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Creamy Garlic Chicken

This Creamy Garlic Chicken is smothered in a rich and flavorful gravy that’s easy to make in a single skillet. Caramelized garlic cloves add the perfect balance of gourmet flavor. There is plenty of savory sauce to serve over mashed potatoes with roasted green beans. You have just found your new favorite meal!

A white plate with Creamy Garlic Chicken next to mashed potatoes and green beans.

Creamy Garlic Chicken

This Creamy Garlic Chicken is dedicated to all of the gravy (and garlic!) lovers out there. Wait until you try this recipe. You’re going to want to make this every week.

The garlic cloves add the best gourmet flavor to the sauce without overpowering it. Since the cloves are whole, the flavor is nice and subtle. They’re also caramelized a bit before the sauce is made, which brings out a hint of sweetness and rounds everything out.

I think you’ve just found your new favorite chicken recipe. Scroll down to see how it’s made, tips for perfectly seared chicken, and other PRO tips!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Slice the chicken into 3 thinner slices. Season with salt/pepper and Italian seasonings. Dredge in flour/Parmesan cheese mixture. Sear in olive oil for 4-5 minutes per side, until a golden crust has developed. Set aside. 

Melt butter in the skillet and use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Add garlic cloves. Cook and caramelize for 6-7 minutes.

Seared chicken next to a skillet with fond and butter being melted to make sauce.

Add flour to the butter mixture and whisk to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, beef bouillon cube, and seasonings in splashes. Stir in the heavy cream. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer.

Adding broth and cream to make creamy garlic sauce.

Reduce heat to low and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add the chicken back and spoon the sauce on top. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with mashed potatoes!

 

Creamy garlic chicken with Parmesan cheese and chicken being added to the sauce.

Tips For Searing the Chicken

  • Adjust the heat up and down slightly throughout the cooking process for a nice even sear and golden color.
  • We want brown (not black) remnants left in the pot. The “fond” left in the skillet gives a lot of flavor to the sauce.
  • I would rather cook chicken at a slightly lower temperature for a longer period of time than at a super high temperature that can cause burning and oil splatter. Start at medium -high and decrease heat slightly as needed. You can always increase it again later.
  • If the chicken is sticking to the pan, it’s not ready to be moved and is still developing a crispy crust. Allow it to release on it’s own to avoid tearing the surface of the chicken.

Pro Tips

  • If using smaller chicken breasts, consider using 3-4 instead of 2 large.
  • Serve this meal with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables such as green beans.
  • Mushrooms make a great addition to this gravy, I like to sauté them separately and stir them into the sauce at the very end.  Cooking them separately lets them retain their color, texture, and flavor.
  • This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 99!

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • This meal does freeze well. I reheat from frozen in the microwave, you can also thaw overnight and reheat leftovers in a lightly greased, covered casserole dish at 350° for 20-25 minutes.

A skillet full of creamy garlic chicken with whole garlic cloves and a spoon.

Tools For This Recipe

(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.

  • This is the Le Creuset skillet I used in this recipe, (and in 90% of my recipes). It’s pricey, but it conducts heat really well and is oven safe. The size is perfect and the quality is great.
  • Garlic Peeler– Makes it really easy to peel a lot of garlic all at once in seconds. Easy to store and clean too!
  • Kitchen Tongs– makes it easy to handle the chicken when searing and even easier to flip individual mushroom slices as they cook.
  • My Favorite Chef Knife

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Creamy Garlic Chicken in a skillet with garlic and a spoon with lots of gravy.

A white Plate with creamy garlic chicken next to mashed potatoes and green beans.

Creamy Garlic Chicken

4.97 from 319 ratings
This Creamy Garlic Chicken is smothered in a rich and flavorful gravy that's easy to make in a single skillet. Caramelized garlic cloves add the perfect balance of gourmet flavor.

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • Salt/Pepper
  • 3 teaspoons Italian seasonings
  • ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 Tablespoons Parmesan cheese, shredded
  • 3-4 Tablespoons olive oil

Sauce

  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 10 cloves garlic
  • 3 Tablespoons flour
  • 2 ½ cups chicken broth
  • 1 beef bouillon cube or 1 tsp better than bouillon
  • 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce, can sub Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon mustard powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup Parmesan cheese, (optional)

Instructions

Prep Work:

  • Combine the chicken broth, bouillon, soy sauce, onion powder, mustard powder, and thyme. Set aside.
  • Combine flour and Parmesan cheese on a plate and measure out additional ingredients prior to beginning.

Cut, Pound, Dredge, and Sear the Chicken:

  • Slice the chicken to create 2-3 thinner slices. Place the chicken in a gallon freezer bag (or in between saran wrap) and use the textured side of a meat mallet to pound it to ½ inch thick. Pat completely dry.
  • Season with Italian seasoning and salt/pepper. Dredge each side in the flour mixture. Tap off excess.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes per side, until a golden crust has developed. Set aside and leave brown remnants in the pan. (See notes for key tips for searing chicken.)

Make the Sauce:

  • Melt the butter in the skillet over medium/medium-low heat. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom of the pot. Add the garlic cloves and let them soften and caramelize for 6-7 minutes.
  • Add the flour and whisk with a fork for 1-2 minutes, until raw flour smell is gone and it begins to brown.
  • Add the chicken broth mixture in splashes, stirring continuously.
  • Stir in the cream. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Stir in the Parmesan cheese.
  • Add the chicken back to the pan along with any juice from the plate. Spoon the sauce on top. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. The sauce will continue to thicken during this time.
  • Garnish with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes and roasted green beans!

Notes

Tips For Searing the Chicken
  • Adjust the heat up and down slightly throughout the cooking process for a nice even sear and golden color.
  • We want brown (not black) remnants left in the pot. The "fond" left in the skillet gives a lot of flavor to the sauce.
  • I would rather cook chicken at a slightly lower temperature for a longer period of time than at a super high temperature that can cause burning and oil splatter.
  • If the chicken is sticking to the pan, it's not ready to be moved and is still developing a crispy crust. Allow it to release on it's own to avoid tearing the surface of the chicken.
Pro Tips
  • Nutrition facts assume that all of the flour is used.
  • Consider using low sodium chicken broth to control the sodium content. You can also omit the bouillon but it does add a nice depth of flavor.
  • If using smaller chicken breasts, consider using 3-4 instead of 2 large.
  • Serve this meal with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables such as green beans.
  • Mushrooms make a great addition to this gravy, I like to sauté them separately and stir them into the sauce at the very end. Cooking them separately lets them retain their color, texture, and flavor.
  • This recipe is in The Cozy Cookbook on page 99!
Storage
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • This meal does freeze well. I reheat from frozen in the microwave, you can also thaw overnight and reheat leftovers in a lightly greased, covered casserole dish at 350 ° for 20-25 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 508kcal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 23g, Fat: 37g, Saturated Fat: 17g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 15g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 111mg, Sodium: 1060mg, Potassium: 451mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 887IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 287mg, Iron: 3mg
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751 comments on “Creamy Garlic Chicken”

  1. Could I make the chicken & gravy in a crockpot?!

    • Hi Bridgitte! This recipe as written utilizes varying temperatures on the stove top in order to sear the chicken, make the roux, create the gravy, etc. It also relies on evaporation- it would likely be much runnier in the crock pot.

  2. I made this last night! OMG so so so good! I’ve never had gravy that tasted that good! And the chicken was so tasty and not dried out (like I usually seem to do with any chicken!) I can’t wait to make this for my family who comes over next week for dinner! 

  3. I didn’t expect this recipe to have so much flavor! It’s wonderful. However, the sauce wasn’t thick enough when I finished cooking. 

    • Hi Alyssa! I’m so glad that you loved the flavors in this recipe! As far as the thickness of the sauce: The ratios of roux (3 tbsp flour + 3 tbsp butter), is the right ratio for the amount of liquid here to produce a thick sauce. But, if you don’t add the chicken broth in small splashes as outlined, the roux will break and produce a thinner result. A wide skillet with plenty of room for evaporation/reduction helps too. And the longer the sauce simmers, the thicker it will get. But mainly, it’s about adding the liquid to the skillet slowly after you’ve made the roux. I hope that helps!

  4. I noticed that the recipe calls for beef bullion cube instead of chicken. Is this correct? I assume so, but thought I would check before I prepare what looks to be a delicious recipe.

    • Hi Rebecca! Beef bouillon, yes! It seems counterintuitive but it adds depth of flavor and contrasts nicely with the chicken broth. It makes it taste more “gravy” like. You can use chicken bouillon if preferred though! Thanks for checking and I hope you enjoy it!

  5. A delicious Garlic chicken dish. Thank you so much Stephanie! Enjoyed making this with my hubby and we loved the flavors. A new favorite in our household. I think would work well with pasta or orzo too! Thanks for the quick reply earlier, much appreciated.

    • I’m SO happy that you loved it Bronwyn!! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a review, I really appreciate it!! -Stephanie

  6. Just about to make this garlic chicken dish. Just want to ask do you crush, chop or leave the garlic whole? Thanks Bronwyn 

  7. This was one of the best chicken meals I have made. My family raved about it. I will be definitely be making this again but may add slices mushrooms and omit the salt and pepper seasoning before putting it in the flour and parmesan mixture. Thank you for sharing this recipe.

    • It’s my pleasure Norma, I’m so happy you enjoyed this one! It’s a family favorite in my house. Mushrooms are a great addition😋. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!

  8. My family loved this recipe! Thank you!!

  9. Loved this recipe! The chicken was perfect , and the gravy/sauce was very tasty. I did add a little mushrooms at the end, as suggested. I do have a question, though!? I totally burnt my garlic (probably cause the dutch oven tends to get very hot? Could that be why? I had read that you said it’s not supposed to be black but brown so wasn’t sure how to correct, and dumped the poor black garlic out along with the black oil 🤷‍♀️ and continued as directed….Still turned out amazing!

    • Hi Audra! The garlic definitely shouldn’t burn, I would just suggest turning the heat down if things seem to be cooking more than expected, with any recipe! The temperature provided in the recipe is a guideline but stovetops do vary in terms of temperature. I’m glad that you remove the burned ingredients and had success from there! 🙂

  10. Amazing!  My whole family loves this and requests it often 

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