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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 made this with homemade mashed potatoes and green beans. It was so bland. Used huge garlic cloves and barely taste them. Needs something. Pepper. Spice. Something. Not for me.
Hi! It sounds to me like you didn’t add nearly enough salt. Cream sauces need to be well salted.
Replaced the stock with white wine and added in some shaved parmesan cheese. Gorgeous
🙂
Would cream cheese work as a substitute for heavy/whipping cream??
Hi! You could try, but I would definitely reduce the heat a bit. It’ll also be a thicker and more tangy sauce, but I think it could still be good. You could probably then omit the lemon juice. Enjoy!
Best meal I’ve had in years!
It did help that my daughter made it, but now I’m adding it to my arsenal.
Delicious! And easy!
Thankyou!
Wonderful!! 🙂 I’m so happy to hear it.
This was so delicious – super easy and added some sliced mushrooms and diced sage during the garlic sautéing step and it was a great addition to the meal! Would highly recommend!
Excellent!! Glad you enjoyed it, Syd!
I don’t think I’ve ever left a review on a blog post recipe, but DANG! This chicken is incredible! The only change I made was I subbed Chardonnay for the chicken broth. It’s DEFINITELY going to be made again! My friends said it’s the best meal I’ve cooked for them (I made Pioneer Woman’s crash potatoes, and some roasted zucchini and green beans with Parmesan) and I’ve cooked many meals for them. Thanks so much for this scrumptious chicken recipe!
I’m so happy you all enjoyed it, Heather!! 🙂 Thanks so much for letting me know!
I’ll be the first to admit it, I don’t measure anything. I used chopped garlic from a jar, a lot more lemon than called for, etc., and this was outrageously delicious. I used so much lemon juice that I felt the need to add a little honey, too. Regardless, this is a FABULOUS combination of ingredients! Highly recommended!!
So happy you enjoyed it!
Oh my goodness this chicken is amazing! This is my first time trying this recipe but it will definitely be a weekly meal in our house! It is so easy to make and it is amazing. I used minced garlic instead of the whole cloves and it came out perfect
Wonderful!! 🙂
I have made this dish twice now. Absolutely gorgeous and so easy. The first time it was perfect but the second time the sauce seemed to split towards the end. Perhaps I over cooked the sauce or put too much oil in. I am not a cook so I wouldn’t know what I technically did wrong. Going to make this for 10 people for my birthday meal so hoping it turns out well. I’m going to make it in advance, perhaps in 2 batches and then reheat the next day. Do you think that will work? I have seen your previous reply to say heat slowly. Thinking due to the quantity I could reheat in the oven. Can’t wait for my friends reactions to this delicious recipe.
Hi Brian!! I’m so glad you like this recipe. So, the sauce can split if the cream % isn’t high enough (look for at least 36% fat), or if it’s cooked too long at too high a heat. That’s so nice you’ve chosen this for your birthday meal! 🙂 I think you should be ok making it in two batches. Yes, reheat in the oven slowly over a low heat. I’m a little worried the chicken may dry out (and yes the sauce can curdle), so keep an eye on it. You might want to have some extra cream on hand to add to it if you notice the sauce has reduced a bit too much.
Thank you so much for the tips. Making it for 12 people now so fingers crossed it’s a success. I know everyone will love it.
I hope so!! 🙂
Has anyone been successful making this dairy free? What type of replacement would you use for the heavy cream?
So there’s over 1,000 comments on this post… you may want to read through some of them. I know lots of people have made various subs. 🙂