The ultimate weeknight dinner, ready in 30 minutes or less! With the ability to switch up the protein or play with different flavor add-ins, this versatile meal will be a family favorite!
Need to get dinner on the table in a flash? Check out my Blender Caesar Salad Dressing, Semi-Homemade Cheesy Garlic Bread and Roasted Broccoli to round out the meal – all are quick-cooking recipes!
Chicken breasts have a bad reputation for being dry and bland. In this recipe, the chicken is moist and tender, and positively dripping with a velvety garlic sauce. Definitely not bland at all!
COOKING CHICKEN BREASTS
For this recipe, I like to either buy thinly sliced chicken, or slice regular chicken breasts in half from right to left, opening them like a book. This is a good photo tutorial, although I don’t usually pound the chicken.
The reason I do this, is two-fold.
- You can turn 2 chicken breasts into 4 cutlets, so it’s very economical.
- Thinner chicken cooks quicker, making this truly a 30 minute meal.
Dredging the chicken in a bit of flour helps give it a golden “crust”, and when you add the chicken back to the pan with the sauce, the flour helps thicken up the sauce.
Last but not least, DON’T clean out the pan between browning the chicken and making the sauce! All those browned bits of chicken are pure flavor GOLD!
MAKING THIS CHICKEN BREASTS RECIPE WITH OTHER PROTEINS
The beauty of this recipe is that it’s easy to make with other proteins as well!
We all get tired of chicken from time to time, so these are our favorite options:
- Pork chops
- Shrimp
- Steaks
- Salmon
ADDITIONAL FLAVOR ADD-INS
I love versatile recipes, and this creamy garlic sauce is a great base to add other flavors to!
Some of my favorites are:
- Asiago cheese
- Fresh or dried herbs
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Fresh spinach
- Basil pesto
- Mustard
While I think this meal is fabulous as is, you could serve it alongside some pasta for a truly stick-to-your-ribs dinner!
HOW TO MAKE A PAN SAUCE
Making a pan sauce is my favorite way to make a sauce because you don’t have to dirty another pan! Plus you get the added bonus of all the flavors of what was cooked in the pan before the sauce.
After the chicken has been browned on both sides and removed to a plate, add in a drizzle more oil and saute the shallot and garlic.
Add in the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to really scrape the bottom of the pan. This loosens up any browned bits and incorporates that flavor into the sauce.
Add in the cream and seasonings, stirring well. Add in the cheese and butter and your sauce is complete!
This pan sauce method can be used to make just about any pan sauce you want!
SHOP THE RECIPE
- Cast Iron Skillet – I use this pan for just about everything in my kitchen and it’s perfect for getting that amazing sear on the chicken.
- Sharp Knife – I have a fancy Wusthof knife that I love (but is super pricey), but this knife is super close second for me, and you can’t beat the price!
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Ingredients
- 4 chicken breast halves
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour (for dredging)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 2 shallots, finely minced (or 1 small yellow onion)
- 2 Tbsp finely minced garlic
- 1 1/3 cups chicken broth or stock
- 1 - 1 1/3 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp dried Italian seasoning
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is best)
Instructions
- Add flour to a shallow dish. Season chicken on both sides with a total of 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and 1/4 tsp paprika. Add chicken to flour dish, one at a time, turning to coat lightly in flour.
- Heat olive oil in heavy skillet over MED HIGH heat until hot. Add butter, then add flour-dredged chicken to skillet, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. If your pan is less than 12 inches across, you may need to brown the chicken in batches.
- Cook chicken for approximately 4-5 minutes per side, until cooked and golden brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce heat to MED LOW, and add a small drizzle of oil to pan (remember, DON'T clean it out!), then add shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes, until soft and fragrant. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds or so.
- Carefully pour in chicken broth or stock, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Pour in heavy cream and stir well to combine.
- Cook 2-4 minutes, or until thickened slightly. Stir in 1/4 tsp each of pepper and Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese. Add chicken back to the pan, nestling them in and moving them around so the flour will help thicken the sauce.
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Chef Tips
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Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Michelle I Landry-Nanka says
Great recipe! Please tell me it’s 780 calories for the entire dish and not just one serving 🙂
The Chunky Chef says
It’s per serving, however keep in mind it’s very much estimated and automatically calculated, so I can’t speak to how accurate it is. If full nutrition information is important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer, or that you seek a nutritionist/dietitian for exact nutritional information.
Jill says
The cooking time for the chicken was much longer than indicated which significantly changed the impression that this is a quick recipe. It was delicious though and worth the wait!
The Chunky Chef says
Glad you enjoyed it! Did you slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally as described in the post? If they aren’t sliced in half, they’ll be thicker, which means they’ll take longer to cook.
Dione says
This was restaurant quality. Oh so good. I’ll add mushrooms next time. Great flavor.
kamandi edwards says
can’t wait to try sounds delicious.
Lexy says
So delicious me and my husband loved it! Used boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts (personal preference) and added some mushrooms to the sauce!!! *french kiss* delicious darling thank you 🙂
Jennette says
I’m always looking for new recipes for my family and this one was an absolute winner. I paired it with angel hair pasta and used fresh oregano, parsley, and basil from my garden (instead of the dried Italian seasoning). My family raved about it! I will definitely be adding this to our regular menu.
Paeta says
Your site is really wonderful. I’ve made a few of your recipes and they’re all delicious. I like the way you’ve made it easy to jump to the recipe, print, save, and share them too. Well done, and thank you : )
Anu says
Quick and easy recipe 👍👍 was tired of the old type of recipes, this was new and enjoyed by my kids.
Shaundra says
I used shrimp instead of chicken. I used half the amount of shallots and seasoned to taste. Served it over pasta with a side of sautéed green beans. My husband loved it. Thanks for this awesome and delicious recipe!
Lynn says
The chicken turned out great the sauce was very oniony. Not impressed. Cut back on those shallots. I thought shallots were mild, they are most definitely not. I’ll be looking for another recipe.
Amanda says
Shallots are generally mild, but like all types of onions, some are more potent than others. Sounds like yours were more potent and/or larger. Best of luck in finding a recipe you like.
MT says
Question in step 6 you state add chicken back into sauces. I maybe missing it but don’t see how long the chicken is need to cook in the sauce until done?
Amanda says
It’s not an exact time, just until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened some.
Sheila says
Fantastic! We loved it! Thank you!
Sugarcrumbz says
It is a rich dish , like the one I get in decent restaurants.
Ben says
OMG, this is a keeper! Delicious, fast and easy!
Susan Houser says
Best chicken breast recipe ever!! So easy, so fast, so delicious!!!
Kelley says
I have to say I made this tonight for my family and it was AMAZING. I’m not that good at following recipes so this is very easy. I also made bow tie noodles for the extra sauce for tomorrow’s lunch!! Thank you for this recipe. 😀
Sue says
My husband and I loved this! So tasty. The aromas in the kitchen made our mouths water. I added peas and mushrooms. I also made a little more sauce as I was putting it over pasta. So so good. Will definitely make again. Thanks for the recipe!
Jess says
Loved this one and so did my husband . He was saying how good it was the next day too! I just added a few mushrooms to the cream but everything was just perfect. Easy to follow
Annette D Brooks says
This is a fantastic recipe. A real go-to for chicken breasts. Everyone at the table loved it. I made it exactly to the instructions and it turned out beautifully. It looks just like the pictures and the flavors are perfectly balanced. I used cream-top milk, so I had to spend a few extra minutes at the end simmering the sauce down to a thicker consistency, stirring constantly. Didn’t use corn starch. I love that she mentions possible flavor add-ins. Next time I might add a tablespoon of grainy Maille old-style mustard to the sauce. I served it with buttered mashed potatoes and sauteed yellow squash on the side. What a delicious meal.
Sandy says
This recipe is absolutely delicious! I put peas in and served it over penne.Can’t wait to try some of your instant pot recipes!