Creamy Garlic Chicken

This creamy garlic chicken recipe is the ultimate easy comfort food! Tender chicken breast smothered in a creamy garlic sauce is irresistible. Garlic lovers unite!

This creamy garlic chicken is ready in about 30 minutes. In my opinion, it's good enough to serve company, but it's also one of those dishes that work for a quick weeknight dinner.

A quick note on the recipe: 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.

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 haha.

How to make creamy garlic chicken (overview):

Start by cutting the chicken breasts in half lengthwise (the chicken cooks faster and more evenly, so it remains tender and melt-in-your-mouth). You then dredge the chicken pieces in flour and pan-fry them until they're golden, then take them out of the skillet. In the same pan, lightly brown the garlic cloves and make the sauce. The chicken goes back in for a few more minutes to finish cooking, and the sauce thickens up. (Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below)

Love this recipe? Try my Creamy Tuscan Garlic Chicken, this Creamy Bacon Chicken, or my Creamy Mushroom Chicken.

Recipe notes & tips:

• 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 may sub for chicken thighs, but keep in mind those may take a bit longer to cook.
• Chicken is safe to eat when the internal temperature reaches 165F (the chicken's temperature will continue to rise for a few minutes after you take it off the heat). Using an instant read meat thermometer will prevent undercooked or overcooked chicken.

A note on peeling the garlic:

You don't have to spend a lot time peeling the garlic cloves. One quick way I recommend is by using this silicone garlic peeler tube (I have a similar one) or by buying 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 on how if you're curious).

What to serve with creamy garlic chicken:

Try rice, mashed potatoes, pasta, or a salad. Sweet corn, carrots, roasted veggies (try my maple roasted carrots and beets), or green beans would also go great.

Will you give this creamy garlic chicken recipe a try? I hope you like it.

Questions? Ask me in the comments below.

Creamy Garlic Chicken

This creamy garlic chicken recipe is the ultimate easy comfort food! Tender chicken breast smothered in a creamy garlic sauce is irresistible.

4.87 from 367 votes

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 435 kcal

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Ingredients

 

• ▢ 2 large chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
• ▢ 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
• ▢ Salt & pepper to taste
• ▢ Parsley chopped (optional)

Instructions

 

• Cut the chicken in half lengthwise so you have 4 smaller cutlets. Sprinkle them with some 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 used my trusty 10-1/4" Lodge cast iron skillet to make this recipe. Any skillet is fine, though.
• 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.
• Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcalCarbohydrates: 6gProtein: 26gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 169mgSodium: 313mgPotassium: 514mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1083IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 57mgIron: 1mg

Keyword creamy garlic chicken recipe

Author Natasha Bull