Skinny Creamy Chimichurri Chicken Skillet
Skinny Creamy Chimichurri Chicken Skillet, the ultimate low carb low calorie dinner you can make in minutes!
There’s something so comforting about a simple chicken recipe with a creamy sauce.
A good silky sauce helps boring chicken come alive and gives it extra moisture… Especially if you have a tendency to over-cook meat.
However, I’ve learned over the years that you don’t actually have to add cream to a recipe to create a creamy sauce.
You can cheat with fat free cream cheese, which results in a smooth luxurious texture that happens to be low carb, low fat, and gluten free.
I do this with all sorts of recipes including my favorite Salsa Verde Chicken and Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Skillet.
Today’s Skinny Creamy Chimichurri Chicken Skillet recipe combines classic Argentinian chimichurri sauce with a thick creamy finish.
The chicken is quickly seared in a hot skillet while you puree parsley, onions, garlic, spices, and red wine vinegar together.
Add in fat free cream cheese and some water to thin out the sauce and you have the perfect “quickie” dinner with robust herbaceous appeal.
Just pour the sauce over the top of the chicken and let it thicken as the chicken finishes cooking.
If you do happen to be a habitual chicken over-cooker, this method also helps slow down the cooking at the end, so the chicken doesn’t dry out.
Serve your Skinny Creamy Chimichurri Chicken Skillet with roasted vegetables or a big green salad and dinner is ready to serve!
Make sure to check out our recipe card below!
Looking for additional side dishes to serve with this Skinny Creamy Chimichurri Chicken Skillet? You will love it with…
Perfect Low Carb Cauliflower Rice
Lemon Butter Roasted Asparagus
Skinny Creamy Chimichurri Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch parsley, stems removed
- 1/2 onion, cut into wedges
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 ounces fat-free cream cheese
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 cup water
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Place a large deep skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Once the skillet is hot add the chicken breasts and cook 4 minutes per side.
- Meanwhile, peel the onion and garlic cloves. Place the parsley, onion, garlic, vinegar, oregano, cumin, crushed red pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the food processor. Pulse until the mixture is well chopped. Then add in the cream cheese and water. Turn on and puree until very smooth.
- Once the chicken has seared 4 minutes per side, pour the sauce over the chicken. Simmer for 3-5 minutes to let the chicken finish cooking and the sauce thicken. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed.
this looks so good. what would be a non dairy sub for cream cheese?
Hi Leslie,
We have a great recipe for cashew cream you could use as a cream cheese alternative! :)
Loving this one pot dinner idea.
I love easy one-dish dinners! And this looks like a crowd pleaser!
First off, can I just tell you how much I love this recipe? Seriously this is so good.Â
I love all things creamy + chimichurri so much – why did I never think to combine them before?? This is so tasty!
The fresh parsley and cumin in this, are amazing! Love the flavor of this dish!
Hi, the ingredients are missing. Please do let me know.Â
Hi Debbie,
So sorry about that! We are in the middle of a recipe form transfer and there have been some glitches. All fixed!
I’ve made this recipe 4 times using a little variation. I used half milk and half water instead of just regular water for a bit more of a creamy texture, added 1tsp smoked Spanish paprika for a bit more of a kick, and during a couple runs I was out of parsley and used cilantro instead. I’ve also added finely chopped fresh spinach to the top of the dish right before serving for the extra vitamin content. If you don’t mind the carbs this is amazing served over rice. Awesome recipe Sommer!