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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 recipe this week and it was delish! The only thing I did different was add a little grated Parmesan cheese to the sauce…mmm so good!
Love the parm addition! So happy you liked it, Krista.
Holy Cow!! Absolutely outstanding chicken dinner!! Super easy and not overly garlicky like you said. Just perfect really. I used a 1/2 c of white wine and a chicken stock concentrate packet instead of the 1/2 c chicken stock. Yummo!! I also didn’t have heavy cream on hand so I made the traditional substitute…3/4 cup milk (I used 2%) and a 1/4 cup of melted butter…worked perfectly. Your recipe is my new go-to!! Thanks for sharing
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
Can milk be substituted for heavy cream?
Hi Anna! Substitute at your own discretion, but I wouldn’t recommend using milk since it’s much thinner and the sauce may curdle. It also just won’t taste nearly the same. It’s addressed in the notes & tips section of the post 🙂
Anna, as a substitute for heavy cream use, 3/4 cup milk and a 1/4 cup melted butter, mix together and it works great. If you find it’s still not thick enough, use a little bit of flour sprinkled into the sauce and mix in well…maybe a 1/4 tsp to start. You don’t need too much as a little goes a long way. Hope that helps!
I minced half a yellow onion and added it with the garlic. Also used some bacon fat instead of olive oil. 10/10 recipie
So happy you enjoyed it, Austen!!
Can I use minced garlic instead of garlic cloves? If yes, how much do I use?
Hi! I haven’t personally tested it. I’d probably start with a couple teaspoons and add more if needed.
I used minced when I first made this. I don’t usually buy cloves. I think it still tasted so good! It’s been awhile but I think I just used a couple spoonfuls til it was enough for my liking.
I made this last night for a group of friends. Everyone loved it! It was very easy and super delicious. I will definitely be making this again.
Awesome to hear, Kelly!!
Best chicken I’ve ever had and it’s so easy to make! I made it for company and they enthusiastically commented that’s it’s the best chicken they’ve ever had. I can’t make it every week because of how heavy and high calorie it is, but every once in a while it’s totally worth the extra calories! Yum!
That’s so sweet! So happy everyone enjoyed it, Heather!! Thanks so much for the review.
Great comfort food, but I had to add flour to my sauce to thicken it. Might be because I had to use oat milk instead of cream due to dairy intolerances in my household. Use your own judgement when using an alternative dairy choice.
Yes, oat milk certainly doesn’t have the same properties as heavy cream – that’s why I put a note in the post to let people know that subbing is at their own discretion. I’m glad you were able to thicken the sauce with a bit of flour. 🙂
This looks so delicious, can’t wait to try and let my family taste 🙂
Let me know how they like it, Hannah! 🙂
Delicious! I doubled the sauce and added 1 tsp dried thyme. When the chicken was done I removed it from the pan and set it aside.
Then added a little more chicken broth and simmered the garlic till tender. Smashed about half the garlic and mixed it into the suace!
So glad you enjoyed it, Tracy! 🙂