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.
Divs says
Hi! Don’t hv stock ir chicken broth… any substitute for that?
The Chunky Chef says
Do you have any broth (like vegetable, beef, etc)? If so, I’d use that, but if not you could use water, but it won’t have as much flavor.
Melissa Bayless says
Amazing!! Super easy and very flavorful!!
Jeanine Schaf says
I keep Better than Bouillon on hand because I can make broth with a small amount
Jane says
I made this last night and it was delicious. I substituted sour cream for heavy cream and it worked perfectly well. I served it with new potatoes and kale salad and the family loved it. Quick and easy to make too. Excellent.
Sabrina Mesa says
How much sour cream did you use? I only have sour cream at home and I don’t feel like running to the store for heavy cream! Just wondering what the amount was so I can use sour cream instead.
Alisa says
Chicken was amazing! Sauce needed some white wine and a lot more flour to thicken. We added Asiago instead of Parmesan and wilted spinach in the sauce just before serving with fettuccine. So versatile and definitely a crowd pleaser, I’ll be using this recipe in the future!
Deb says
I made this today and it was very good but next time I will be adding mushrooms
Denise says
I made this the other night and served it with pasta and a salad! It was delicious. I shall be keeping this recipe.
Sonka says
Can I make this recipe with no flour?
The Chunky Chef says
You can, but you’ll likely have to make a slurry of cornstarch and water mixed together, then added to the sauce to thicken it (since it won’t have the flour to thicken)
sunnyleone says
Delicious! My picky family loved it and we will make it again. Thanks for such a nice recipe!!
Stephanie says
If I don’t have any fresh garlic on hand can I use minced garlic (the type that’s pre-minced in little jars)?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes 🙂
Alicia Miyashiro says
Easy recipe and so delicious! Flavor is amazing and chix breast was moist and soft Thnks
Pam says
It was a delicious recipe. Since we have been social distancing and avoiding grocery stores as much as possible, it’s nice to find flavourful recipes that have common ingredients.
Stephen Edwards says
Going to make this today what can I use instead of cheese
The Chunky Chef says
You could omit the cheese if you like, but it may take longer to thicken.
Valerie says
OMG! Just finished making this recipe & still eating, couldn’t wait to post. I was looking for an easy recipe for chicken breasts & when I saw garlic, it was a no brainer. I used a bit more garlic than called for. This is the best ever. Creamy & garlicy, & chicken moist. It was perfect which I don’t accomplish too often. My husband & I absolutely loved it & I’ll be making again soon. Thank you so much.
Ginger says
So good! I used brown rice flour, added sun dried tomatoes, artichokes, mushrooms and spinach. Delicious!
Norine Ziemski says
This is a keeper. Simple, fast and absolutely delicious! One of the best sauces I’ve ever had.
Lauren Preskitt Hall says
Delicious! My picky family loved it and we will make it again.
Manju Ghumman says
I just made this and it’s too good. My kids loved it. Thank you so much for this delicious recipe!
Lisa says
This is a great base recipe to customize! I used it to make a creamy lemon garlic chicken. I didn’t have parmesan, and at the end, I stirred in fresh lemon juice. I added pre-cooked rice, to soak up the yummy sauce!
Manju Ghumman says
I just made these and they are too good! My kids loved them do much. Thank you for this delicious and easy recipe!
LaDonna says
This was excellent ….. my husband said this was the best recipe I have ever made ….. and I am not a great cook. Thanks!
Kathleen McMullin says
Thank you this was delicious!!! I added mushrooms and sun dried tomatoes and it was a hit!!! I’m resorting a lot to online recipes since we’ve had shelter in place.
Serafina De Cristofano says
SO Yummy! Tossed some pasta in with the extra sauce, made a delicious meal! Had to add a little corn starch to thicken to our liking, but great flavour and great reheated.