Creamy Garlic Chicken

Am I the only one who is perpetually on the hunt for an easy chicken recipe for dinner? I feel like I can never have enough on hand that aren’t too boring or we don’t tire of easily. This Creamy Garlic Chicken is anything but boring.

Creamy Chicken Recipe

Creamy Garlic Chicken is an adaptation from a cream of mushroom chicken recipe. I really dislike those condensed creamy soup (no offense cream of something users.) The canned soups have way too much salt and lack flavor. 

I know we are all thinking they look like the same thing which I won’t mention in the article about delicious food. It is so easy to make your own cream based sauce. 

Let me also dispel that this recipe is not for Chicken in Garlic Sauce like you would get at the Chinese food restaurant. This is more of an Italian heritage type of creamy garlic chicken. 

The next time you want to make a restaurant quality meal in the comfort of your own home, these creamy garlic chicken breasts are something that the whole family will love.

Roasted Garlic

For this chicken dinner idea, the cream sauce is also mashed with a whole head of roasted garlic. I know what you are thinking… I’m going to be peeling the paint tonight!

But that isn’t really true. Whole roasted garlic doesn’t have the same pungency that a crushed raw piece would. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll still get a good amount of garlic, but not keep the vampires away levels.

You can easily roast your own garlic up to a week ahead of time for cheap, but you can also buy roasted garlic in the produce section of your grocery store. Garlic confit is also an option.

Creamy Garlic Chicken Ingredients

This creamy garlic chicken recipe is made with simple ingredients, most of which you might have on hand already. Let’s get into them.

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts – I’m sure we’ve all been victim to the chicken breast that wasn’t fully cooked on the thick side, but dry and mealy on the thin end. Pounding it out to equal thickness ensures you will get even cooking with tender and juicy cooked chicken breasts.
• Salt and pepper – The creamy sauce is already so flavorful that you don’t need much seasoning. Fine sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper do wonders though.
• Olive oil – I like to use light extra virgin oil for it’s mild flavor. This will be used when cooking the chicken.
• Flour – If you’ve ever made a cream sauce before, chances are you’ve made a roux. Flour is the base of that paste.
• Butter – I always prefer to use unsalted butter when cooking so that I can control the amount of salt that goes into the recipe.
• Roasted garlic – Using roasted garlic instead of garlic powder really punches up the garlic flavor for this creamy garlic sauce. There’s no such thing as too much garlic in my book.
• Heavy cream – You can’t have a cream sauce without cream, right? Heavy whipping cream is just what we need.
• Frozen peas – I like to add peas for some color. They don’t have a lot of flavor, but I love the dimension they add to the dish.
• Sun dried tomatoes – Make sure these are drained and chopped before adding to the creamy garlic chicken skillet.
• Bacon – Using bacon instead of pancetta gives this creamy garlic chicken a much more American flare than the traditional Italian dish.
• Parmesan cheese – The cheese provides both flavor and texture to this parmesan sauce. I always prefer to grate my own rather than using the pre shredded cheese from the store. Freshly grated cheese melts much easier.
• Pasta, rice or mashed potatoes– I like using something starchy to soak up that delicious garlic cream sauce. If you’re trying to be healthier or low carb, you can use zucchini noodles, cauliflower rice or cauliflower mash instead. You could even serve with a side of veggies like green beans.

How to Make Creamy Garlic Chicken

Making this chicken is super simple. Easy enough to make on a busy weeknight, and delicious enough to taste gourmet.

1. Season chicken and prepare pan. Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Heat light extra virgin olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Cook chicken. Cook chicken until lightly browned and fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees. This can range greatly depending on whether you have small or large chicken breasts. 
3. Make roux. In the same large skillet, melt butter, scraping up the browned bits from the chicken on the bottom of the pan. Then add flour and roasted garlic, mashing to make a paste. 
4. Add cream, veggies and bacon. Add cream, stirring well to blend into a smooth (with the exception of the pieces of garlic) sauce. When incorporated and flour paste (roux) has blended, add frozen peas, sun dried tomatoes, bacon and parmesan cheese. 
5. Combine with chicken. Stir to coat and then cook for an additional few minutes. Return chicken to the sauce mixture, coating evenly and allowing to reheat for a few minutes. Correct seasoning with additional fine sea salt or freshly ground pepper. 
6. Serve. Serve over your choice of pasta or rice. Top with additional parmesan cheese, if desired. 

What to Serve with Cream Garlic Chicken

You can serve this chicken with just about anything you’d like to. I like to serve mine with some sort of green vegetable or salad. A nice side salad, some broccoli or even green beans are my usual go tos.

To soak up that delicious cream sauce, I also like to pair this dish with some sort of bread. Garlic bread is always a great option, and keeps in theme with this garlicky dinner.

Variations

There are plenty of ways you can make this creamy garlic chicken recipe your own.

• Vegetables – Not a fan of peas? Throw in a different veggie! Baby spinach, asparagus, broccoli or mushrooms would all be great choices.
• Extra flavor – While this sauce is already quite flavorful, try adding a splash of dry white wine or fresh lemon juice to brighten things up a bit.
• Chicken – I always have a pack of chicken breasts in the freezer or fridge, but some people are partial to thighs. Feel free to use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead. Just keep in mind the cooking time will vary. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.

Storage and Freezing

How to Store Leftover Creamy Garlic Chicken

You can store this creamy garlic chicken leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. You can reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet on the stove.

Can I Freeze Creamy Garlic Chicken?

It also freezes well if you’d like. Keep it in an airtight container and thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.

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Creamy Garlic Chicken Recipe

4.74 from 15 votes

Creamy Garlic Chicken is an easy chicken recipe for dinner using a homemade cream sauce, parmesan cheese, bacon, peas and sun dried tomatoes. A chicken dinner idea ready in just 30 minutes. 

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Total Time: 30 minutes mins

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Servings: 4

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Equipment

• Large Cast Iron Skillet

Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breasts , pounded to equal thickness
• fine sea salt and pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 head roasted garlic , mashed with a fork
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes , drained and chopped
• 1/4 cup bacon , cooked and crumbled
• 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese
• 4 cups pasta or rice , cooked

Instructions

• Season both sides of the chicken breasts with the salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.
• Cook the chicken for 4-6 minutes on each side, or until lightly browned and fully cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F. This can range greatly depending on the size of your chicken breast. Remove chicken, set aside.
• In the same large skillet, melt the butter, scraping up the browned bits from the chicken. Add the flour and roasted garlic, mashing to make a paste. 
• Stir in the cream, stirring well to blend into a smooth (with the exception of the pieces of garlic) sauce. When incorporated, and the flour paste (roux) has blended, add the frozen peas, sun dried tomatoes, bacon and parmesan cheese. 
• Stir to coat and then cook for an additional 3 minutes. Return the chicken to the sauce mixture, coating evenly and allowing to reheat for 2-3 minutes.
• Serve over your choice of pasta or rice. Top with additional parmesan cheese, if desired. 
• If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.

Notes

Store this creamy garlic chicken in an airtight container for up to three days.

Nutrition

Calories: 1017 kcal, Carbohydrates: 91 g, Protein: 37 g, Fat: 55 g, Saturated Fat: 31 g, Cholesterol: 245 mg, Sodium: 269 mg, Potassium: 1157 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 6 g, Vitamin A: 2150 IU, Vitamin C: 16.9 mg, Calcium: 171 mg, Iron: 2.9 mg

Author: Chef Jessica Formicola

Calories: 1017

Course: Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: chicken breast recipe, chicken with garlic sauce, garlic chicken

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