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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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Hi Natasha
My husband and I are trying to follow a Keto diet. Do you think it would work if I substituted almond flour or coconut flour for the white flour?
Thanks for the advice !
Lisa
Hi Lisa! I’d either try almond flour (but haven’t tested it myself) or just leave the flour out entirely but cook the cream sauce a bit longer prior to adding the chicken back in the pan to thicken the sauce up a bit. Let me know how it goes!
Thank you! Will do!!
I used Italian bread crumbs instead of flour on the chicken and made fettuccine pasta and broccoli. It was delicious.
Wonderful! ❤️
I didn’t have flour or heavy cream. I followed directions eliminating the dredging and substituted cream with few dollops of sour cream. Blended well and cooked enough that sauce thickened. Delish
Served with rice and roasted string beans and brussel sprouts.
Awesome, so happy it worked out! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
If I were to use coconut cream as a heavy cream alternative are there any modifications you can think of that may help re-balance the flavor so that coconut doesn’t overpower? (Not that that would be all that bad lol) Thanks! Loved the recipe!
Hmmm that’s a good question. Honestly I really can’t say without doing a bit of testing. More garlic and lemon maybe? Haha let me know if you do experiment.
I enjoyed making this dish, i added bacon once i poured heavy cream and let it simmer for a bit and i also added a spoon of sour cream. Served with white rice and it was great !
Mmmmm that sounds delicious, Henry!
This turned out perfect and was absolutely delicious!, Thank You!!!
I’m so happy to hear that, Judith! 🙂
I made this last night and it was SO GOOD and so easy to make. I’ve never made chicken that was so tender I swear. And the sauce was delicious. My husband and I loved it so much!! I made it with cauliflower rice and some honey cayenne pepper carrots from Chrissy Teigen’s cookbook. Awesome recipe and would definitely make it again. Thank you for sharing this!! 🙂
I’m sooo happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know!
Looks delicious, can’t wait to try. Would it work if I made this recipe with milk instead of cream? And then possibly adding more flour or cornstarch if it needs to thicken?
Hi Kailyn! I haven’t tested it, so I can’t say for sure. I’m definitely more of a fan of cream (IMO you can’t beat the taste and consistency) in recipes like this, but yeah, I do think adding a bit more flour could get you a thicker sauce that still tastes good. Let me know if you do try it – I’m curious. 🙂
Can I use regular whipping cream instead of heavy? I accidentally got regular whipping cream at the store
Yes, that should be fine!
I made this tonight with rice and sauteed cauliflower and it was an instant hit! I’m already making plans for making it again with mushrooms. Mmmmm….
Wonderful!! And mushrooms are always a good idea! 🙂
Seriously love this recipe. Will gonna try this tonight. Sounds awesome. Will give the feedback after try it.
Hope you love it!
I’m about to cook this but idk what to cook it with, I need side dishes ideas!!
Hi! It’s pretty rich so any steamed veggie works. I will often serve canned corn (not the most exciting but I always have some in the pantry) with recipes like this. Or a salad. I find something lighter balances it nicely. And you can’t go wrong with mashed potatoes or rice. Hope you like the recipe!