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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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Yes definitely a quick one. I substituted cream of mushroom sauce for the cream as I have some lacto intolerant persons, cubed some roasted egg plant, it turned out really well.
Oh my goodness! What a win tonight. I didn’t feel like making my usual chicken casserole that kids complain about. Found this recipe. Showed the pics to my picky son (10 yrs) and he shrugged and said ok. That’s a plus right there! Threw it together with steamed broccoli and white rice in 40 mins. My daughter turned her nose up at it and I said she needed to try it. First sample bite and she said ok. Now the hubby. He doesn’t complain but also didn’t say anything positive… after dinner I asked if he’d eat it again, he said Yes!
I loved it. I need to tweak my skills just a bit to be sure sauce is a bit more browned and needed just a tad more time cooking the chicken. Great recipe! Thanks!
Haha that’s great!! I’m always happy when I can satisfy picky eaters lol. 😀
I never post comments but this was a HUGE hit with our super picky family! I am a chef, and usually stick to my own recipes, but this was AMAZING! Huge kudos and thanks again!!
Yay!! That’s quite the compliment! I am so happy it went over so well. 🙂
This recipe was a home run for my family of picky eaters, thank you so much for sharing! Prepared just as directed and it was amazing. Had mashed potatoes and broccoli as sides, sauce works perfect as gravy. Will definitely make again!!
That is wonderful! Thanks for letting me know, Megan!
This was simply the best! I added some sliced mushrooms when sautéing the garlic and then did everything else exactly as directed. I served with rice. Everyone wanted seconds including my 10 year old – big win!
Yay!! I am so happy to hear that!! 🙂
Hi! I’m planning on making tonight. I’m a little confused about ‘cutting the chicken’. Someone said they pounded them instead, so are we trying to make thinner? Or narrower? I was envisioning cutting them like tenders? Thanks for your help.
Hi Carrie! Yes, I cut the chicken to make it thinner. Basically, I find the big, thick breasts tend to dry out before they’re fully cooked through. Pounding them is definitely an option, but I find it more work. Pounding does tenderize too, so that’s something you could do for sure. So if you can see on the photos, I cut the chicken lengthwise so that the 2 breasts turn into 4 thinner cutlets. You could cut the chicken into strips if you want to, though. I just find browning the chicken easier when you’ve got the 4 pieces vs. a bunch of strips. I hope this helps! Let me know if I am not explaining it clearly.
Thanks so much for getting back to me! Here I go…! 😊
Hope you like it! 🙂
Natasha, it’s awesome! I cannot wait to try this. I bet it makes the house smell divine and tastes incredible!
Thanks so much!
I made this dish the other night. I used minced garlic instead of whole clove. I cooked everything else to your recipe. It was delishes!! I’ve been looking for different recipes online and came across your recipe. I wanted something that is different from my usual dishes I cook. And something quick to cook. Wonderful dish. I’ll definitely cook this dish again. Thanks for the recipe
I am so happy you like it, Ree! 🙂
I made this recipe tonight for dinner and it was delicious! I served it with broccoli–to keep it low carb. I am excited to try more of your recipes–you have a lot that look really good!
I am so happy you enjoyed it, Brooke!! 🙂 Thanks so much.
Will this recipe still come out the same in a regular skillet or does it have to be a cast iron skillet for best results? Thank you. The recipe looks delicious.
Hi Jill! A regular skillet will work just fine. 🙂