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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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Thank you Natasha for sharing this. I was looking for something different. I made this today. Everyone enjoyed it. Definitely a keeper. I am always hesitant trying something different. This did NOT disappoint. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Excellent… I am so glad it was a hit! I’m always a bit reluctant too!
I used 7 tenderloins but I made the recipe exactly as written otherwise. It was MAGICAL. I served it with black bean pasta and steamed Brussels sprouts, and my family LOVED it! My husband even complimented the chicken again right before he fell asleep! Thank you for the recipe.
I am so happy to hear that, Cynthia! 🙂
Easy and simple, and everyone loved it! Thank you
So glad to hear it! Thanks for letting me know! 🙂
I just made this today for the first time and it is delicious. Thank you for sharing this recipe .
So glad to hear it, Vanessa! 🙂
Oh my goodness! So delish, so easy, and everyone loved it!! I steamed some broccoli and cooked some pasta for the kids. I spooned some of the sauce over the noodles and it was a big hit! Great recipe😊
Yay!! So happy it was a hit, Harlee! 🙂
Thank You for the recipe, it was delicious and my daughters loved it. I’m not a fan of parsley so I substituted it with some fresh cilantro and added some chopped chives. 👍👍👍 it was quick and simple for a weekday
I’m so glad to hear it, Jaime! 🙂
It had good reviews and we love garlic, so I tried it. I do not recommend this recipe. I will stick to Allrecipes when I need a new idea.
What made you only give this recipe one star? Just curious since it literally has hundreds of positive comments… maybe I could help you troubleshoot what went wrong?
Absolutely delish! It’s easy and foolproof. My whole family loved it, and are asking for it to be cooked weekly.
Wonderful! Thank you! 🙂
I made it twice. Each time it was absolutely divine. I added sweet chopped onion, sliced mushrooms, spinach and a splash of white wine. I’m allergic to citrus so no lemon but it was still fantastic. I also seasoned the meat before coating it in flour.
Served over fussili pasta with some fresh parsley. So good!!!!!
So happy to hear it, Aga! 🙂
Thank you for making our Thankgiving meal a huge success today. I made the Creamy Garlic Chicken and it was wonderful paired with Ina Garten’s Maple and Fresh Sage Roasted Butternut Squash and other mixed roasted vegetables. I did add a tablespoon of Romano cheese and it was so good.
Aww so happy you made it for Thanksgiving! 🙂
This was incredible! Only thing I recommend is lightly salting the flour mixture (as well as the chicken), and salting the entire dish once the cream has been added. I also added some Pecorino cheese in the cream sauce and it was a GAME CHANGER. Serve it over bowtie pasta and its incredible.
So glad you liked it, Erika! Yup, IMO it’s so easy to under-salt foods. Good tip! Love the Pecorino idea!
In making this tonight. I know it will be great! I’ve been cooking for over 40 years, the recipe makes sense! I will probably substitute out of necessity (too busy to get to the grocery!)
Parmesian cheese! Absolutely!
Lime juice (just a tad) because it may cuddle the milk ( no cream handy) I may not use it at all (like juice) I will add some fresh herbs I grow…basil, parsley, oregano. LOVE LOVE LOVE THE GARLIC!!
Some may know a “trick” with garlic cloves. Everyone hates peeling them! Try this next time!
Get your meat tenderizor out (or a hammer!)
Bring your whole garlic bulb to the cutting board. Flat side down on the bulb, strike the garlic bulb (sometimes a bit fun!) The garlic cloves should fall away. Then gently SMASH each clove (is there a real thing as “gently” smashing!)?!) The peeling just FALLS away! VOILA! No more hating to peel garlic! I ONLY buy fresh garlic bulbs, I hope you all do too from now on!!
This will be awesome with linguine or gnoccii!!
Keep up the GREAT work!! Have FUN cooking EVERYONE!!
Great tips! Hope you enjoy it, Joanne!
I didn’t have heavy cream so used creme freshe. It was delicious. Was worried about the lemon, however that was a nice touch.