Creamy Garlic Chicken
My Creamy Garlic Chicken is always a hit at the dinner table. Perfectly tender chicken breasts swimming in a rich and creamy garlic sauce is pretty much the ultimate comfort food.
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Why You'll Love It
This creamy garlic chicken is super-easy to make and it only takes about 30 minutes to get it on the table. It's perfect for those busy weeknights where you don't have much time to feed the family in between school, sports, and bedtime.
And as you'll see when you scroll down, it uses only basic ingredients you probably already have on hand. In fact, that's exactly how I created this recipe. I had only a short window of time between work and getting the kids to their practices, so I hunted through the fridge and pantry to see what I could put together. Thirty minutes this dish was born!
Plus, this dish heats up really well making it perfect for meal planning. I like to make extra and then take the leftovers to work for the next day's lunch. Of course, that's assuming there are any leftovers!
Ingredient List
- Chicken - I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but you can easily swap in chicken thighs if you prefer
- Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder - It's important to start with some some generous seasoning and keep building flavors as you go
- Flour - Dredging the chicken in flour helps give then golden brown color and crispy texture
- Butter and Oil - For sauteing the chicken and starting the sauce
- Garlic - I cook about a half dozen garlic cloves in the butter which gives it a nice garlicky flavor. If you want even more garlic, feel free to add more cloves or a ½ teaspoon of granulated garlic
- Chicken Broth - Adds a savory and umami base to the sauce and helps balance the cream
- Heavy Cream - Gives the sauce an unmistakeable richness
Creamy Garlic Chicken Step by Step
The printable recipe card at the bottom of the page has full measurements and instructions, but I've included the highlights with pictures to walk you through the process one step at a time.
Pound the chicken into thin cutlets and season well with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
Dredge each piece of chicken in flour before cooking.
Add olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to a pan over medium-high heat and cook the chicken about 3 to 5 minutes per side.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and melt the remaining butter. Cook the garlic cloves until lightly browned. Don't let them burn!
Add the chicken broth, heavy cream, and grated premsa cheese and stir well to incorporate. Add the chicken back to the pan to simmer.
If serving with pasta, add the pasta to the sauce and toss until evenly coated by the sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and additional grated parmesan.
Substitutions and Variations
- You don't have any heavy cream handy? No problem. You can swap it out for whole milk or half and half. It won't have quite the same level of richness but it will still be delicious
- I typically use boneless, skiness chicken breast for this recipe. But feel free to mix it up and use chicken tenderloins or thighs instead. And one time I made sous vide pork chops and then drizzled some of this sauce over it...it was AMAZING!
- You can swap out the chicken broth and use some dry white wine such as pinot grigio. Don't forget to pour yourself a glass to enjoy while you cook!
What To Serve With Creamy Garlic Chicken
- Pasta is a great dish to serve with creamy garlic chicken because it feeds a crowd and cooks quickly. You can boil the pasta while cooking the chicken to save time.
- My creamy garlic mashed potatoes are the perfect side with this dish. Or go with a simple pice or risotto.
- Want a lighter option? Go for a simple salad with arugula or baby spinach.
- As for veggies, you can't go wrong with roasted broccoli, steamed green beans, or grilled zucchini.
Creamy Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
Method
- Slice each chicken breast horizontally through the center to create two thinner cutlets
- Generously season each cutlet with salt, pepper, and garlic powder and then dredge in the flour
- Add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a pan over medium-high heat and cook each cutlet for about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Place each piece of cooked chicken on a wire rack over a baking sheet
- In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining butter and let it melt. Next add the garlic cloves and let cook for 2 to 3 minutes. They should get lightly browned and aromatic
- Add the chicken broth and stir, then let it gently bubble and reduce (this should only take 3 or 4 minutes, but you may need to raise the heat SLIGHTLY if it doesn't start bubbling)
- Stir in the cream grated Parmesan cheese, and then add the chicken back to the pan. Let it cook and bubble for a few minutes so the flavors come together.
- Serve with freshly chopped parsley and additional Parmesan if desired
Notes
- Temperature control is key with this dish. You don't want to garlic to burn or the cream to scorch the bottom of the pan, so keep the sauce cooking over a low heat
- I like to serve creamy garlic chicken over pasta. It also goes well with rice, risotto, or mashed potatoes
- If the sauce is a little too rich for you, squeeze a little lemon juice into it. That little bit of acidity will help bring balance
I am absolutely adding this to next week's dinner plan! Looks amazing!
It was certainly a hit with my family! Let me know what yours thinks about it!