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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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This is the first of your recipes I’ve tried and can I just say, what a hit! I added spinach and sun-dried tomato (similar to Tuscan chicken) just to sneak in some veggies and they didn’t take away from the garlic sauce one bit. I was surprised at how tender and melt in your mouth the garlic cloves were and the layers of flavor they added were brilliant. Will definitely be making this again! Can’t wait to try out your other recipes! Thank you 😊
I’m so happy you enjoyed it!! 🙂 I add spinach to everything too haha. Thanks for taking the time to write me a review, and let me know if you try anything else, Kim!
Holy crap this was delicious!!! I licked the spoon, my plate, and the pan I cooked it in. This will definitely be a favorite in our house. Thank you!
Haha that’s awesome!! So happy to hear it! 😀
Absolutely AMAZING chicken!!! It was SO flavorful, I made the recipe as is, didn’t replace or added anything and it was scrumptious!!! My daughter and my husband are already asking for more!! Thank you SO much!! I will be trying more of your recipes! It was also really fast! YUM!!!
Fantastic!! 😀 That’s so great to hear. Thanks for commenting, and let me know if you make anything else.
Amazing!
Thank you!!
The most easiest chicken I have ever made and it’s delicious. Will definitely be making this again in the future I am in love
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! 😀
My family really likes this recipe we eat it 3 tims a month
That’s wonderful, Rochelle! 😀
I tried making this and made another within the week, its super easy to make! It certainly won’t be the last time I’ll cook it, plus! I just love the flavor and tenderness of the garlic. I tried some with pasta and my mom loved it she asked when I’ll make another! So far I think this will be one of our favorite dishes to have for lunch.
I’m so glad you both liked it!! 🙂
This is my 7year old sons favorite recipe, so much that he requests it when we have special guests over. I get hung up when I have to do large batches bc I don’t know how to cook the chicken through. Should Brown then cook in the stove?
Hi Jackie!! I’m so glad your son likes it so much. 🙂 I suggest getting an instant read meat thermometer (linked in the blog post). It takes about 5 seconds to use, and it gives such a peace of mind. Overcooked chicken is no fun! And worrying about undercooked chicken isn’t either. I would probably just cook the chicken through in batches… like do 2 chicken breasts at a time (4 pieces since they’re cut in half lengthwise as per the recipe), then set them aside and keep them warm on a plate with a foil tent. That should take a bit longer than indicated in the recipe… I’d say it’s typically 5-6 minutes/side to get each piece cooked though, but again, the instant read thermometer will tell you. I’m not sure what quantity of chicken you’re talking about exactly, but add a bit more oil/butter to the pan as needed for each batch, then if there’s a lot of excess oil left in the pan, simply drain most of it out and proceed with making the sauce as the recipe indicates.
Loved this recipe! I made a dairy free variation using vegan butter and Ripple (pea milk) half and half. It didn’t thicken as much due to the cream sub, but it was delightful! We served it with some home made mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. This is definitely staying in our dinner rotation! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
I’m so glad it worked out for you!! 🙂 You’re welcome!
Very delicious 😋 I added some dried oregano. Thank you!
Wonderful! You’re welcome!!