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This creamy garlic chicken recipe is the ultimate easy comfort food! Tender chicken breasts smothered in a creamy garlic sauce are irresistible. Garlic lovers unite!
Love creamy chicken recipes? Try my Creamy Tuscan Chicken, this Creamy Bacon Chicken, or my Creamy Mushroom Chicken.
Why you’ll love it
This creamy garlic chicken is ready in about 30 minutes. It’s good enough to serve company, but it’s also one of those dishes that works for a quick weeknight dinner. A lovely reader said that it’s “one of the best things I have ever eaten!!!” It was an early hit on the blog and actually shaped the direction of S&L towards easy comfort food.
Yes, I include both garlic powder and an entire head of garlic in this recipe. It’s not a typo! Believe it or not, the garlic cloves themselves don’t make the sauce ridiculously garlicky. The flavor of garlic powder is slightly different than the fresh cloves. I’m going for all-out depth of garlic flavor here without making it overpowering.
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using two large boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise to cook faster and more evenly, so it remains tender and melt-in-your-mouth
- Flour – for a tasty crust on the exterior of the cutlets, and it also helps thicken the sauce
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing
- Garlic cloves – use an entire head of garlic. Don’t worry if you don’t have the exact same number of cloves as I used. It’s not precise.
- Chicken broth – for the savory base of the sauce
- Lemon juice – a little bit of acidity for balance
- Garlic powder – for a different garlicky aspect! It’s a staple in my pantry.
- Heavy cream – it’s what makes the sauce luxuriously rich
Do I eat the garlic cloves?
- You do! If you’ve never really cooked with whole garlic cloves before, don’t worry. Cooking them in the sauce mellows them right out. It’s nothing like biting into raw garlic.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- You don’t have to spend a lot time peeling the garlic cloves. Use a silicone garlic peeler tube, or buy garlic cloves that are already peeled if you really want to save a bit of time. I usually just use my knife. Here’s a quick video tutorial how.
- This is my trusty 10.25″ Lodge cast iron skillet, and I use a chef’s knife to cut the chicken.
- Chicken is safe to eat at 165F, and the best way to never have undercooked or overcooked meat is using an instant read thermometer.
How to make creamy garlic chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut the chicken breasts into four cutlets, season with salt & pepper, and coat with flour. Pan fry until golden, and then take them out of the skillet. Lightly brown the garlic cloves in the same pan.
Add the broth, lemon juice, and garlic powder to the skillet. Let it up bubble for a few minutes until the liquid has reduced somewhat. Pour in the cream, and return the chicken to the pan to cook until it reaches 165F inside and the sauce thickens. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Substitutions and variations
- Sub the cream at your own discretion. If you use something like milk or half-and-half, the sauce may curdle due to the high heat and end up thinner. I recommend reading through the reader comments. There’s tons of tips from readers who have tweaked this recipe to their liking.
- I use boneless/skinless chicken breasts for this recipe. You can substitute for chicken thighs, but keep in mind those may take a bit longer to cook.
- For an elegant touch, swap the chicken broth for a dry white wine like pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc.
- Readers have tried minced garlic in a jar, but the results won’t be the same and our kitchen has not tested that. You’re welcome to experiment.
What to serve with creamy garlic chicken
- Try Mashed Potatoes, a classic Easy Baked Potato, Stick of Butter Rice, pasta, or scoop up those tasty garlic cloves with fresh crusty bread.
- For veggie sides, I suggest sweet corn, Maple Roasted Beets and Carrots, or my very delicious Easy Roasted Cauliflower recipe. Green beans would also go great.
- If you’re pairing it with a salad, I love this Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad or going all out with my popular 10-Minute Caesar Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store any leftovers of this creamy chicken in the fridge in a covered container for 3-4 days.
- Reheat in a saucepan slowly and over a low heat until warmed through.
- I don’t recommend freezing this one. The chicken will dry out, and creamy sauces don’t hold up well in the freezer.
More 30-minute chicken recipes
If you made this creamy garlic chicken recipe, leave a star rating and comment below! You can find me on Instagram and showcase your creations.
Creamy Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Flour for dredging
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 1 whole head garlic cloves peeled
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or stock
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- Parsley chopped (optional)
Instructions
- Cut the chicken in half lengthwise so you have 4 smaller cutlets. Generously season them with salt & pepper and coat them in the flour.
- Add the olive oil and 1 tbsp of the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, sauté the chicken for 4-5 minutes/side or until it’s nice and golden. Take the chicken out of the pan and set it aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium (or even med-low if using cast iron), and add the rest of the butter to the pan. Let it melt and then add the garlic cloves. Cook them for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until they’re lightly browned on the outside.
- Add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and garlic powder to the pan. Let it bubble for around 4 minutes or until the liquid is noticeably reduced.
- Stir in the cream and add the chicken back into the pan. Let it cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the sauce is reduced and the chicken is cooked through. Serve with freshly chopped parsley if you wish.
Notes
- I recommend using fairly large boneless/skinless chicken breasts for this recipe since we’re cutting them in half lengthwise. If you have smaller ones, use 4 of them and leave them intact.
- If your garlic cloves are particularly gigantic like some of mine were, feel free to cut them in half so they’re all roughly the same size.
- This recipe also can be found in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this but I added onions and mushrooms to mine going to serve it over mashed potatoes tastes yummy and smells even better lol
Sounds delish! 🙂
I have made this about 4 times now as it has become a family favourite and my wife asks me to make it all the time. We have tried it on rice and pasta which are great but definitely feel that there needs to me more sauce when you add it onto a side. Do you think I should just double all the sauce ingredients?
Hi David!! So glad it’s a hit! Yes, I think doubling all the sauce ingredients would work fine. It’ll end up a bit less thick, though, so you may want to experiment with adding a little more flour or cooking it longer to reduce it (perhaps don’t add the chicken in too early or it’ll overcook).
I made this and added 5 small white onions diced and shiitake mushrooms. Made extra sauce so I could serve over penne. UMM UMMM GOOD!!
Easy recipe to follow thnx.
You’re welcome, Peggy!
I made this last week and it was delicious! Everyone in my house loved it. I’m making it again tonight and I can’t wait!
I am so happy to hear that! 😀
I am rating this a 5 based on your hard work for making this easy and adding even more tips on how to actually make this recipe. I am going to make it for dinner tonight and was wondering about marinating the chicken. Do you have a suggestion or do you think I can omit it? Thank you in advance!
Hi! Thanks! I don’t marinate the chicken in this recipe. 😊
why would you rate it before you make it you may not even like it?>?? I never rate anything until I make it this is going to be dinner tonight then I will rate it!
I am with Marylin here… why are you rating a recipe you haven’t even tried?? You are skewing the star rating. Because of her hard work and how easy it is? Lol, how do you even know it’s easy when you haven’t tried it?? And the stars are for THE RECIPE, not her hard work….
To the author of the recipe: Sounds like a great recipe though, will be trying it tonight as well!
Absolutely brilliant flavours here! Served as suggested with rice and corn, and we mopped up every last bit of sauce from our plates. Combo-ing w mashed potatoes and green beans next time. This will be in regular rotation at my house! Quick, easy and delicious.
That’s awesome… so happy you liked it!!
Delicious recipe! I used thighs and added crimini mushrooms. Served with fettuccine noodles. Just curious…how would it work in an instant pot?
So glad you liked it! Hmm… that’s a tough one. I really can’t say how this would work in the Instant Pot. I wouldn’t recommend it since the cream sauce needs to reduce (the lid keeps moisture in) and the heat will probably destroy it.
I can’t wait to try this recipe tomorrow it looks amazing thank you so much
Enjoy ❤️
Hi! Can you substitute chicken thighs for this? I like the crispy skin of thighs 🙂
Sure! They may take a bit longer to cook, but i think that would be delicious!
Has anyone tried this recipe using roasted garlic? I guess maybe one could skip the garlic-browning step in that case…? I love the sweet, warm, ultra-mellow flavor of (properly) roasted garlic… So hungry now!
I made this tonight with roasted garlic. When it said to brown the garlic I just skipped that step. In the end the roasted garlic just sort of “melted” into the sauce. I’ll have to try and make it again with normal garlic cloves to compare, but it was a big hit in my house tonight.
So glad it was a hit, Nicole!
I will preface this that I am a terrible cook and despise cooking. This has quickly become not only my favorite recipe ever but also all of my family, friends and coworkers. The funny part is that my fiancé who never cooks found and made this because his mom was staying with us. Thank you very much!! It’s perfection over anything
You made my day! ❤️
It came out extremely tender but honestly it needs something added as there wasn’t much taste to it. It does have possibilities if can be fixed up.
Did you add enough salt?