This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
I found this recipe on Pinterest and have been making it for over a year now! It’s one of my family’s favorites and I’ve shared the recipes with several friends too. It’s super easy for a weeknight meal and is so delicious with a side of pasta, mashed potatoes, or veggies. When I searched for a baked potato soup recipe today and was brought back to your page, I knew I had to check out some more of your recipes because both of those are amazing (hubby said the soup was the best I’ve ever made). We can’t wait to try more of your dishes!
I’m so happy to hear that, Katelyn! 🙂 I appreciate you coming back to review this recipe, and I’m so glad you guys enjoyed the soup too! XO
I’m not the best cook, my other half does all the cooking. Thought I would give this a go as he loves garlic and safe to say, I smashed it! A fantastic recipe, quick and easy and minimal clean up!! He absolutely loved it and wants me to cook more often now!
That’s wonderful to hear!! 😀
WOW! It isn’t often that I am wowed by someone else’s recipe but this was so simple yet so delicious. I added some dried basil and thyme to season the chicken and used a little more chicken broth (I like a lot of sauce) and extra lemon juice and it was perfect. Added some halved grape tomatoes and fresh broccoli and served it over egg noodles. The sauce is so creamy but not heavy at all. So easy in one pan, quick clean up. I am in love! I can’t wait to try it with different veggies and I think it would be sooo good over the mashed potatoes or some risotto. 5 stars! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. 😊
I’m so pleased you enjoyed it, Jessica!! 🙂 Thanks for your review! Let me know if you try anything else.
Going to try this today. Have you ever added fresh sliced portobello mushrooms to it? Would I need to add any sauce to ensure the cook or do you think it would be fine as is?
Hi Megan! I know other readers have added mushrooms, so you could definitely do it and I think it would be fine. I’d probably sauté them first… take a look at the instructions of this similar recipe and you could always adapt the creamy garlic chicken based on that one: https://bit.ly/3zDZQVA
Could you use half and half instead of heavy whipping cream? Do you think it will change the taste?
Hi! I talk about that in the blog post under the “recipe notes & tips” section. I think some have used half-and-half successfully (may want to look thru comments).
You don’t want to use half and half if you’re adding the lemon juice. It needs to be the heavy cream or else it will curdle!
I made this recipe a few weeks ago right after I got my first dutch oven. Went by the recipe except I slice the garlic cloves in slices but not thin. This was so good!!! I posted it on FB. Made some more fabulous recipes with the DO and my niece said she and her husband wanted a DO. I sent one as an early Christmas gift. Her first recipe was this Garlic Chicken tonight. They loved it. Her husband said it was the best meal in months and they are both great cooks. SO GOOD! Garlic came out like I roasted them in the oven!
I’m glad you’re enjoying your new Dutch oven and creamy garlic chicken!! What a great gift… best aunt ever! I’m glad your niece and her husband love the recipe too. 😀
This recipe is excellent. I’m planning on using non-dairy made with cashews, because I’m seriously allergic. Tahe New York Times just recently published a similar recipe. I knew they couldn’t be the first. La preière of course was in France. Comme elle est belle!
Roger, get naet treatment for your dairy allergy. It works amazingly
This recipe was amazing will definitely make again
Thanks, Barb!!
Followed the recipe to a T and it turned out perfect (although I failed to realize I should have left the garlic whole) I’m not a good cook and this got rave reviews from the fam and will be a repeat again soon! Additionally, any time i have cooked chicken with flour it makes a big burning mess but the second step (boiling the broth and garlic) cleaned it right up. It turned out just like the picture! We served with boiled perogies and green beans and used the extra sauce on those. YUMMY!
That’s awesome!! I’m so happy it worked out! 🙂
I made this recipe tonight and my husband and I and we enjoyed it so much!! I will make this when I hosts guests over on the Holidays! This is just delicious! Thank you!!
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear it!
Hello, have you tried this with roasted garlic before?
I haven’t, but I think it would be delicious.