This 30 minute creamy garlic parmesan chicken is a family favorite because it just feels so special, but it's insanely easy to make. It's also my go-to for serving to guests when I'm short on time!
You may also like my Creamy Garlic Chicken or this Parmesan Crusted Chicken.
Why you'll love it
I know you guys are fans of my chicken recipes, so I'm thrilled to bring you this one that has all my favorite flavors and is just as easy to make as the rest. Garlic. Parmesan. Juicy chicken. I think you will enjoy how simple it is to throw together on any old weeknight, even without an occasion.
But whenever I do serve this dish for company, no one can resist the garlic and parmesan in the luscious cream sauce. It's lick-your-plate kind of good. If you're thinking of hosting a dinner party for the first time, this is a fantastic recipe for the menu since it's really stress free to put together and will impress everyone.
Ingredients that you will need
- Chicken - we're cutting ours into 4 smaller pieces
- Garlic powder, salt & pepper - for seasoning the chicken cutlets to directly infuse flavor
- Olive oil and butter - for the tasty base for pan frying
- Flour - a thickener for the sauce
- Garlic - we're using 3 cloves, but if you're a big fan, go ahead and add more
- Chicken broth - adds more savory depth to the sauce, but you can go all-out and use white wine
- Cream - we're going with heavy cream for luxuriousness
- Parmesan cheese - for the cheesy, creamy sauce. Use freshly grated
- Parsley - it adds a pop of freshness
How to make it
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to make four smaller cutlets. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Pan fry it until it's cooked through. This will take about 5-6 minutes per side. Take the chicken out of the pan, and transfer it to a plate.
- In the same skillet, add the flour and garlic and cook for a minute. Scrape up the brown bits. Whisk in the broth, and then stir in the cream. Let it gently bubble, and then take it off the heat and put in the parmesan and combine until melted in. Add the chicken back to the pan, spoon the sauce over top and chopped parsley if desired, and serve it right away.
Tips for success
- I highly recommend grating your own parmesan cheese for best results. It tastes and melts a lot better! I use my Microplane to grate it.
- If you decide to use white wine instead of chicken broth, use something dry like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. I don't have a particular brand preference for cooking, so just ensure it's something you'd actually like to drink.
- Substitute the heavy cream with a lower fat alternative at your own discretion. The sauce may not thicken properly, won't taste as good, and is likely to curdle. This is meant to be a treat meal!
Tools for this recipe
- I use my handy cooking tongs to quickly turn the chicken and remove it from the skillet.
- The only totally accurate way to test whether chicken is done (not overcooked or undercooked) is to use an instant read meat thermometer. For this recipe, I suggest taking the chicken out of the pan once it reaches 160F. As it rests, the temperature will increase to 165F, the safe minimum temperature to eat. A bit over is fine, but keep in mind that chicken can go from tender to dry very quickly.
- A splatter guard is useful to keep clean-up to a minimum.
What to serve with it
- Try mashed potatoes to soak up all that perfect parmesan garlic sauce! We also enjoy it with these buttered egg noodles or rice.
- Many veggies pair well. Try roasted green beans, broccolini, maple roasted carrots, or sweet corn.
- It's also fantastic with a simple salad of mixed greens with this creamy balsamic dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- The leftovers will keep for 3-4 days in a covered container in the refrigerator.
- To reheat this chicken, warm it over a very low heat in a small saucepan so that the sauce doesn't separate.
- I wouldn't recommend freezing leftovers as cream sauces don't fare well in the freezer at all.
Will you give this easy chicken recipe a try? Questions? I'd love to hear from you in the comments below!
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken
This 30 minute creamy garlic parmesan chicken is a family favorite because it just feels so special, but it's insanely easy to make. It's also my go-to for serving to guests when I'm short on time!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or dry white wine
- 1 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Cut the chicken in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner pieces. Season them generously on both sides with salt & pepper and the garlic powder.
- Add the olive oil and butter to a skillet over medium-high heat, and let the pan heat up for a few minutes.
- Cook the chicken for about 5-6 minutes/side or until it's nicely seared and cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate and loosely tent it with foil to keep it warm (turn off the heat while doing this step).
- Turn the heat back on to medium-high and sprinkle in the flour and garlic to the skillet (the pan should still be hot, but if it's not, let it warm up a bit first). Let it cook for about a minute or so, stirring often.
- Pour in the chicken broth and whisk it until the flour has dissolved and the liquid has reduced by half.
- Stir in the cream and let it bubble gently for a few minutes until it's thickened to your desired consistency (turn the heat down if it's rapidly boiling). Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the parmesan until it has melted into the sauce.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet (and any juices from the plate) and spoon some sauce over top. Season with extra salt & pepper if needed and sprinkle the parsley over top.
Notes
- I highly recommend using an instant read thermometer to test when the chicken is done (165F). It can go from undercooked to overcooked very fast.
- 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: 457kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 31gFat: 35gSaturated Fat: 19gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 172mgSodium: 479mgPotassium: 524mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1189IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 192mgIron: 1mg
Andrea Lewis says
This was delicious! I added sautéed mushrooms to it and both wine and broth because my sauce got a little think. I ate it over cauliflower rice and served it over mashed potatoes for the boys
Natasha says
So glad you liked it!
Cheryl says
Made this for supper tonight and my family loved it! When my youngest goes for 2nds you know it’s good.
Natasha says
Fantastic!! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know!
Victoria says
Made this today, it was super delicious 🤤
Natasha says
Fantastic!! 🙂
Deborah says
I made this last night and the only thing I changed about the recipe was adding some sautéed mushrooms which was fantastic and I cook some bacon and put it on top of the chicken and mashed potatoes after it was done. My boyfriend loved this recipe and so did I.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you two enjoyed it!! Love those additions! 🙂 Thanks for your comment!
Rae Rae says
I have a picky teen that I just adopted, who eats 99.9% processed foods. I made this tonight with mashed potatoes and broccoli and when I asked her if it was okay she responded “yeah, no, it’s good!”. I used tenderloins instead of breast and was a tad heavy on the garlic because I love garlic but this recipe is delicious and so simple to make! Definitely a crowd pleaser!
Natasha says
Well that's so nice to hear, Rae!! I'm so glad she enjoyed it. 😀
Mitzy says
Wonderful, quick and easy! We did ours with egg noodles and broccoli!
Natasha says
Love that!
Heather says
Would adding a little bit of lemon juice be good? This recipe sounds amazing all my favorite things fresh garlic and Parmesan Yum can’t wait to make it
Natasha says
Sure! I think adding a splash of lemon juice would be fine, but I'd definitely use heavy cream as the recipe suggests so curdling is less likely. I'd probably add it in during step 5. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Hailey says
Made this for my family with rice and broccoli, whole fam loves my littles even got seconds which they rarely do!
Natasha says
Yay!! That's so great!! 😀
Katie says
DELISH!!!!!!!!!! I am definitely using this again! I added a bit of cornstarch instead of flour to the sauce to thicken it up and it was so good!
Natasha says
I'm so happy you liked it, Katie!! 🙂
Emily says
This was very yummy. My sause came out a little thick and stringy though, did I let the heavy cream boil too long. What can I do to make it less thick.
Natasha says
Hi Emily! Glad you liked it! Yeah, I would say turn down the heat a bit and/or cook it for a little less time if you're finding that it's thickening fast. I only let it bubble for about 3 minutes or so. Another splash of cream or chicken broth would help thin it out as needed.
Sue says
OMG! Absolutely delicious!
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
So happy you enjoyed it, Sue!
Rachel says
Absolutely awesome and so simple to make everyone loved it
Natasha says
Thank you! So glad to hear it! 🙂
HeartlandMom says
Absolutely delicious! The browned bits from sauteing the chicken and deglazing the pan add so much flavor to the cream sauce. I served with orzo and steamed brocolli.
Natasha says
I'm so happy you enjoyed it!! Thanks for your review. XO
Elise says
This was AMAZING!! My husband and I both loved it and scarfed it down! Will be making this again!!!!
Natasha says
Yay!! That's great to hear. Appreciate your review, Elise!
Pat says
Tried this for my first time today,feeding some of my family.
Served with Spaghetti Squash and Broccoli.
It was a huge hit,will definately make again.
Miranda @ Salt & Lavender says
That's wonderful to hear, Pat! Glad your family enjoyed it.
Peggy says
I followed the recipe, but my sauce came out significantly darker. Guessing it's due to the brown bits in the pan. Regardless of that my family loved it.
Natasha says
Yes! It definitely can vary... I bet yours tasted extra delicious. I'm so glad everyone enjoyed it!
Karen says
Just sooo good!
Natasha says
🙂
Michelle Reader says
All of your recipes are so good!I have actually started cutting my chicken breasts in half and seasoning them when I freeze them so I can pull them out for dinner ready for one of your recipes.
Natasha says
Aww that makes me so happy, and that's a great idea!! 🙂
Danielle Hopper says
SO delicious! Great recipe! Whole family loves it
Natasha says
Fantastic!! 🙂
Pooja says
Hello, I tried this recipe for first time and it came out delicious. Family loved it. I used chicken thighs instead of breast, came out very juicy and it was quick to make.
Natasha says
That's great to hear, Pooja! Thanks for letting me know!! 🙂
Angela says
Have used this recipe many times and it’s a family favourite. So quick and easy to make. I’m making it again today. I’ve defrosted too many chicken breasts so is it safe to reheat leftovers tomorrow?
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that!! You mean leftovers of the finished recipe? Of course... leftovers should keep for 3-4 days in the fridge. 🙂
Angela says
Yes it is leftovers. Thanks for your reply x
Amanda says
Is the nutritional information based on one serving? So one piece of chicken? Looks
Amazing!
Natasha says
That's right. For 1/4 of the recipe. 🙂
Katie Campbell says
Delicious and so quick and easy!!!! The wine was a perfect pairing for the flavor profile. Even my picky 9 year old loved it and ate both halves of the breast!!!! I served this with tiny roasted onion and chive potatoes and fresh green beans. Will definitely make again soon:)
Natasha says
That's great to hear!! Thanks so much for your nice review, Katie! 😀
Christine says
Quick, easy and delicious weeknight dinner. 30 minutes to the table. Added extra garlic, but otherwise followed the recipe as listed. Fabulous!
Natasha says
Thank you!! So glad you liked it!
Kortney says
This is soooo tasty!! I diced the chicken and poured it over fettuccine and wow! A couple things to note: after I cooked the chicken I sautéed diced onion before adding the flour and garlic. I also added pasta water for a thinner consistency sauce and some flavor. Oh and I did a splash of white wine in addition to the 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Delicious!! Will definitely be making again!
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
Nita says
Made this last night for my family of 6. Let me tell you, it was such a big hit. This is definitely one that we will be adding to our recipe book. Everything was simply delicious and the kids loved it.
Natasha says
Yay!! That's great to hear. I love when everyone enjoys a meal. Thanks for letting me know!
Vashti Collins says
I've made this twice and both times delicious. I love the few ingredients and quick cook time.
Natasha says
That's awesome!! Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
Carla says
Came out amazing and so quick and easy, better than a restaurant. Thanks!!
Natasha says
Fantastic!!
Jennifer says
In the video, u floured the chicken & used butter & garlic 1st in the pan. In the typed recipe, no flour on chicken but flour garlic broth in pan, no mention of butter. Can u let me know which way works best? Thx!
Natasha says
Hi Jennifer! The video isn’t for this recipe. Sorry for the confusion. A “featured video” will play at the top of blog posts, and that one is for a similar recipe (creamy garlic chicken) but not this one. I have not filmed a video for this particular recipe, so the instructions are as per the recipe card. ♥️
Angelina says
I think I'll cut my chicken breasts in half 'horizontally', in order to get 4 thinner pieces, NOT lengthwise. That would work better for me. I like a little Thyme w/chicken, so I'll add a pinch. We all love chicken here, & this recipe sounds very tasty. Anxious to try it.
Andrea W says
This was a super easy & quick recipe. It came out delicious! I served it with garlicky cubed potatoes and green beans sautéed with caramelized onions.
Natasha says
I'm so glad you enjoyed it, Andrea!! Those potatoes and beans sound delicious! Thanks for taking the time to write me a review. 😀