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.
Janet Anderson says
I’d give it 4 stars only because I used substitutes and less seasoning. My husband loved it and I think if I had followed the recipe, it would have been even better. I want to try it with shrimp and angel hair pasta.
Kasey says
This is SO GOOD! Not only is it a new favorite meal, thanks to You/this recipe I have finally nailed how to cook chicken breasts. I was seriously so close to writing off chicken entirely. But now, I finally can cook amazing juicy chicken perfectly each time🙏
Out of ideas... says
Thank you for saving us from another “chicken again?!?” night. Even got my 13 year eating dinner again!! Thank you for easy ingredients- actually had everything on had- extra bonus!!
Rivermarket Kitchen says
Looks great! The recipe is quite simple and easy to prepare, added to the menu for this weekend. We hope to enjoy the best One Pan Creamy Garlic Chicken Breasts with my family. Thanks and have a nice day!
Alicia says
This is soooo delicious! I just started cooking recently upgrading from the good old shake n bake and this is not only pretty easy to cook it’s easily the best chicken I’ve ever had. My hubby loves it so thank you from the both of us😁
Sue Benson says
This was a fabulous recipe. Everyone of us enjoyed it immensely. Would definitely do this again and again!
Soila says
Absolutely delicious!
Tip: I added flour and this definitely helped Thicken up the sauce as I was also having issues getting the sauce to thicken up and I didn’t have corn starch in hand . I also added a splash of sour cream! Yum!
Angelina Howell says
How much flour did you have to add? I’m worried I did something wrong. It’s not thickening
Jeffrey says
This recipe is delicious. I’ve made it a few times. 1) I cannot get the sauce to thicken, no matter what adjustments I’ve made; 2) it’s very messy. Plan for clean up time!
Lydia Gilchrist says
This recipe is delicious, you don’t need to change a thing! It has become a once a week dish for us. Thank you
Crystal says
My family loved it made it with broccoli on the side and pasta just needed garlic bread
Elizabeth E Armijo says
This was delicious. I used whole milk since I didn’t have cream and regular onion. I served with left over pasta and spinach…yummy!
Ashleigh says
5/5 stars! We had to add a little more cream to the sauce, but this was Husband, 7 year old and our 2 year old twins approved! So delicious! I actually made it with broccoli and mashed potatoes and the whole family raved. We are making it a second time, since the family keeps asking for it.
Virginia says
Delicious!
Kelly Florenz says
OMG!!! This was so good! I made it last night for dinner. Served it over medium egg noodles. Whole family loved it! The only changes I made were I used an onion, since I don’t have shallots. I also put the salt, pepper and paprika in the flour, and was pretty liberal with the Parmesan cheese.. This is definitely going in my rotation! Finally something different to do with chicken breast!
Donna H says
I breaded my chicken in dry ranch dressing powder. Browned in canola oil and butter. Other than that, o followed the recipe except I didn’t measure, I just went by consistency. This was the best sauce that I have made in a long time! Thank you for sharing!
Barbara says
This chicken recipe is absolutely delicious. .added mushrooms and thickened a bit more…paired with rice and peas. Thanks for sharing.
Katherine says
So delicious! I don’t measure the ingredients, just eye it and it always comes out. I serve the chicken and sauce over rice or roasted asparagus for a less carbs meal.
Mis L says
Really delicious! I followed the recipe measurements but used sour cream in place of heavy cream as I didn’t have any. I also added a swirl of mustard to the sauce and mixed that in. So good! Because of the lower fat content of the sour cream, the sauce wasn’t as thick but it still had a great texture and I’m sure with a touch of butter and flour, it would have thickened nicely.
Delinda Schmittler says
This was a crowd pleaser for my family. I did thicken the sauce a little. Paired this with steamed mixed vegies, and Chicken Stove Top Stuffing. Easy, and delicious! Thank’s for sharing!
Pat Williams says
Delicious
Feli says
Truly flavorful and tasty! Thank you for sharing❤️