Chicken in a Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce

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Ingredients:

4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2 cups chicken stock
2-3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
6 Tablespoons heavy cream*
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
optional: lime wedges and more cilantro for garnish

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 375°F
2.  If the chicken breasts are uneven in thickness, pound them down so they’re all even. This way all the breasts will cook through simultaneously. 

3,  Sprinkle each chicken breast with salt and pepper.
4.  In a large ovenproof skillet (LeCruset), heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6-7 minutes, turning once.  Just sear and brown the chicken.  (It doesn’t have to be cooked all the way through yet.) Set chicken on a plate and cover tightly with foil.

5.  Add onions and saute for a few minutes until translucent.

5.  Remove skillet from heat and add the broth, lime juice, cilantro, and red pepper. 

6.  Return to heat. Cook and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil. Allow to boil gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to around 1/4 cup. 

7.  Reduce heat to medium-low, then add the cream and butter. Stir until butter has melted.
8.  Add chicken to the sauce and place the skillet in the preheated oven. Bake uncovered until the chicken is completely cooked through, about 5-10 minutes.

Serve chicken with sauce spooned on top and any of the listed optional garnishes. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for a few days. Reheat to your liking.