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Creamy Garlic Chicken

Published: / Updated: / 1,458 Comments

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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

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.

Tools for this recipe

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

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.

More 30-minute chicken recipes

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! Questions the post didn't answer? Let me know. You can find me on Instagram and showcase your creations with #saltandlavender.

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

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!
4.87 from 415 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 435 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 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. 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.
  • 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
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  1. Katie says

    5 stars
    I never leave comments on recipes but DAMN. I make this all the time, it's my favorite chicken (that I can make) 🙂

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Thanks so much!! 😀 I'm so glad it's a favorite. I appreciate your review - really helps us small business out.

      Reply

  2. Linda says

    5 stars
    Made exactly as written and it was excellent. Family really enjoyed it. First time on your site...looks like you have a lot of great recipes that I'll be trying out. Hopefully they'll all be as good as this one!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm so happy it was a hit, Linda! So glad you found me and decided to give this a try. Let me know if you try anything else. 🙂

      Reply

  3. Jennifer says

    5 stars
    Just delicious! I was kind of crabby and struggling to come up with what to make for dinner tonight when I came across this recipe and decided to gave it a shot. Wow, what a great recipe! I had plenty of gravy to have over the chicken and mashed potatoes. It had just the right amount of garlic (I used a tablespoon of minced garlic because I didn't have any cloves). The kids loved it too. This will definitely be added to our rotation. Thank you!

    Reply

  4. Brianna Dilbeck says

    5 stars
    It tastes amazing! I doubled the recipe for my family and ran into the problem of the sauce not getting thick.. anyway I can fix that for the next time I cook it? Otherwise a great recipe!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I'm glad you liked it! I would probably reduce the sauce for a bit longer prior to adding the chicken back in. You could always make a roux with more flour for thickening power or add a cornstarch slurry in at the end.

      Reply

  5. Doris says

    5 stars
    I have tried many recipes from pinterest, This one takes "1st prize," easy to make,
    and all that garlic! IT's a keeper for sure.

    Reply

  6. Jay says

    5 stars
    As an avid garlic lover I fell in love with this recipe, surprising easy and great tasting! Especially with extra garlic (can never have too much garlic in my opinion) that just melts in your mouth. It tastes so good and my family loves when I cook it!

    Reply

  11. Mary A says

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! It's quick, easy, and delicious. The mans likes it too and we differ on what we each like so it's nice to have something we both like. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    Reply

  13. Mary says

    Do you think this could be made in advance and then heated up in a dish the night you plan on making it? With busy sports nights I line yo prep as much as I can on the weekends. This looks delicious.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I believe some readers have tried that (you could try reading thru the comments). I'd just be careful to warm it slowly over a low heat as cream sauces can separate fairly easily, and chicken breast is prone to drying out.

      Reply

      • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

        Hi Matthew! Heavy/whipping cream is 35% or more fat content. You could try, but the sauce will be much thinner and less rich, so you may want to wait until you can get your hands on heavy cream 🙂

        Reply

        • Matthew says

          5 stars
          I ended up trying it with the 18% and thought it was pretty delicious, but then I got my hands on whipping cream, so i tried it again and it was noticeably better. Thanks a bunch for sharing this recipe! This may end up being a staple for me.

          Reply

  14. Mychelle Vasvary says

    5 stars
    Made this the other night. Came back to the site to download the recipe and add it to my Recipe folder in Dropbox. Only the best recipes make it to my Recipe Dropbox, so....

    I did serve mine with mashed potatoes but it killed me to waste all that awesome sauce. Will be pouring it over egg noodles next time.

    Reply

  17. Gary says

    5 stars
    Made it tonight for the first time and it turned out great! Used whole milk and butter for the sauce and it wasn't an issue.

    Reply

  21. Krista says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  22. Debbie B says

    5 stars
    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

    Reply

    • Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says

      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 🙂

      Reply

    • Debbie B says

      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!

      Reply

  24. Austen says

    I minced half a yellow onion and added it with the garlic. Also used some bacon fat instead of olive oil. 10/10 recipie

    Reply

    • Rainellie says

      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.

      Reply

  26. Kelly says

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply

  27. Heather says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  28. Brandi Beddingfield says

    4 stars
    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.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      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. 🙂

      Reply

  30. Tracy says

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply

  31. Laura says

    5 stars
    Love this recipe it's so easy to follow my daughter likes to make it for her grandma when stays there. It's super tasty.

    Reply

  32. Sandra says

    5 stars
    This was quick, easy, and so yummy! The whole family loved it! I topped some mashed potatoes with the sauce. Delish!

    Reply

  33. Gayle says

    5 stars
    We loved this. Made it exactly as written. Used the sauce on my baked potato and didn’t even need butter. Will definitely make again.

    Reply

  34. Naja says

    5 stars
    I made this for lunch today! It was absolutely delicious! The flavoring was *chef kiss* great. Definitely adding this to my recipe book.

    Reply

  35. Preeti says

    Hi
    Is it possible to make this ahead of time. Or any tips on what can be made ahead of time. Wanting to make this for Christmas dinner

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hello! I recommend reading through the comments and seeing what others have done. Personally, I have not made it ahead of time, but I would be careful to re-warm it on a LOW heat (so sauce doesn't separate and chicken doesn't dry out).

      Reply

  36. Paige says

    5 stars
    Just like some others, I’m not the best cook but I try my best! I made this for dinner tonight and my SO was shocked on how good it was and said “10/10 would recommend” on the first bite lol! I could not find heavy whipping cream in our grocery so I looked up a substitute and used 1/4 cup of melted butter and 3/4 cup of milk and it turned out just as good!

    We are adding this recipe to our dinner rotation! Thank you for the new recipe ☺️

    Reply

  37. JoAnn Costantini says

    This recipe sound simple and delicious! I’d like to make it for Christmas Eve for 25 people but don’t want to be doing all that cooking that day.

    Any tips on how to make it in a large volume ahead of time and reheat next day?

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi JoAnn! So, I will give a small word of caution - there's a couple things that could potentially complicate that idea. 1) Chicken breasts are very easy to overcook. 2) Cream sauces don't always reheat too well (they can separate). I would maybe do a test run ahead of time with the recipe and reheat it the next day to ensure it goes well and you can do any adjustments with the Xmas batch. With that said, I would sear the chicken in batches until just cooked through. You may want to wipe the pan out after a few batches to ensure that there aren't too many burned/browned bits in the sauce. Some are good (like in the original recipe), but the flavor can be compromised if you keep frying the chicken in batches and add all that oil/butter/etc. that could be burned. I would then make the sauce (for quantity, maybe we're talking 6x the original recipe to be safe?). Add the cooked chicken to a couple of baking dishes (like 9x13 casserole dishes perhaps?) and pour the sauce over, then cover with foil. Refrigerate, then re-warm them in the oven slowly over a low heat.

      Reply

  41. Katelyn Brian says

    5 stars
    I found this recipe on Pinterest and have been making it for over a year now! It’s one of my family’s favorites and I’ve shared the recipes with several friends too. It’s super easy for a weeknight meal and is so delicious with a side of pasta, mashed potatoes, or veggies. When I searched for a baked potato soup recipe today and was brought back to your page, I knew I had to check out some more of your recipes because both of those are amazing (hubby said the soup was the best I’ve ever made). We can’t wait to try more of your dishes!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm so happy to hear that, Katelyn! 🙂 I appreciate you coming back to review this recipe, and I'm so glad you guys enjoyed the soup too! XO

      Reply

  42. Brandon says

    5 stars
    I’m not the best cook, my other half does all the cooking. Thought I would give this a go as he loves garlic and safe to say, I smashed it! A fantastic recipe, quick and easy and minimal clean up!! He absolutely loved it and wants me to cook more often now!

    Reply

  43. Jessica says

    5 stars
    WOW! It isn’t often that I am wowed by someone else’s recipe but this was so simple yet so delicious. I added some dried basil and thyme to season the chicken and used a little more chicken broth (I like a lot of sauce) and extra lemon juice and it was perfect. Added some halved grape tomatoes and fresh broccoli and served it over egg noodles. The sauce is so creamy but not heavy at all. So easy in one pan, quick clean up. I am in love! I can’t wait to try it with different veggies and I think it would be sooo good over the mashed potatoes or some risotto. 5 stars! I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. 😊

    Reply

    • Megan says

      Going to try this today. Have you ever added fresh sliced portobello mushrooms to it? Would I need to add any sauce to ensure the cook or do you think it would be fine as is?

      Reply

      • Natasha says

        Hi Megan! I know other readers have added mushrooms, so you could definitely do it and I think it would be fine. I'd probably sauté them first... take a look at the instructions of this similar recipe and you could always adapt the creamy garlic chicken based on that one: https://bit.ly/3zDZQVA

        Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! I talk about that in the blog post under the "recipe notes & tips" section. I think some have used half-and-half successfully (may want to look thru comments).

      Reply

  45. Dawn says

    5 stars
    I made this recipe a few weeks ago right after I got my first dutch oven. Went by the recipe except I slice the garlic cloves in slices but not thin. This was so good!!! I posted it on FB. Made some more fabulous recipes with the DO and my niece said she and her husband wanted a DO. I sent one as an early Christmas gift. Her first recipe was this Garlic Chicken tonight. They loved it. Her husband said it was the best meal in months and they are both great cooks. SO GOOD! Garlic came out like I roasted them in the oven!

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm glad you're enjoying your new Dutch oven and creamy garlic chicken!! What a great gift... best aunt ever! I'm glad your niece and her husband love the recipe too. 😀

      Reply

  46. Roger says

    5 stars
    This recipe is excellent. I'm planning on using non-dairy made with cashews, because I'm seriously allergic. Tahe New York Times just recently published a similar recipe. I knew they couldn't be the first. La preière of course was in France. Comme elle est belle!

    Reply

  48. GiGiMeix says

    5 stars
    Followed the recipe to a T and it turned out perfect (although I failed to realize I should have left the garlic whole) I'm not a good cook and this got rave reviews from the fam and will be a repeat again soon! Additionally, any time i have cooked chicken with flour it makes a big burning mess but the second step (boiling the broth and garlic) cleaned it right up. It turned out just like the picture! We served with boiled perogies and green beans and used the extra sauce on those. YUMMY!

    Reply

  49. Jeanne says

    5 stars
    I made this recipe tonight and my husband and I and we enjoyed it so much!! I will make this when I hosts guests over on the Holidays! This is just delicious! Thank you!!

    Reply