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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 have to admit that I’m not a great cook, that skill just passed over me…and with a super picky boyfriend, I’m always hesitant to cook something I’ve never tried before. However, I saw your recipe and anything that contains lemon juice and garlic is a must for me.
This recipe is SUPER simple to follow. I used chicken tenders, which was my only deviation (aside from no parsley because I’m not a fan). I loved it and my super-picky boyfriend loved it as well. He hates leftovers and his exact words were “damn, this is bomb. I might even eat leftovers with this meal.” Say whaaaat?? THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
Definitely going to keep this in my ‘recipes’ and cook again. I did use more chicken tenders than asked for (the package I had contained 7), and I didn’t think to double the sauce…however, that is something I will do next time, FOR SURE! My boyfriend said the ‘gravy’ (he’s from NC) was perfect on top of the rice I paired with the dish.
Your comment made my day!!! I am so happy you found the recipe easy to follow and that you guys enjoyed it so much!! XO
No thank you for the recipe…honestly. Most of my recipes come out more like ‘Pinterest fails’ and this one was not. If I can make it….ANYONE can make it! A+++++++
Aww 🙂
Hi there! I combined your Creamy Garlic Chicken recipe with the Creamy Mushroom Chicken recipe and it was lick-the-plate-delicious! Thank you. I didn’t have garlic powder, so just added more cloves and smoked chili flakes – also added fresh rosemary to the mushrooms I sauteed. Served it with riced cauliflower and green beans with almonds. It was amazing and I’ll absolutely make it again. Thank you!
Wonderful!! I’m so happy to hear that, Julie! Thanks for letting me know. XO
I made this recipe for my family multiple times and they absolutely loved it! However I was wondering if the addition of some fresh mushrooms would be a good idea? Tell me what you think! Thanks in advance.
Hi!! I’m so glad the recipe is a hit with your family 🙂 Thanks for letting me know. You could definitely add some fresh mushrooms in. I think that would be delicious.
Love the simplicity and amazing flavor! This one has worked its way into our meal rotation for sure!
Wonderful! Happy to hear that. 🙂
This was FANTASTIC! My entire family loved this (including my 10 & 12 yr olds). This was so quick and easy. We will be making this often!❤️
I’m so happy to hear that, April!! 😀
If I wanted to add fresh spinach, on which step would I do that?
I’d add it in towards the end because it wilts quickly. Probably in the last 5 minutes of cooking.
I didn’t butterfly my chicken breast enough so by the time the chicken was done cooking the bits were way too burnt to use in the sauce. I did a quick deglaze of the pan with water and threw that away before starting the sauce. My family loved it so much that we all LICKED our plates clean!! This recipe is kid approved. I used ~1Tbsp jarred, minced garlic vs whole garlic and it was perfect.
I’m so glad that it still worked out! 🙂
This was soooo delicious! Followed the recipe exactly and was so happy with how it turned out. The only place I had to get slightly creative was with the chicken broth. I was all out, so I drained the broth from a can of non-condensed chicken noodle soup. Worked in a pinch, and had enough for what the recipe called for. Can’t wait to try other if the cream chicken recipes!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! That was a smart idea haha. Not sure that would have occurred to me!
Made this tonight and it was fantastic! My family lost their minds! Lol guess this will be a new staple in our house.
Haha love that!!
Can I use cooking cream instead?
I’m not entirely sure what cooking cream is (every country seems to call their creams something different), so you may want to check it has a fairly high fat content (over 33%) or else there’s a good chance this recipe won’t turn out as well.
Hello! I will be making this recipe next week, but will be doubling it to make 8 cutlets. Should I still use 2 whole heads of garlic?
Thanks, it looks delicious.
I would, but you don’t *have* to. The cloves mellow out and they’re so tasty so I would definitely eat extra myself hahaha.
So good! Thank you!
You’re welcome!