This Creamy Garlic Chicken is an easy one-pan weeknight dinner! It’s made with juicy slices of chicken simmered in a rich, flavorful cream sauce.
Looking for more skillet chicken breast recipes? Try my Marry Me Chicken Breasts, Chicken Florentine, or Baked Tuscan Chicken Breasts!
Table of Contents
Another super easy, crowd-pleasing, one-pan dinner coming at you! And this time it’s Creamy Garlic Chicken.
This recipe is basically perfect for any occasion. It takes just 20 minutes to whip up and is made with basic ingredients that come together to form an irresistible, decadent meal that everyone will love.
Juicy chicken seared until golden then simmered in a rich cream sauce with just the right amount of garlic flavor! We love it served with Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Roasted Green Beans or Broccoli Casserole and Garlic Bread.
You can also serve it with this Baked Cheese Risotto for a hands-off side!
Ingredients Needed:
- Oil: you’ll need a drizzle of a neutral flavored oil to sear the chicken.
- Chicken: use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Don’t forget to split them in half to create thinner pieces! This ensures it cooks quickly and evenly.
- Salt and Pepper: a simple way to season the chicken before cooking.
- Garlic: use plenty of freshly minced garlic. This is Garlic Chicken, after all!
- Heavy Whipping Cream: creates a rich, creamy garlic sauce.
- Chicken Broth: I use low sodium chicken broth so I can control the saltiness of the sauce.
- Seasonings: season the sauce with a simple blend of dried parsley, salt, and black pepper.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Chicken
This chicken in garlic sauce really couldn’t be easier. Just 5 minutes of hands-on time and dinner is served in 20 minutes total!
- Prep the chicken: Split/butterfly the chicken breasts to make two thinner pieces, then season with salt and pepper.
- Brown the chicken: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then brown the chicken until golden.
- Add the garlic to the pan with the chicken and cook for just a minute to toast.
- Make the sauce: add in the cream, broth, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cook until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked through.
Creamy Garlic Chicken FAQs
The garlic sauce in this recipe has plenty of flavor, so we’re keeping the chicken seasoning simple with just a little bit of salt and pepper!
Garlic cream sauce is made up of a chicken broth and heavy whipping cream base seasoned perfectly with dried parsley, salt, and pepper.
Leftover chicken in garlic sauce will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, warm on low on the stove or in the microwave until heated through.
Yes! Leftovers freeze very well provided that you use a high fat cream. Lower fat cream can separate when frozen. Simply thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a skillet to serve.
Tips and Notes
- Chicken breast size: You can use whole chicken breasts if you want, but they will need twice as long to cook and may not cook as evenly. You will also want to add more sauce.
- If you want enough sauce for pasta, and you like a lot of sauce on your pasta, I recommend doubling the sauce and adding 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. The increased amount of liquid takes longer to thicken on its own.
- Cloves vs minced: If you don’t love a super strong garlic flavor, use whole cloves. You’ll still get the flavor, but in a more subtle way.
- Optional: You can dust your chicken with flour or cornstarch before frying for more even browning and a thicker crust.
- Check the temp. Don’t forget to check the temperature of the chicken before serving. It should be 165ºF.
Variations
- Add veggies. Feel free to add in whatever veggies you like to bulk the meal up. Try onion, pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, spinach, etc.
- Spice it up. Kick the heat up a notch with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
Serving Suggestions
I absolutely love to serve this Creamy Garlic Chicken over plain or Buttered Noodles, but it would also be delicious over rice or Garlic Mashed Potatoes!
Serve with a side of sautéed greens, Roasted Veggies, or Roasted Green Beans.
More Garlicky Chicken Recipes
Creamy Garlic Chicken
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (split to make two thin breasts from each)
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly minced garlic (4-6 cloves)
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
- Meanwhile, split chicken breasts (butterflying them) to make two thinner pieces. Simply place your chicken breasts on a cutting board and place one hand flat on top. Use a sharp knife to cut the chicken breast in the middle all the way through.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper and fry on each side until golden (you might need to do two batches if your pan is small), about 3-4 minutes per side. Add the garlic to the pan and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the cream, broth, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook and stir on medium heat until sauce is bubbly and thickened slightly and chicken is cooked through. The best way to tell if it is cooked through is to check with a meat thermometer — it should be at least 165 degrees F inside.
- The sauce will continue to thicken as it sits. If it's not as thick as you like, stir together ½ teaspoon corn starch and 1 teaspoon water and add to sauce while simmering to thicken further.
Notes
- You can use whole chicken breasts if you would like but they will need twice as long to cook and you will want to add more sauce.
- If you want enough sauce for pasta (and you like a lot of sauce on your pasta!) I recommend doubling the sauce and adding 1 teaspoon corn starch — the increased amount of liquid takes longer to thicken on its own.
- whole garlic cloves will give a more subtle garlic flavor — just in case you have those who don’t like the minced garlic texture.
- Optional: you can dust your chicken with flour or corn starch before frying for more even browning and a thicker crust.
- I do not recommend any other cream for this recipe — only heavy whipping cream will thicken on its own without any flour or corn starch.
- I do not recommend jarred garlic or garlic powder for this recipe — fresh has the best flavor!
Nutrition Information
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Darla Mackey says
HI Ashley, I have made this recipe of yours multiple times, always my go to when needing to whip up something painless and delicious. Quick question, as I have a son that is very calorically committed, Is the 294 calorie figure in the nutrition information, is this for a full chicken breast or half or just the sauce? Thank you.
Karen Hintz says
So simple yet so delicious!
My only addition was some leftover sauteed crimini mushrooms (and I highly recommend it).
Next time I will use only one split breast, but make the full amount of sauce – or more!
I served it over fettuccine with asparagus, carrots and green beans on the side.
Thanks for a delicious recipe.
Karine van der Kraan says
I made this with boneless chicken thighs and it was absolutely wonderful. Quick and easy to prepare, for us it was just enough for 2 persons (we had this with green beans only).
Rebecca says
This was outstanding considering how easy and quick it was. My husband loved it and I would absolutely consider it company worthy. Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Thank you Rebecca!
Cindy says
We love this recipe. I do double it especially if I’m making it with pasta. Sometimes I add some spinach and mushrooms. Make it, it’s excellent!!!
The Recipe Rebel says
So happy to hear! Thank you!
Megan B says
OMG! Made this tonight and it was so simple but so delicious. I love all of these recipes.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Megan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Alyssa says
Simple, easy, took 1/2 hour from start to finish and on a busy weeknight – what’s not to like? May have used “jarlic” because I didn’t have fresh garlic in hand and it worked out just fine. Next time I may add a bit of cornstarch to thicken more. This is a keeper and will be used A LOT during the upcoming back to school and fall sports season. Thank you!!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Alyssa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
MARIA AILEEN says
I love it. Simple yet creamy…
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Maria! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Juliana Webb says
This was amazing and so easy to make. While looking at several garlic chicken recipes I noticed this has less ingredients, that’s why I chose it. I worried it may not be as flavorful with less ingredients but that was not the case. I wouldn’t change a thing.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Juliana! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Shelly says
This was delicious and liked very much by my husband and me. I doubled the sauce and thickened it a bit. We loved it and are keeping this recipe for another meal.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Shelly! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Margaret Grant says
Hi Ashley
My name is Margaret, I made the creamy garlic chicken for my family for dinner and it was delicious and will be a favorite. Thank you
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Margaret! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Pati says
SOOO GOOD! Too bad I did not have guests to share this with. Few ingredients and little time and such incredible flavor! Served with mashed potatoes and asparagus. I’m in heaven…
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Pati! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Jennifer Jatel says
This was super easy and a delicious meal. Thank you!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Jennifer! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Katie says
I’ve made this twice! The first time we all loved it (even my picky kids). This time my husband and I like it more but the kids like it less 🤷🏼♀️ anyway, first time I followed all the directions except 1 (I don’t like parsley so I used Italian seasoning) the second time I seasoned my chicken with salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder. Then i doubled the sauce but used a little extra chicken broth, and added a little less than 3/4 cup of Chardonnay (for a doubled sauce recipe). Next time I think freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top will be epic! Love this recipe
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Katie! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Nikki says
Love the flavor that this recipe creates for a simple stovetop chicken! This sauce is everything! Mine didn’t thicken quickly so I ended up throwing a bit of monterey jack cheese into the liquid to help thicken instead of cornstarch & it was perfect. Even my husband loved it & he can be a picky eater. Will definitely be making this again in the future. Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Nikki! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Cheryl says
I made this with a few tweaks and it was loved by all. I made the following changes:
I doubled the amount of chicken and tripled the sauce bc I served it w spaghetti noodles so I wanted to have enough sauce to spoon over noodles.
I subbed one to one cream cheese for the heavy cream bc thats what I had on hand.
I served each a sliced chicken breast [halved horizontally prior to cooking) on top of a small mound of spaghetti noodles with a spoonful of sauce and some fresh parmesan shreds on top.
I did add about an 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes to sauce while cooking.
Def a keeper !
The Recipe Rebel says
Great to hear! Thanks!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hey Cheryl! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Traecool says
So your rating your version versus the actual recipe?
Brenda says
This is absolutely a wonderful recipe and the chicken is so moist and delicious. You can’t go wrong following the recipe as written. Thank you Ashley for sharing it with us. Yummy!
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Brenda! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Rebecca Milne says
Could you use chicken thighs?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Rebecca, you probably could, I just have only used chicken breast. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs will cook quicker so you’ll need to watch the timing. Hope you enjoy it!
Rebecca Milne says
Thank you. Will certainly give it a go!