Chicken with Boursin Sauce (Print Page)

Pan-seared chicken in a creamy Boursin garlic and herb sauce—a rich, aromatic French-inspired dish.

# What You Need:

→ Meats

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

→ Dairy & Cheese

02 - 5.3 oz Boursin cheese with garlic and fine herbs
03 - ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 small shallot, finely diced

→ Pantry & Seasoning

07 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
08 - ½ teaspoon kosher salt
09 - ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 - 1 teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped, plus extra for garnish

→ Optional Garnish

11 - Fresh chives, chopped

# Directions:

01 - Pat the chicken breasts thoroughly dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with salt and black pepper.
02 - Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter, allowing the butter to melt and begin foaming.
03 - Lay the chicken breasts in the skillet and sear for 5 to 6 minutes per side until a deep golden crust forms and the internal temperature registers 165°F. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with aluminum foil.
04 - Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Sauté the diced shallot and minced garlic for 2 to 3 minutes until softened and fragrant.
05 - Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the Boursin cheese and heavy cream to the skillet. Whisk gently until the cheese has fully melted and the sauce is smooth and velvety.
06 - Stir the chopped parsley into the sauce. Return the seared chicken breasts to the skillet, spooning the sauce generously over the top. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until the chicken is heated through.
07 - Arrange the chicken on serving plates, ladle the Boursin sauce over each portion, and finish with a sprinkle of fresh parsley or chives. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in the same pan, so cleanup is almost embarrassingly easy.
  • Boursin does all the heavy lifting for flavor, meaning you get a creamy herbaceous sauce without chopping a dozen things.
  • It is naturally gluten free, which makes it a safe bet for almost any dinner guest.
  • Leftover sauce reheated the next day over rice is secretly better than the original meal.
02 -
  • Do not let the sauce boil after adding the Boursin or it can break and turn grainy, which I learned the hard way on a first date.
  • The chicken continues cooking from residual heat while resting, so pull it from the pan when the thermometer reads just a degree or two under 74 Celsius.
  • Check labels on Boursin and cream if cooking for someone with allergies because formulations can vary by region.
03 -
  • Let the Boursin sit out for fifteen minutes before cooking so it softens and melts into the cream without lumps.
  • Use a stainless steel or cast iron skillet rather than nonstick because the fond left behind by searing the chicken is where half the sauce flavor comes from.

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