me here and it was 100% approved by my family of 6. The only request was that I double the sauce next time. Thank you for posting!

    Reply

  23. 5 stars
    I cook a lot and it starts to get hard to come up with something new and exciting. (Especially after cooking nonstop during quarantine!) This recipe is incredible! It’s so quick and simple but ends up tasting like a special occasion dinner. After one bite my husband said that this was his new favorite ever. Thank you so much!

    Reply

  24. 5 stars
    This is delicious recipe, easy to make but at the same time so yummy. My family love it . Definitely is a keeper.

    Reply

  25. 5 stars
    I am bored of cooking or rather searching and finding same old recipes online. I wanted something different…a different type of chicken recipe dish. Browsed images as i usually do and this picture caught my eye. Went to the website site and made this recipe my family absolutely loved it!!! I cook so many different types of dishes but wanted something simple yet tasty. Well it won over my family. It is one of our favs now! Will definitely make it over and over! Browsed your site for my next dish already. Can’t wait to make it. You are now one of my favorite recipe sites to cook from. Thank you for all the delicious recipes to look forward to!

    Reply

  26. 5 stars
    This was really good. My family loved it. I think it would be amazing with scallops, crab or prawns, too! Mmmmmmm

    Reply

    • Hi Nate – I use a dry white wine, Sauvignon Blanc would be a good one. I also use Pinot Gris because it is what I usually have on hand.

      Reply

  31. 5 stars
    This recipe is a favorite in my household! Turns out great every time- feels like a restaurant meal at my dining room table! I love it over roasted cauliflower or spaghetti squash!

    Reply

  33. 5 stars
    Delicious and easy to make. This is one we will definitely serve to company in the future. I added a bit of cayenne pepper to the sauce, and used a Sauvignon Blanc for the white wine (I had just opened it and figured, why not?!). I highly recommend this recipe!

    Reply

  34. The creamy basil recipe is so easy and delicious. My husband grilled and blackened the chicken and threw it in with the basil. Amazing! My kids loved it over bowtie pasta! Definitely will make this recipe often. Thank you so much.

    Reply

  35. 5 stars
    This is soooo good. I used extra pepper flakes as I was missing paprika in my spice cabinet , the heat was there but tempered beautifully by the cream and fresh basil.

    The long story – it was my birthday during quarantine and I wanted to cook for the 10 friends that I would invite to a party but could deliver to their homes. I cooked Bolognese sauce and home made pasta and it took hours. I have one friend who eats chicken but no beef. I googled chicken/basil/cream recipes and this one came up. It took 30 min to cook. That friend got the best food served.

    Reply

  36. 5 stars
    We made this last night and it was a hit with everyone! I used sun-dried tomatoes instead of roasted red peppers since that is all I had and I diced up my chicken. We also added in some fresh spinach with the basil for some added veggies. A new family favorite for sure.

    Reply

  40. Hi! I’m interested in making this recipe tonight but I’m wondering if whole milk or half and half would work as well in the dish as opposed to cream?

    Reply

    • Hi Bri – it won’t be as thick and creamy, but if you are going to sub anything, I would use half and half, as it is the closest thing to heavy cream. If you can get ahold of heavy cream, that would be better 🙂

      Reply

  41. 5 stars
    We’re practicing social distancing and trying to make food with what we have on hand, and so I just did a random Google search and this turned out so well! Truly a success,

    Reply

    • Yay! I am so happy to hear that! We are doing the same thing, it makes cooking a bit of a challenge sometimes! I’m glad this was a success!

      Reply

  42. 5 stars
    This has become my signature dish amongst friends haha! I have shared the site/recipe when asked but always get sooo many compliments when I make this for people 🙂
    I do triple the sauce ingredients cuz we love our sauce in this family but it’s always gobbled up! Even my 3yo loves it

    Reply

  43. 5 stars
    This was a fantastic recipe the entire family enjoyed. I will definitely be adding this recipe to our rotation. Thank you!

    Reply

  47. 5 stars
    Made it for my spouse and his son who just moved from France (so have different tastes and experiences than us North Americans ;-). I was looking for a dish that is a 100% winner and this was it! I made it with couscous and it was great! The sauce soaked into the couscous and was terrific! I warmed the leftovers up 2 days later and again, super amazing! Big hit, thank you for sharing! *I know its not the healthiest with all of the cream, but at least its a sure thing and the amount of sauce is terrific and necessary 🙂

    Reply

  48. 5 stars
    Hello, so when I made it and put the cream in (just bought that day so it wasn’t spoiled), it curdled. What am I doing wrong? Great flavours though! Thanks!

    Reply

    • Hi Louise – I’m sorry that happened! I haven’t had that experience before, but it can happen if you don’t cook down the wine enough. I would just be sure that the wine reduces by half before adding the cream. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  51. What can I say but AMAZING!! I’ve made this twice now, one with chicken, one with tilapia, both have turned out sooooo good. Instead of roasted red peppers, I used small sweet peppers. It made the sauce sweet and spicy and creamy. So delicious. This is a recipe to save for sure!

    Reply

  52. 5 stars
    Changed it slightly. Used cream cheese for the sauce base, and chicken breasts and bacon, mushrooms and white onion.
    Cooked pasta and veg rice all steamed as options.
    Added loads of black pepper and a touch of salt.
    A total winner all round.

    Reply

  53. 5 stars
    Holy carp! Thought this would be good but it is fan-freaking-tastic. It’s crazy easy and a dish you whip out to impress people with.

    Reply

  55. 5 stars
    We have a ton of fresh basil growing, so I googled “chicken basil”, and this was one of the first recipes that showed up! I had to adjust a few things with what we had on hand…chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts, our garden’s bell peppers plus oregano instead of roasted red peppers, coconut milk instead of heavy cream…This all likely changed up the overall flavor profile, but was still DELICIOUS. I think I found my new go-to online recipe blog 🙂

    Reply

  56. 5 stars
    I made this for dinner tonight, and oh my goodness, it was fabulous! I used light cream instead of heavy cream because that’s whatI had on hand and I used brined chicken thighs. It was rich, creamy, and delicious! My husband said that this is definitely a keeper, please make this again. Thank you for a tasty recipe!

    Reply

  57. 5 stars
    I made this tonight and it’s definitely a keeper. Very delicious. The only thing I changed was after pounding down the chicken breast & seasoning, I did a light flour dusting on them. I added paprika to the flour for a little more seasoning.
    I followed the rest of the recipe as is.
    Thank you.

    Reply

  58. 5 stars
    My oh my! I would give it 10 stars if I could. It was so delicious, my husband liked the plate clean. Followed the recipe exactly. Thank you so much for this recipe. This is a keeper for sure!!!

    Reply

  60. 5 stars
    This was absolutely unbelievable, like in an authentic restaurant in Italy! Follow all the tips, will definitely make this again.

    Reply

  61. Made this for dinner today! Was amazing! I added farmer sausage, and instead of chicken breasts I used thighs. I also didn’t have any white wine OR chicken stock, so I used half beef stock and half lemon juice. I also had a broad assortment of miscellaneous cheese ends in my fridge, so I just threw the whole assortment in! Turned out absolutely incredible! Thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

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