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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 just wondering when u say cut the chicken lengthways do u mean butterfly the breast or straight down the middle like cutting 2 strips please, trying this today thank you x
Hi! The video shows what I mean, but yeah… you butterfly it then cut it in half from there (like so it becomes two pieces). 🙂
Thank u i made it yesterday and was absolutely delicious!!.. Is its 435kcals per serving or for the whole thing? I’m guessing per serving but just double checking thanks
I’m so glad you liked it!! Yes, that’s per serving.
Made it the other day for my partner and I and lovedddd it!! My family was asking what we made as you could pretty much still smell it in the kitchen. I am wanting to make a bigger batch and have a fairly big family. (the boys are really big eaters) Will dicing up the chicken be the same? I just don’t want to stand of the pan cooking 4 at a time, 5 times.
That’s awesome! I’d say you can dice it, but don’t crowd the pan or it’ll just steam and not actually get that nice sear (big part of the flavor), so you’d probably have to do batches anyway. Could you possibly BBQ the chicken breasts? That might be an efficient way to do it.
So so so delicious!
I made it the first time with milk and it curdled. Second time around, I reduced the heat on the pan to match the already simmering milk temperature before mixing the two together. And it worked!!!
Heavy cream is still preferred, but not a staple in out house. For anyone who wants to make this without heavy cream at home, take your time and be patient!
Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
I’m so glad you decided to try it again, Amanda! Yup, milk can be tricky, but tempering it does help. 🙂
Love this dish! Turned out amazing! It didn’t need any changes made and will definitely be making this again.
Fantastic! Thank you 🙂
LOVE this dish! My husband said I outdid myself and this should now be a mainstay in my repertoire lol! SO Delicious! I made this with 8 pounded chicken thighs with no bones. I doubled the broth and the garlic powder , but not the heavy whipping cream. Also used one half of a bulb (in hindsight I should have used entire bulb). Also added fresh spinach and mushrooms and let it all cook/simmer longer while pasta was boiling. The flavors were restaurant-quality and the garlic turned soft and yummy ! Thank you for this recipe.
That’s great to hear!! I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it. 🙂
I want to make this using 16 chicken thighs. Should I quadruple the sauce including garlic (4 bulbs!?) or just double it maybe? Any advice please?
Hmmm have you made it before? I’m just a little worried that if you only double the sauce and you’re the kind of person/people that LOVES sauce, it may not be enough. Is this to feed 16 people or so that each person gets 2-3 pieces each? In that case, doubling the sauce may be fine. But yeah, 4 bulbs of garlic is a lot lol. I’d probably just use 2-3 bulbs of garlic if you end up making 4x the sauce.
Soooo good, but I would recommend using chicken thighs or flattening the chicken breasts to make it even. Otherwise most of it ends up over cooked and dry. More and more I like chicken breast less and less. Otherwise, this recipe is perfect and well written!
Does anyone know how to reheat without the cream separating?
So glad you enjoyed it, Carolina!! 🙂 Did you cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise? That helps them cook thru faster… they should cook quickly and not end up overcooked if you use fairly large ones and follow the suggested recipe timing. But yes, pounding them is a good way to do it as well. Chicken thighs are more flavorful and less prone to drying out and could definitely be used in place of the chicken breasts. Re: reheating, I’d add leftovers to a skillet or large saucepan (covered) and reheat slowly over a LOW heat. Add a splash more cream if needed.
Could I make a batch of this ahead of time and reheat it in the oven when ready to eat?
You could try, but cream sauces don’t always reheat that well, and chicken breasts can dry out. I’d do it in a very low heat.
What can I substitute for the heavy cream?
Hi! I don’t recommend subbing anything for the cream, but there’s tons of comments on this post that you can look through where others have and it may give you some ideas. I explain in the blog post why (sauce may curdle/end up thinner, taste will be different etc.).
Delicious! Served it with rice and veggies. I will be making it again. Thank you.
You’re very welcome! 🙂
Delicious 😋 dish! Served with roasted potatoes and roasted sweet corn! The sauce was creamy and the chicken very tender! Recipe is a keeper!
Thank you!! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. 🙂