This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
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.
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
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.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- You don’t have to spend a lot time peeling the garlic cloves. Use a silicone garlic peeler tube, or buy 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 how.
- This is my trusty 10.25″ Lodge cast iron skillet, and I use a chef’s knife to cut the chicken.
- Chicken is safe to eat at 165F, and the best way to never have undercooked or overcooked meat is using an instant read thermometer.
How to make creamy garlic chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
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.
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.
What to serve with creamy garlic chicken
- Try Mashed Potatoes, a classic Easy Baked Potato, Stick of Butter Rice or Simple Risotto, pasta, or scoop up those tasty garlic cloves with fresh crusty bread.
- For veggie sides, I suggest sweet corn, Maple Roasted Beets and Carrots, or my very delicious Easy Roasted Cauliflower recipe. My Sautéed Green Beans would also go great.
- If you’re pairing it with a salad, I love this Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad or going all out with my popular 10-Minute Caesar Dressing.
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
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.
Creamy Garlic Chicken
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
Awesome! Full of flavor, I added a little bit of mushrooms and bell peppers we had in the fridge. A great way for the kids to eat their vegetables and get the benefits garlic offers the immune system! The whole family is looking forward to the next time I make it.
So happy to hear it! ❤️
I hate coming to blogs these days for recipes. Always money hungry, distracting ads. Ugh. Didn’t stay long enough to get the recipe.
You’re right. I spend thousands of dollars a year providing FREE recipes, so I do want to get paid for my hard work. Maybe get a faster internet connection? Or buy a cookbook.
👏👏
Get your money honey!
Btw – absolutely love this recipe. So delicious.
Thanks for all your hard work!
Haha thank you ❤️
The ads didn’t bother me a bit, it’s worth it for a great, quick and easy recipe. Cooking this tonight for my crew.
Thanks for the support, Krystal! ❤️
I made this tonight and everyone said it was delicious just added some saffron for more flavor.
Love that idea, thank you!
We have now had this wonderful chicken dish FOUR times….it has become a regular in our recipe rotations. That says how good it is and how much everyone loves it! Easy to pull together on a week night too.
Ahh that’s so great!! Thanks so much for letting me know. 😀
The recipe was great and as beautiful as you
This recipe was really good. I used three chicken breasts and cut them in half. I used all the ingredients that are in the recipe. They only thing I changed was instead of heavy whipping cream I used regular whipping cream only because I could get an 8oz carton of whipping cream which is just what I need for the recipe. I served the chicken with Brussel sprouts.
I am so glad you liked it!
I made this meal tonight for my husband and he loved it! I used all the ingredients but the garlic powder and I did not use the whole head of garlic. I only used 2 cloves and mashed them up. The rest of the recipe was followed. Thank you so much for this idea!!
Wonderful… so glad you liked it!
I made it tonight and my family loved it! Thank you!
Excellent! Thanks for letting me know, Rhonda!
I made this tonight and it turned out amazing! I substituted the heavy cream with half and half and added fresh green beans. I served it over penne noodles. My husband and I loved it! Thank you!
Wonderful! Thanks for letting me know, Monica!
I really wanted to follow this recipe exactly but when I went to the pantry there was no chicken broth so I substituted creamy chicken soup. Added a bit of water and one chicken bullion cube. All other ingredients were added as suggested.
This dish is delicious! My family loved it. So simple and fast. My mother didn’t believe that I made the gravy.
Yay I am so happy to hear it worked to improvise! 🙂
I made this last night and it was delicious, thank you for the recipe!
Yay! You’re very welcome.
Very good thank you. I grilled the chicken and grilled red bell peppers. I added the peppers into the sauce with the chicken. It was great. I will be making again
Sounds delicious with the grilled component! So pleased you liked it, Dan.