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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 an amazing dish! My family loved it so I made it in bulk for a work carry-on! It was a huge hit, people were were scavenging any leftovers and asking for the recipe! I referred them to your website! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Thank you so much!! That is so nice to hear, Shawn!! Appreciate you sending them my way. 😀
Absolutely delicious, tried the creamy Tuscany chicken the rest to follow Thank you for sharing
You’re very welcome, Russ!
Tried this yesterday and it was a hit with my family! My 8 year old son can’t stop raving about it! This will definitely be a staple in our menu as it’s really delicious! I posted a photo on FB and I already have 60 likes so far. 🙂
Fabulous!! 🙂 I’m so happy he enjoyed it. 😀
This recipe is amazing! We absolutely loved it! The sauce is to die for. Thank you for sharing! Love!❤️ Love!❤️ Love!❤️
You’re welcome!!
One of my all time favorite chicken dishes. I follow the recipe as is but when doing the sauce with the whipping cream and chicken broth I add mushrooms to sauté and it’s incredible you can also do spinach as well. This dish over creamy pasta is what I always serve to guest
So happy it’s one of your favorites, Monica! 😀
Natasha, THANK YOU! Winner winner, chicken dinner! I made the sauce, threw it with the braised chicken into a Le Creuset Casserole and baked at 350F for 20-25 minutes. Served it with roasted Butternut Squash, yup, still have a bunch from last Falls haul, and Butter Garlic Rice (from Cooking Classy Blog). Perfectly satisfying dinner!
Thank you, again.
You’re very welcome!! That dinner sounds amazing!! 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
Excellent flavor and very easy. I had some mushrooms in my fridge I needed to use so sliced them I threw them in with the garlic after I browned it for a couple of minutes first. I did have issues with my garlic getting tender, even though they were all smaller than average cloves (it may have been an issue with the variety of garlic) so next time I think I will rough chop them first but otherwise absolutely delicious and definitely a keeper!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Cheryl!! Hmm… that’s interesting about the garlic. Yes, could possibly be the variety. But yes, chopping it will work too.
I am not a cook, and being on my own now and away from my mother — I’ve certainly been missing her home cooked meals. This dish brought happiness to my heart. Reminiscense of my mother’s cooking came to mind with every bite. It was very much effortless to make and the savor gave me pure joy.
Thank you for your recipe. I am now encouraged to make more meals that are out of my comfort zone.
Aww that makes me so happy to hear, Ivan! 🙂 Thank you for letting me know, and I am so happy you enjoyed it.
So tasty! I’ve made this recipe loads of times for my family and everyone loves it! I tweaked it slightly, where once everything is browned off and the sauce is made I pop everything into a casserole dish and then put it in the oven on 170c for approx 30 mins and it comes out so creamy and the chicken is so soft 😋
The only thing I would like to ask is, does this recipe freeze well?
Love that!! I’m glad it’s a favorite in your home. 🙂 I haven’t tested freezing this, but typically cream sauces don’t freeze well. They tend to separate. I’d also worry the chicken would get overcooked/rubbery after freezing, thawing, and then heating again. But it wouldn’t hurt to try if you have some left over.
Delicious! My family loved it. Glad I found the recipe💝
Fantastic!! Thank you!
Great recipe! I added a little more seasoning(garlic salt, oinion powder, and more garlic powder) and used minced garlic. Can you tell I’m a huge garlic fan?lol Also threw in bacon and broccoli. Kids and husband loved it! Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂 You’re welcome. Lol yup I can relate to adding in more garlic.