Chicken breasts are seared and then smothered in a pan full of creamy, garlic sauce to make this creamy garlic chicken. The ultimate comfort food, this one pot meal is ready in 30 minutes making it perfect for weeknights or an amazing meal for company, too.
We have a freezer full of chicken from raising a bunch of cornish cross this past summer. And chicken isn't typically my husband's favorite meal. Chicken, many times, is kind of bland and dry and figuring out different, flavorful, yet easy, ways to cook it can be a daunting task.
But, this dish? It's amazing. Crisp, golden chicken breasts are simmered in a simple, delicious creamy garlic sauce to create moist, tender meat bursting with flavor.
Making Creamy Garlic Chicken
This recipe is super easy, but there are a few tricks to make it even easier. The first trick is to start with thin, small chicken breasts. Which, with today's broiler's (even backyard raised) seems like an impossibility. So, what do we do?
We pound the breasts out to about 1 ½" thickness and slice them in half lengthwise. So, if you begin with 3 breasts, you're going to have enough to serve 6... which is awesome for our family of 5.
Doing this will allow the chicken to cook quicker (no one wants to cut into a pink chicken breast) and also allows it to cook more evenly. It only takes a few moments. If you have relatively thin chicken breasts to start with, you can forgo the pounding. But, it really only takes a couple sheets of waxed paper and a few moments.
Next, you're going to dredge your chicken pieces in some flour and brown them in a skillet on either side with a bit of butter.
Then, you'll grab an entire bulb of garlic, separate the cloves and throw them all in the pan of butter and chicken fat (yes, an entire bulb) and brown them a bit.
Lastly, you'll make the sauce, add the chicken back in to simmer in the sauce and viola... you've got dinner on the table. See? Super easy. Yet, looks like you spent tons of time on it and tastes to die for amazing.
But, isn't that a lot of garlic? Nope. Believe it or not, this dish is not super pungent in the garlic department. By leaving them whole and caramelizing them, the flavor mellows out and is absolutely perfect. Even if you don't think you're a fan of garlic, trust me on this one and add them all, you won't be disappointed, the sauce really mellows them out.
Can I Use A Different Protein?
I told you, we have a freezer full of chicken. And, well, sometimes chicken gets old, right? I've found myself making a menu basing off of what we have in the freezer and pantry and go wow... that's a lot of chicken.
Thankfully, you can definitely follow this recipe using different proteins in place of the chicken and still have a delicious, 30 minute meal. This sauce is really very versatile.
Some options:
- Pork Chops
- Salmon
- Shrimp
- Lobster
You could also throw some cooked pasta and broccoli in to make this a complete, one pot meal that will stretch even further. This is especially delicious with shrimp or lobster (if you're a seafood fan).
What to serve with Creamy Garlic Chicken
Pasta on the side (or mixed in) is fabulous. Other great options would be some roasted potatoes, roasted brussels sprouts, or just a yummy salad to keep it light.
📖 Recipe
Creamy Garlic Chicken
Crispy, pan seared chicken is smothered in a creamy garlic sauce for a delicious, one pot, 30 minute meal.
Ingredients
- 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (halved lengthwise)
- ¼ Cup All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Salt
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
For the Sauce
- 4 Tablespoons Butter
- 1 Small Onion (finely chopped)
- 1 Head of Garlic (cloves peeled)
- 1 ½ Cup Chicken Stock
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- ½ Cup Parmesan Cheese
- Fresh Parsley (chopped, for serving)
Instructions
- Begin by pounding chicken breasts to 1 ½" thickness, then slice each in half lengthwise.
- Combine flour, salt, garlic powder, black pepper and paprika in a shallow dish. Dredge chicken pieces in flour and coat well. Shake off excess.
- Melt butter in a large, cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Place chicken in skillet and cook until golden on both sides and cooked through (about 5 minutes per side).
- Remove chicken from pan and allow it to rest on a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium, using the pan juices, sautee onion until soft and translucent.
- Next, add in the peeled garlic cloves. Allow them to cook about 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly browned.
- Deglaze the pan by adding the broth scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the broth to reduce by half.
- Reduce heat to low, add in cream. Bring to a simmer and allow the sauce to simmer for 3 minutes.
- Add in the parmesan cheese and allow it to melt completely (about 2 minutes).
- Once sauce is ready, return chicken to the pan and allow it to lightly simmer for 5 minutes.
- Serve hot. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 374Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 125mgSodium: 1059mgCarbohydrates: 8gFiber: 0gSugar: 3gProtein: 24g
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Isadora says
This sounds delicious! Can't wait to try it. We're getting our batch of freedom rangers chicken in a couple weeks and will have lots of chicken after we process them, so I need some new recipes!