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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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Its simple, yet delicious! Kids loved it, save my day of thinking what to cook. My daughter and picky nephew asked me to cook it again.
Wonderful!! 🙂
Plate-licking good! My husband cleaned his plate and he is hard to please. Totally my new weeknight favorite. I used gluten free flour and served with mash and green beans. Maybe I’ll try adding mushrooms and onions next time if I’m feeling fancy. I will definitely be checking out your other recipes!
So happy to hear it, Ashley! Let me know if you make anything else 🙂
Made it tonight, awesome! A variation over rice with broccoli
So glad you liked it!!
Made this tonight and LOVED it! the only thing I changed was I used two packages of boneless skinless thighs as I was never a fan of the chicken breast. Hubby and son loved it. I served with garlic mashed potatoes and with that gravy… YUM!
So happy you enjoyed it, Sheila!! 🙂
I’ve not even made this yet, and I’m already giving 5 stars! Thank you for the wonderful recipe! Your photography is always so beautiful, too!!!!
Aww thank you, Kellie!!
I made this exactly how you’ve advised and it was so good! All my friends loved it and wanted your recipe! One even gave it a go themselves!! Easy quick cooking !!! I’m going to have a go at a few of your other recipes 😋
So glad you liked it, Hannah! Thanks for passing the recipe on 🙂
Wrote a comment and forgot to rate this. Sorry.
No worries! Thanks, Ann!
As far as Adriana…If she has a problem with the ads she should stay the hell off blogs. Always a bad apple in the bushel. And if she had the time to whine and complain about the ads she should have had time to copy the recipe. Her loss because it was DELICIOUS Natasha! Kudos to you for sharing such a simple, impressive and excellent tasting recipe. You should be paid for your hard work. I am making this for the fourth time. My family loves it. I have served it when I had company also and received so many compliments. My hat off to you dear. Don’t let the whiners spoil your day. They are usually bored with nothing better to do.
Thank you SO much, Ann! Your comment made my day. 🙂
Well aren’t you just a ray of sunshine ☀️
Thank you so much for this recipe! I had to run do an emergent surgery before dinner was served and this was the text I received from my husband❤️
Dinner was awesome!!.
Everybody loved it!!saved you a plate hopefully you get off soon enough but there’s a plate in the fridge just for you!
Thanks again from one happy family of 6 in Oregon!
Aww that’s great! So happy that you all liked it! 🙂
I made it today….i think i added to much lemon lol but i like it but im mexican and they aint so ion know if they might think its too much lemon
Does it work, without flour. One of my guest is gluten-free?
Hi Mary! The sauce won’t thicken as much. I suggest reading through the comments – many people have made it gluten-free by using various kinds of different flours/thickening agents and it could help you. 🙂
Loved it! Does it freeze well? Thanks!
So glad you liked it! I can’t say I’ve tried freezing it, but usually I avoid freezing creamy recipes if at all possible because the sauce tends to separate and/or get a grainy texture when reheated, and the chicken can toughen up since you’re basically cooking it again. If you want to try, I suggest completely thawing it in the fridge prior to reheating, and reheating it slowly on a low heat.
For this recipe to have come out fantastically tasty, prepared by a guy who was only cooking maybe 4th or 5th meal in many years, is only a huge big thanks to the Natasha. Everything worked out perfectly.
I am so glad it worked out for you!! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
I have made this recipe several times and it always turns out perfectly! Tonight I am cooking for a crowd of co-workers and will try making this in bulk (10 pounds of chicken)! The chicken is always tender and the seasoning is perfect! Wish me luck!
Good luck, Shawn! I’m sure it’ll turn out great!
It was a hit at work! I added a little extra flour and came out perfectly like always, thanks for the great recipe!!!
Great!! You’re welcome 🙂
just finished making it after reading all the comments…. it is really delicious and very easy…. I added sautéed mushrooms and a little worchestire sauce but it would have been delicious without any additions….. I used chicken thighs and cooked longer before simmering in the sauce…. thank you for making the instructions so clear…. I’ll be making again…. and don’t always say that…!
So pleased you liked it, Bob! 🙂