This creamy garlic chicken starts with thin chicken breasts seasoned with garlic powder, salt, and pepper and browned in a large pan, then finished in a sauce of chicken stock, heavy cream, Parmesan, onion, and plenty of minced garlic. Everything cooks in one pan in about 30 minutes, and the browned bits the chicken leaves behind give the sauce its savory, garlicky flavor. Serve it on its own or over rice or pasta for an easy weeknight dinner.
If you like my Creamy Dijon Chicken and Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce, this creamy garlic chicken belongs in your dinner rotation too.
The chicken cooks two pieces at a time so each one turns golden instead of steaming, then the onion, garlic, stock, and cream go into the same pan. The Parmesan goes in last and melts into the sauce, which thickens as the chicken simmers in it for a couple of minutes.
It’s good on its own, over rice or pasta, or next to a vegetable side. Since everything happens in one pan, there is only one pan to wash at the end.
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💛 Why you’ll love this recipe
- A rich, garlicky Parmesan cream sauce built on the browned bits left in the pan.
- Made in just one pan.
- Ready in 30 minutes.
- About 43 grams of protein per serving, one chicken breast with sauce.
➡️ Ingredients
⏲ How to make creamy garlic chicken
This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Season Chicken: Season the chicken breasts with garlic powder, pepper, and salt.
- Cook Chicken: Heat 2 Tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. 2 pieces at a time, cook the chicken until golden on each side and cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (use a meat thermometer to check), about 3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel, add 2 Tablespoons of oil, and cook the remaining 2 pieces of chicken. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside. Do not wipe the pan out.
- Sauté Onion and Garlic: Reduce the stovetop heat to medium-low, add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of oil to the pan, and cook the onion until softened, about 1 minute. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about an additional 30 seconds.
- Prepare Creamy Garlic Sauce: Pour in the chicken stock and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow the mixture to sit and simmer until it reduces slightly, about 3 minutes. Pour in the heavy whipping cream and simmer for about 1 minute. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and allow it to melt.
- Return Chicken to Pan and Simmer Sauce: Add the cooked chicken back to the pan and allow it to simmer and thicken the sauce, which should take about 2 minutes.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish the dish with parsley and freshly cracked pepper, then serve.
👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions
- Chicken Breast: Use chicken thighs, but note the cooking time may be slightly different.
- Garlic Powder: Sub in anywhere from 5 to 10 garlic cloves. Mince them up and use them in place of garlic powder.
- Avocado Oil: Substitute olive oil or vegetable oil at a 1:1 ratio.
- Unsalted Chicken Stock: Salted chicken stock can be used at a 1:1 ratio. If you use salted stock, cut back on the added salt in the recipe. You can also use chicken broth or beef stock or broth.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: You can use half-and-half at a 1:1 ratio. The sauce will be a little thinner.
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: Grated Asiago cheese or Pecorino Romano would work best.
✨ Variations
- Add spinach, sliced mushrooms, sliced red bell peppers, or chopped sun-dried tomatoes for extra flavor and nutrients.
- Add a splash of dry white wine for a more complex sauce. Cook it down with the chicken stock before adding the cream.
- Stir in cooked crumbled bacon for added flavor and texture.
- Sprinkle in red pepper flakes while cooking or as a garnish for some heat.
- Add a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten up the flavor of the sauce.
〰️ How to serve
- Rice: Serve over cauliflower rice or white rice.
- Pasta: Serve over fettuccine, penne, spaghetti, zucchini noodles, or shirataki noodles.
- Veggies: Serve with baked sliced zucchini, baked jicama fries, buttery roasted cauliflower, or green beans.
- Side Dishes: Serve with halloumi fries or fried cabbage with bacon.
- Salad: Serve with creamy dill cucumber onion salad or caprese salad.
💬 FAQs
How should this creamy garlic chicken recipe be stored?
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer.
How should stored creamy garlic chicken be reheated?
Stovetop: Cook in a pan over medium heat until warmed throughout.
Oven: Bake at 350°F until warmed throughout.
Microwave: Microwave for 1 to 3 minutes, depending on the wattage of your microwave.
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- Pressure Cooker Chicken Bacon Spinach Soup – Bacon makes every bowl disappear fast
- Creamy Salmon Orzo – Silky orzo with buttery salmon
🍽 Recipe
Shop this recipe
It’s all one pan. Here’s what I reach for:
- → A large skillet
- → Avocado oil
- → Unsalted chicken stock
- → A garlic press
- → An instant-read thermometer
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Creamy Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 thin chicken breasts,
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 6 Tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- ½ (~50 grams) small onion, finely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon + 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Garnishes:
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Season Chicken: Season chicken breasts with garlic powder, pepper, and salt.
- Cook Chicken: Heat 2 Tablespoons oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. 2 pieces at a time, cook chicken until golden on each side and cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F, about 3 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of your chicken. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and set aside. Wipe pan clean with a paper towel, add 2 Tablespoons oil, and cook remaining 2 pieces of chicken. Transfer cooked chicken to plate and set aside. Do not wipe pan out.
- Sauté Onion and Garlic: Reduce heat to medium-low, add remaining 2 Tablespoons oil to pan, and cook onion until softened, about 1 minute. Add minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about an additional 30 seconds.
- Prepare Sauce: Pour in chicken stock and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up browned bits from bottom of pan. Allow mixture to sit and simmer until it reduces slightly, about 3 minutes. Pour in heavy whipping cream and simmer for about 1 minute. Stir in Parmesan cheese and allow it to melt.
- Return Chicken to Pan and Simmer Sauce: Add cooked chicken back to pan and allow it to simmer to thicken the sauce, about 2 minutes.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with parsley and freshly cracked pepper, then serve.
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