Creamy Garlic Chicken
In under 40 minutes you can have this creamy garlic chicken dinner ready to go. All you need is one pan and a few simple ingredients, and you’ll have a delicious meal the whole family will love. The tender sautéed chicken cutlets are tossed in a creamy garlic sauce that is so good you’ll have a hard time not scraping the pan clean!
Serve this one pan chicken dish over my easy mashed potatoes, Lebanese rice or alongside some simple sautéed vegetables for a flavorful and satisfying meal.
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Ingredients and Substitutions for Creamy Garlic Chicken
Fats – This recipe calls for avocado oil. You’ll use this oil to sauté the chicken. Option to use olive oil instead. I like sautéing with avocado oil because it has a high smoke point and doesn’t impart any flavor on the protein.
Chicken – This recipe calls for one pound of chicken, roughly two chicken breasts. Butterfly the chicken breasts into four thin cutlets. Butterflying the chicken allows it to cook more evenly and quickly. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of the chicken.
Seasoning – You’ll need kosher salt and cracked black pepper for this recipe.
Aromatics – This recipe calls for diced sweet onion, lightly crushed whole garlic cloves, and freshly chopped chives as garnish. Option to use diced yellow onion instead of sweet and sliced scallions instead of chives as a garnish.
Wine – This recipe calls for dry white wine. I like using sauvignon Blanc, but pinot grigio works well too.
Broth – You’ll need low sodium chicken broth or chicken bone broth for this recipe. I like using the bone broth because it has more collagen and flavor.
Cream – For this recipe, you’ll need heavy cream. The cream is what makes the sauce so silky and lush. If you opt for half and half or milk, please know this will change the texture of the sauce.
Dijon Mustard – You’ll need 1.5 teaspoons of Dijon mustard for this recipe. It adds a layer of flavor that’s compliments the entire dish well.
Cheese – This recipe calls for grated parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions FAQ’s
- Why do you use avocado oil? Avocado oil has a high smoke point and does not impart any flavor on your food the same way olive oil does. So, when I want a high smoke point for sautéing, I will go to avocado oil.
- What does butterfly chicken mean? It means to take a protein and carefully slice it in half. This allows for more even and quick cooking which is perfect when sautéing. Otherwise, if your chicken is too thick, you’ll need to pan roast it to ensure doneness.
- How do you know when chicken is done cooking? You know when the juices run clear, and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Why do you use kosher salt? Kosher salt has a larger crystal than table salt, so it allows for even seasoning. It is also easier to see so you can adjust seasoning more easily as well. Keep in mind, kosher salt and table salt ARE NOT a one for one conversion.
Frequently Asked Questions Continued
- Why do you remove the whole garlic cloves? Sometimes the garlic doesn’t soften all the way through, so it is good to remove the garlic, so no one bites into a piece of garlic that is still hard inside. This is especially true for larger cloves. Crushing the garlic before adding it to the pan can help, but large cloves typically do not soften fully.
- Can I use milk instead? I haven’t tested the recipe with milk. I would suggest using the heavy cream to ensure a high-quality dish and silky-smooth sauce.
- Why do you let the heavy cream rest before adding it? It is best to let the heavy cream rest at room temperature for 10ish minutes before adding it to the sauce. Cold cream can break the sauce.
- Will the white wine make the sauce curdle? Any acid can make a cream sauce curdle if you do not add the ingredients in the proper sequence. When you deglaze the pan with white wine, be sure to let it reduce by half before adding the broth. This will allow the alcohol to burn off preventing curdling.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Chicken
Prepare the Chicken
Butterfly two chicken breasts into four thin cutlets. Season the cutlets with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Set aside.
Sauté the Chicken
Heat avocado oil in a skillet. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add the seasoned chicken cutlets. Sauté for 4-5 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your chicken. Remove from the pan.
Make the Sauce
Reduce the heat to medium and in the same pan add the diced sweet onion and crushed whole garlic cloves. You can crush the garlic by pressing it with the back of a spoon. This helps release the garlic flavor when sautéing. Sweat for 3-4 minutes in the pan or until the onions are soft and translucent.
Deglaze the pan with white wine, stir well. Allow the wine to reduce by half before adding the bone broth, stir well. Allow the bone broth to reduce by half before adding the heavy cream. Once the cream is well combined. Add the Dijon mustard and whisk until well combined.
Next, add the grated parmesan cheese. Once the cheese is fully melted, taste for seasoning. Keep in mind that the parmesan cheese and broth can have a good amount of salt. So season accordingly. You might want to add a touch more cracked black pepper. Remove the garlic cloves if they haven’t fully softened.
Assemble the Dish
Nestle the chicken back into the pan along with any juices. If the sauce gets too thick, add a touch more low sodium chicken broth or chicken bone broth to thin it back out. Top each cutlet with some shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with a lid to let the cheese melt. Once the cheese is melted, top with freshly chopped chives, and serve hot!
How to Store Creamy Garlic Chicken
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days. Reheat the chicken in the microwave or in a skillet. Add a touch of broth or water to the sauce to reconstitute it. This will allow the sauce to be silky and smooth again when reheating. Looking for more chicken recipes? Try my Chimichurri Grilled Chicken Thighs, Easy Bruschetta Chicken, or my Lemon Pepper Chicken.
Creamy Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 lb. chicken breasts, butterfly into 4 thin cutlets
- kosher salt, to season the chicken
- few turns cracked black pepper, to season the chicken, plus for to season the sauce
- ½ cup sweet onion, diced small
- 8 cloves garlic, whole cloves, lightly crushed
- ¼ cup white wine, Sauvignon blanc or similar
- ½ cup chicken bone broth, or low sodium chicken broth / stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1.5 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2-4 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, about one tablespoon per cutlet
- 1 teaspoon chives, freshly chopped
Equipment
- 1 saute pan with lid
- 1 spatula
- 1 whisk
- 1 measuring cups
Instructions
How to Make Creamy Garlic Chicken
Prepare the Chicken
- Butterfly two chicken breasts into four thin cutlets. Season them with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Set aside.
Sauté the Chicken
- Heat avocado oil in a skillet. Once the oil is hot but not smoking, add the seasoned chicken cutlets. Sauté for 4-5 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 165 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure doneness. Cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your chicken. Remove from the pan.
Make the Sauce
- Reduce the heat to medium and in the same pan add the diced sweet onion and lightly crushed whole garlic cloves. You can crush the garlic by pressing it with the back of a spoon. This helps release the garlic flavor when sautéing. Sweat for 3-4 minutes in the pan or until the onions are soft and translucent.Deglaze the pan with white wine, stir well. Allow the wine to reduce by half before adding the bone broth, stir well. Allow the bone broth to reduce by half before adding the heavy cream. Once the cream is well combined. Add the Dijon mustard and whisk until well combined. Next, add the grated parmesan cheese. Once the cheese is fully melted, taste for seasoning. Keep in mind that the parmesan cheese and broth can have a good amount of salt. So season accordingly. You might want to add a touch more cracked black pepper. Remove the garlic cloves if they haven't fully softened.
Assemble the Dish
- Nestle the chicken back into the pan along with any juices. If the sauce gets too thick, add a touch more low sodium chicken broth or chicken bone broth to thin it back out. Top each cutlet with some shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover with a lid to let the cheese melt. Once the cheese is melted, top with freshly chopped chives, and serve hot!
