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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.

cast iron skillet with chicken breasts and a creamy garlic sauce with whole cloves of garlic

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
ingredients for creamy garlic chicken on a marble countertop

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.
creamy garlic chicken on a plate with mashed potatoes and green beans

Tools for this recipe

Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!

How to make creamy garlic chicken

This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.

pan frying chicken in a cast iron skillet and then frying garlic cloves

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.

making sauce for creamy garlic chicken in a cast iron skillet

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.
close-up of creamy chicken skillet with garlic cream sauce

What to serve with creamy garlic chicken

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.
creamy garlic chicken in a cast iron skillet with whole garlic cloves and plenty of garlic cream sauce

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.

This creamy chicken skillet recipe is loaded with garlic and the the most amazing melt-in-your-mouth chicken. Make it for dinner tonight!
4.89 from 517 votes

Creamy Garlic Chicken

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!
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

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

Calories: 435kcal, Carbohydrates: 6g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 34g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Cholesterol: 169mg, Sodium: 313mg, Potassium: 514mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 1083IU, Vitamin C: 6mg, Calcium: 57mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Hi! Iโ€™m Natasha.

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4.89 from 517 votes (19 ratings without comment)

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1,691 Comments

  1. Patricia weinstein says:

    5 stars
    I have loved every recipe I tried thru you
    Never a disappointment
    Thank you

    1. Natasha says:

      Aww thank you!!!

  2. Jody J says:

    5 stars
    Delicious! Got compliments from everyone! I just made a few very minor changes: used chicken thighs instead of breasts and added mushrooms. Yummy! Also, since I was feeding some big appetites, I doubled the amount of chicken but tripled the amount of sauce–and I’m glad I did! The sauce was REALLY good on mashed potatoes. Thank you for a recipe that I can’t wait to use again!

    1. Natasha says:

      I’m so happy it was a hit, Jody!

  3. Vicki says:

    Couldnโ€™t seem to get my sauce to thicken?

    1. Natasha says:

      Hi! I’d let it reduce for a bit longer next time. Perhaps add the chicken in a bit later on so it doesn’t overcook.

    2. Jody J says:

      I turned the heat up to high just for a few minutes, and the sauce thickened nicely.

  4. SteveR says:

    3 stars
    The recipe didn’t just wow me. I did use minced garlic and added sliced mushrooms but otherwise followed the recipe. I’ve cooked ranch chicken with Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing and it tastes very similar to creamy garlic chicken with a lot less effort.

    1. Natasha says:

      Hi Steve! Jarred minced garlic definitely isn’t the same as using fresh garlic cloves, so I’m not surprised the recipe didn’t taste quite as intended. I’m wondering if you perhaps didn’t add enough salt to this one either as Hidden Valley Ranch is very salty, and you do need a fair bit of salt in cream sauces.

    2. SteveR says:

      Natasha, thanks for you response. I want to make Marry Me Chicken to see if my wife would marry me again. I’ll try Creamy Garlic Chicken again with garlic cloves soon.

      1. Natasha says:

        Hi Steve! Haha I am sure she will say “yes” all over again. ๐Ÿ˜€ Let me know how it goes!

  5. Natasha says:

    That’s awesome!! ๐Ÿ˜€ Thanks, Ashley!

  6. Aime Krumins says:

    5 stars
    Delicious recipe and love the tip of slicing the chicken it was v moist. Quick to cook and yummy! Will become a regular meal!

    1. Natasha says:

      That’s so nice to hear, Aime! Thanks for your review! XO

  7. Ashley says:

    5 stars
    I made this last week and my kids havenโ€™t stopped talking about it! So far weโ€™ve tried two of your recipes and they have been added to our rotation! Looking forward to trying more!!

    1. Natasha says:

      That’s awesome!! ๐Ÿ˜€ Thanks, Ashley!

  8. Ann Dunn says:

    5 stars
    The sauce is extremely good.

    1. Natasha says:

      Thank you so much, Ann!

  9. Stephanie says:

    Added some broccoli and tomatoes – Major hit! Thanks for the recipe!

    1. Natasha says:

      You are very welcome, Stephanie!

  10. Courteney Nelson says:

    5 stars
    I add some hot sauce and red pepper flakes and itโ€™s a total hit!!

    1. Natasha says:

      Wonderful!! ๐Ÿ˜€ Thanks for your review!