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This one-pan creamy garlic chicken recipe is a show-stopping, quick, and easy weeknight dinner! Pan seared chicken breasts covered in a creamy homemade garlic sauce, and it’s ready in about 30 minutes.
This is one of those meals that feels restaurant worthy, but is simple enough for a weeknight. Creamy Garlic Chicken starts with chicken that is simmered in a rich, creamy garlic sauce that’s packed with flavor and perfect for spooning over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes.
This creamy garlic chicken will be sure to impress. This recipe takes pan seared chicken breasts and smothers them with a rich, creamy pan sauce infused with garlic and Italian herbs. It couldn’t be simpler to make as a weeknight meal, and the flavors are lick-your-plate-clean delicious!
Serve this juicy chicken over rice pilaf, egg noodles, or crockpot mashed potatoes for the ultimate comfort food meal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card for the printable list with the full recipe amounts and details.
- Chicken Breasts – you want thinly sliced ones, so you can butterfly them yourself, or buy the thinly sliced ones from the store.
- Flour
- Olive Oil
- Butter
- Garlic
- Chicken Broth
- Heavy Cream – You can also use half-and-half for a lighter sauce.
- Italian Seasoning – I always have a jar of homemade Italian seasoning in the pantry.
Creamy Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 thin-cut chicken breasts
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, divided
- Salt & Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons butter, divided
- 8 garlic cloves, smashed
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Place 3 Tablespoons of flour on a plate or shallow bowl. Dredge chicken in flour until it is lightly coated.4 thin-cut chicken breasts, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, Salt & Pepper
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove from the pan, cover with foil to keep warm.2 Tablespoons olive oil, 2 Tablespoons butter
- Return the pan to a medium-low heat. Add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of butter and let it melt. Add the cloves of garlic and lightly brown for 4-5 minutes. Keep at a medium-low heat so as not to burn the garlic. Just lightly brown and infuse the butter with the flavor.8 garlic cloves
- Add in the remaining 1 tablespoon of flour and stir until no white remains. Increase the heat to medium. Slowly pour in chicken broth and heavy cream, and whisk to combine.¾ cup chicken broth, ¾ cup heavy cream
- Season with Italian seasoning, bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook for 5-7 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken. Taste and season with salt and pepper as desired.½ teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Return the chicken pieces to the pan, along with any juices, and let that cook for 1-2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve topped with parsley if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Sauce Chicken
- Prepare the chicken. First things first, season the chicken with salt and pepper. Then, dredge the chicken in flour so it’s coated lightly on both sides.
- Pan-sear the chicken. Next, heat the oil and butter in a skillet. Add your coated chicken and sear it for 4-5 minutes per side. Once that’s golden brown, move the chicken to a plate and tent it lightly with foil so it stays warm.
- Sauté the garlic. In the same skillet, melt more butter over medium-low heat, and add your smashed garlic cloves. Let those sauté and brown in the butter for 4-5 minutes. Take extra care that the garlic doesn’t burn!
- Make the sauce. Next, whisk 1 tablespoon of flour into the garlic butter. Turn up the heat, pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, and sprinkle in the Italian seasoning. Simmer the sauce for 5-7 minutes so it thickens.
- Put it all together. Afterward, return the chicken to the skillet with the cream sauce. Let it heat through for 1-2 minutes, and serve.
Want Your Sauce Thicker?
Whisking flour into the garlic butter is usually enough to thicken the sauce once it simmers for a while. This flour-butter combo is called a roux, and it’s used to thicken soups and sauces, from Alfredo sauce to chowder and the sauce for mac and cheese.
If you find your garlic cream sauce is a bit runny, it may just need to simmer for longer. Another option for an even thicker sauce is to make a slurry from equal parts cornstarch and water. Stir it in while the sauce simmers.
Try These Variations
- Make it cheesy. For an even richer dish, add freshly grated Parmesan cheese to the sauce to make creamy Parmesan garlic chicken.
- Swap the protein. Make a variation with pan-seared pork chops (like my smothered pork chops recipe) or try creamy garlic shrimp instead (see my shrimp scampi and this tutorial on how to sauté shrimp for pan-searing tips).
- Skip the cream. This chicken recipe is like a creamy version of my one-pan garlic chicken. If you’d prefer a sauce made without heavy cream, that recipe has your name on it.
- Spice it up. Instead of mild herbs, season your sauce with Cajun seasoning or crushed red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.
- More add-ins. Try adding cooked crumbled bacon, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, or sautéed mushrooms. I think a variation made with caramelized onions would be amazing!
- Cuts of chicken. I use chicken breast here, but pretty much anything goes. Chicken thighs tend to be even juicier than chicken breasts, though they may need more time to cook. The same goes for bone-in chicken, so adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Serving Suggestions
I serve my creamy garlic chicken with a vegetable side, like roasted Brussels sprouts, crispy oven-roasted potatoes, or green beans. It’s delicious spooned over a bed of quick, fluffy Instant Pot mashed potatoes, white rice, or egg noodles. These homemade dinner rolls are also great for soaking up the leftover sauce!
The Best Way to Store Leftovers
- Refrigerate. If you have leftovers (we didn’t!), store this creamy garlic chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat. Warm the chicken and sauce gently in a skillet until it’s hot throughout. You can also use the microwave. Be careful not to let the cream sauce boil, or it may split and curdle.
Can I substitute milk instead of heavy cream?
If you read the ingredient section of the post it says it is not recommended to use low fat dairy as the sauce can split and be thin. But lists half and half as an alternative. Whole milk would probably work as well.