This Creamy Garlic Chicken is a family favorite! The kids will clear their plates with this easy, 30-minute one-pan recipe, perfect for weeknight dinners.
The tender chicken breasts are cooked until golden and crispy; then the deliciously decadent creamy garlic sauce is made in the same pan.
There are plenty of ways to adapt the recipe, and it is excellent served over rice, pasta, or potatoes! Easy and delicious comfort food at its very best.
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How to make creamy garlic sauce for chicken
This sauce is so simple to make; with just a few ingredients, you'll have a restaurant-quality sauce at home.
Start by using the pan you have cooked your chicken in; no need to wash it; you want that layer of flavor!
Then over low heat, cook the minced garlic in butter. There is a lot of garlic here - this is a creamy garlic sauce!!! The garlic wants to be softened and aromatic but not browned or crispy.
Once it is soft, add in some flour (I use the flour from dredging the chicken - don't worry, it's going to be cooked)
Slowly whisk in some chicken broth and a little sherry (see below for alternatives or just leave it out)
Bring everything to a simmer, then stir in heavy cream and a little mustard. Season the sauce and add the chicken back into the pan.
Filleting chicken breasts
Filleting chicken breasts involves cutting them in half down the middle to create two thin chicken fillets.
It is a technique that I use in nearly all of my chicken breast recipes. Not only does it help to keep the chicken tender, because the thinner fillet cooks more evenly and much quicker and more evenly. But it also makes this a really cost-effective dinner as two chicken breasts will serve four people (leaving money for a dessert or a bottle of wine - there are wine pairings at the bottom of this post).
- Pat each chicken breast with kitchen paper to help dry it and to stop it sliding about the board.
- Place the chicken breast flat on a chopping board, smooth side upwards.
- Use a large sharp knife to cut sideways through the breast.
- Keep the knife flat and parallel to the chopping board as you continue to cut through the breast.
- Carefully cut through until you have two plump fillets.
- If you find they are not an even thickness, you can use a meat mallet (or a heavy pan) to bash the plumper end down. Cover it with parchment paper to avoid tearing the meat.
These chicken breast recipes all use the same technique:
- Mexican Chicken Breasts
- One Pan Creamy Bacon Chicken
- Skillet Greek Lemon Dill Chicken
- Grilled Sweet Cajun Chicken
- Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta
Recipe Tips
- The flour left from dredging the chicken will help thicken the sauce, so don't throw it out straight away. Once you have finished cooking, any remaining flour must be thrown out as it has been used on raw chicken and can't be kept.
- Chicken fillets don't need much cooking, just 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Tent the chicken with foil when you remove it from the pan; this keeps it warm and also helps to tenderize it.
- Once you have added the flour to the garlic and butter, add the chicken broth slowly, stirring continuously, this will stop you from getting a lumpy sauce.
- When you return the chicken to the pan, make sure you add any juices that have collected, and then only cook for a further couple of minutes, you don't want the chicken to overcook.
Why You'll Love this Creamy Garlic Chicken
- This is one pan cooking.
- It is easy to make yet tastes like a fancy restaurant sauce.
- It is easy to adapt - check out the recipe additions/alterations below.
- It is inexpensive as two chicken breasts will serve four people.
- It is versatile. You can serve this up with so many different carb options - pasta, rice, potatoes, or bread work with the sauce!
Recipe Additions/Alterations
- Sherry - You can replace the dry sherry with white wine or masala if you have that on hand instead. Or leave it out of the recipe completely.
- Chicken - You can use chicken thighs instead, just be sure to cook them for 10 minutes per side.
- Heavy Cream - You can use whipping cream or thickened cream. Half and half will work but can split if boiled too hard.
The beauty of this creamy garlic sauce is you can add extra ingredients to it and change up your meal!
Try adding:
- Fresh/frozen spinach
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Broccoli florets
- Cauliflower florets
- Asparagus spears
- Mozzarella cheese
- Caramelized onions
- Fresh basil
- Fresh thyme
- Chopped chives
What is more, you can switch out the protein and still enjoy this creamy garlic sauce! The kids and I love it with:
- Seared steak
- Pan-fried pork chops
- Sauteed shrimp
- Pan-seared salmon
- Chicken fried chicken
- Pork tenderloin
- Poured over roasted portabella mushrooms (well, the kids don't love this one! But I do!)
Wine pairing with Creamy Garlic Chicken
To cut through the creamy sauce, go for a lightly oaked Chardonnay or Chenin Blanc. Also, the acidity of a Viognier works well, as does a Marsanne or Roussanne.
For red lovers, something lighter like a Pinot Noir or a Granache would be great here.
Or try a pale ale or a dry cider! Both would be lovely with the dish.
Sides for Creamy Garlic Chicken
Our favorite way to enjoy this is over pasta! But it is equally delicious with rice or mashed potatoes!
Try these sides to make this chicken an entire meal.
- Easy Garlic Bacon Pasta
- Italian Herb Pasta
- Easy Garlic Rice Pilaf
- Garlic Bacon Rice
- British Mashed Potatoes
- Crispy Pan Fried Potatoes
- Easy Skillet Garlic Green Beans
- Crockpot Buttered Garlic Mushrooms
Enjoy x
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One-Pan Creamy Garlic Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 chicken breasts – see note 1
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 8 cloves garlic - finely chopped
- 2 tablespoon dry sherry – optional – see note 2
- ¾ cups chicken broth/stock
- 1 ¼ cups heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard – see note 3
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
To serve
- fresh parsley/oregano
Instructions
To prepare the chicken
- Lay the chicken breast flat on a chopping board and pat it dry so it doesn't slip.
2 chicken breasts - Use a large sharp knife, and keeping it parallel to the board cut sideways through the breast. (see bulk of post for pictures)
- Carefully cut through until you have two plump fillets. Repeat with the second chicken breast.
- If you find they are not an even thickness, you can use a meat mallet (or a heavy pan) to bash the plumper end down.
- Add the flour to a shallow dish.
¼ cup flour - Season the chicken fillets on both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder, then coat them lightly in the flour. (don't discard the leftover flour yet)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon garlic powder
To cook the chicken
- Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet or frying pan, over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add the butter and the chicken fillets to the pan.
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter - Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden brown. Remove the fillets to a plate, tent with foil, and set aside.
To make the sauce
- Turn the heat on the pan to low (don't wash it out), add the butter and the finely chopped garlic, stir well and cook for 2 minutes until softened but not colored.
2 tablespoon butter
8 garlic cloves (finely chopped) - Add two tablespoons of the remaining dredging flour to the garlic and stir to coat. (see note 4)
2 tablespoon of the dredging flour - Slowly whisk in the chicken broth and sherry (if using).
¾ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoon sherry (option) - Bring to a simmer and cook gently for a minute.
- Add the heavy cream, mustard, salt, and pepper to the pan and stir well. Bring to simmer.
1 ¼ cups heavy cream
1 ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper - Add the chicken back into the pan, plus any collected juices. Simmer together for another 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened, and the chicken is cooked through.
- Season to taste and serve.
- Garnish with chopped parsley.
Notes
- Using larger chicken breasts will make this process easier. Feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs; instead, they will need to be cooked for 15-20 minutes instead of 8.
- You can replace the dry sherry with white wine or masala if you have that on hand instead. If you don’t consume alcohol then just leave it out.
- I use Dijon mustard, but you can use grain mustard, hot English mustard, or sweet American mustard.
- Don’t worry about using the flour that has touched the raw chicken; it is going to be cooked out and will be perfectly safe. Once you have added the flour to the sauce, the remaining flour needs to be thrown away.
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