Creamy Garlic Chicken

💛 Why you’ll love this recipe

• Impressive, memorable, and restaurant-worthy meal.
• Made in just one pan.
• Ready in 30 minutes.
• Gluten-free, high in protein, low-carb, and keto-friendly.

➡️ 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 degrees 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 5-10 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. However, if using salted chicken 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 substitution ratio, but note the creamy sauce will be slightly less creamy than the original recipe intended.
• 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.
• Potatoes — Serve with mashed potatoes, crispy garlic roasted potatoes, or cauliflower mash.
• 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

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