Creamy Garlic Chicken
Published 8/20/2023
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This creamy garlic chicken is an easy dinner recipe that will have you coming back again and again. Pan-seared chicken breasts get slathered in a delicious sauce made of browned garlic, chicken broth, and cream cheese for a restaurant quality meal that’s ready in minutes.
When we say this creamy garlic chicken is saucy, we mean it! You’ll want to put this flavorful sauce on EVERYTHING. It’s easily the best part of this delicious chicken dish. Whether you lap it up with a side of garlic bread or let it seep into a bed of white rice, you’re going to want to lick your plate when you’re done. Trust me!
The secret to this rich and creamy sauce is the cream cheese. It pairs beautifully with the juicy chicken breasts… and just about everything else you can get your hands on! It’s a delicious comfort food that you’ll most definitely want in your easy weeknight dinner rotation.
Creamy Garlic Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken breast: we used boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but chicken thighs work too!
- Salt + pepper: salt and pepper are used to enhance all the flavors of this dish.
- Paprika: paprika adds a subtle kick of spice for a deeper flavor profile.
- Avocado oil: avocado oil is a nice heart-healthy oil with a high smoke point.
- Garlic: the main flavor of this dish. Use fresh garlic if you can for the best taste.
- Chicken broth: the base of the sauce, chicken broth adds a richer flavor and creates a smoother texture.
- Cream cheese: the secret ingredient! Cream cheese is what makes this amazing recipe creamy and dreamy.
Serving Suggestions
The beauty of this chicken breast recipe is that it has a delicious creamy garlic sauce that’ll taste fantastic over all kinds of dishes. Here are some of our favorite recipes from our sister site, Fit Foodie Finds, that’ll have you licking your lips with every bite:
- Serve it over our Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes or Amazing Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes for a classic comfort food meal.
- Swap out the sauce from our Creamy Vegan Asparagus Pasta or 30-Minute Pasta Primavera with this creamy garlic chicken recipe to make a creamy garlic chicken pasta.
- Use our foolproof Sticky Rice recipe or healthy Cauliflower Rice as a base for this tasty dish.
Top Tips for Creamy Garlic Chicken Breasts
The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken breast. For even cooking, we recommend getting chicken breasts that are all roughly the same size. If you have smaller breasts, reduce the cooking time by 1-2 minutes.
For speedier cooking, it could help to beat the chicken first or slice them in half lengthwise. This will reduce your total cooking time by a few minutes and cut down on any uneven cooking.
When it comes to seasoning, garlic is definitely the star of this show. Try to use fresh garlic if possible, as this will give you the best flavor. You can also use pre-minced garlic from the store if you prefer.
Storage
Store any leftover creamy garlic chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days.
To reheat, place the chicken and sauce in a saucepan with a little water and cook until heated through.
Mashed Potatoes to Serve with This
Creamy Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 1.25 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breast
- ½ teaspoon salt, or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 7 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 8 oz. cream cheese
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half horizontally. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Heat the avocado oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken breast and cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Remove from the pan.
- Reduce the heat on the pan to low and add the garlic. Cook for 2-3 minutes. The garlic should be golden brown. Add the broth and scrape along the bottom of the pan. Add the cream cheese and stir until melted.
- Add the chicken breast back to the skillet and turn to coat.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.
Tips & Notes
- The chicken breast that we used was 1.25 lbs. but only 2 chicken breasts. If you are starting with smaller chicken breasts, the cooking time should be reduced by 1-2 minutes.
- Parmesan cheese would be a great addition to this recipe.
Watch It
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This is so delicious! Also a very easy weeknight meal. The creamy garlic sauce was truly amazing.