I can't really remember how my recipe for this Creamy Chicken Pepper Skillet Dinner came about, but I can just about guarantee that it had something to do with being hungry (possibly even HANGRY!) and having chicken, peppers, and cream in the fridge. My imagination overtook the hunger and we were eating before we knew it.
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My favorite Frenchman, Jacques Pepin, calls it "Fast Food My Way" and even has a whole cookbook about eating in, but fast. So much healthier and possibly even quicker than driving through ... as long as the fridge and pantry are well-stocked.
The recipe as I wrote it calls for two chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally, which will feed 3-4 people. You can certainly scale this recipe to feed as many as you need to!
What kind of peppers to use
You can use whatever you like! It might be a trivial reason, but I like using red ones because I think the color contrast is so beautiful. Green ones are fine, but they tend to go a little olive drab when cooked. Yellow ones are OK, too, but again, the dish ends up looking monochrome. A mix of all three would certainly be beautiful, but if you're sticking with just one, I'd pick red!
In which case, I choose to buy the sweet mini peppers that are so darling! They are definitely sweet and I love the shape when they are cut.
And look at that color!
The missing photograph!
The next step is missing in photographs because I'm a one-woman show and only have so many hands and eyeballs! 🙂 This is where the cream is added ... and you have to be careful so that you don't curdle the cream.
The easiest way to add the cream without curdling it is to warm the cream either in a small pot or in the microwave. Then add it slowly while stirring. Another way, is to add some of the cooked onions and peppers to the cold cream. The cooked vegetables will warm the cream ... it's called tempering. Once it's tempered, you can add it slowly and gradually to the onions and peppers.
Once the cream is added, nestle the chicken pieces in.
Serve with pasta, rice, and certainly with a green vegetable like steamed broccoli, roasted broccolini, garlic sauteed green beans, or green peas.
So ... bottom line ... when you're looking to get a tasty dinner on fast, look no further than this recipe for Creamy Chicken Pepper Skillet Dinner. You'll be glad you didn't stop for takeout!
Other recipes you might like:
If you try this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a comment below and a star rating. Also, if you are on Instagram, post a photo and tag me @tammycirceocheznous so that I can see your delicious dish!
Recipe
Creamy Chicken Pepper Skillet Dinner
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts cut in half horizontally and pounded to an even thickness
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Olive or avocado oil for sauteeing
- ½ cup onion diced
- 5 mini peppers or 1 large bell pepper in the color of your choice sliced
- 3 cloves garlic
- ½ cup cream see notes for serving with pasta
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and oregano and saute on one side 5-8 minutes, depending on the thickness. Flip and saute the other side. Remove to a heated platter in a warm oven.
- Put a little more oil in the skillet and add the onion. Saute just till translucent and no longer crispy, 5-8 minutes. Add the peppers and cook till tender, another 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1-2 minutes.
- Spoon some of the onions and peppers into the cream to temper, or warm, the cream. If you don't do this, the cream will curdle when you add it to the hot skillet. You can also warm the cream in a small pot or in the microwave before adding it to the skillet. My favorite technique is to temper the cream, turn the heat off, then add the tempered cream to the skillet. There's plenty of heat left in the skillet to warm the cream and make a beautiful sauce with no curdling.
- Serve with pasta (see notes) and green vegetables such as broccoli, green beans, green peas, or wilted spinach.
Lynne Tust
Hello,Tammy!
Thank you for inspiring tonight’s dinner! This household always has an assortment of peppers in the crisper, so when I saw this pop up in my feed this afternoon I went from the original plan of Fajitas to trying your Creamy Chicken Pepper Skillet Dinner. We loved it!
I am adding it to our rotation!
Tammy Circeo
Lynne! I'm so glad you liked it. It's easy and quick, too, which makes it that much more appealing!
Carolyn De Rusha
This will be a regular at our house. Easy to make and delicous.
Tammy Circeo
So glad you loved it!