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.
Jackie says
My 11 year old stated he did not have high hopes for the dish by the looks of it, however by the time we sat down for dinner he changed his mind and said it was the best ever. I cooked bow tie pasta and broccoli separately and then added them to pan. Thank you for the recipe. I do wish I saw the note about adding cornstarch to thicken the sauce. I would have used that as the sauce was not as thick as I would have preferred.
Vanessa says
According to the amount written, I’m confused as to how much heavy cream to use??
Amanda says
It’s a range from 1 cup to 1 and 1/3 cups, meaning it’s up to you and how much sauce you want to have.
ASU Ange says
Holy yumminess!!!! I followed your recipe exactly and then added cooked white rice to the pan and some steamed broccoli. IT IS SOOOOOO GOOD! My husband loves it and said I have to keep making this. Thank you so much for sharing. I was so bored with how we usually cook or grill chicken breast and this was exactly what was needed for our house. Thank you and God bless!!!
Glenna Weems says
Just made this for my family and they loved it!!!
LeDonia C Graves says
Honey!!!! let me tell you something this recipe was on point….please don’t take this wrong Im an african woman and I was like how can I do chicken different…. found This recipe and said let my try it Honey let me tell you it was sooooooo good my husband don’t eat everything but he ate this I was like heavy cream in chicken it was winner winner chicken dinner (woohoo) and I made some pasta we really enjoyed every bit of this dish Thank you will be making again ❤❤😩
Kay says
Very good recipe. I paired it with rice and broccoli
Cherrie Lemon says
My picky 5 year old loved it. I added some bowtie pasta on the side and tossed it with the extra sauce. I also substituted a few things and it was still amazing
(garlic salt instead of minced garlic;
vegetable broth instead of chicken broth;
shredded italian cheese instead of parm [no store runs for me]).
Sheenkai Zahir-Kilpatrick says
I made this tonight, I couldn’t come up with a chicken Brest recipe and I stumbled on this one. Family loved it! I will be making this again. Thanks
Zoey says
I want to make this recipe but it says heavy cream that I don’t no what that is?
Amanda says
Here in the United States, heavy cream is a dairy product that is at least 36% fat. I’m not sure what you have available, but that percentage should give you a guideline to go off of.
chris says
you can substitute heavy cream with melted butter and milk. You can probably google a good ratio to do this.
Jean says
Made this for myself tonight and it was wonderful. Definitely will make it again for friends and/or family.
Beverly Hurst says
Made this tonight. It was awesome.
Tyler says
Made this for my wife and kids last week . It was such a hit I’m making it again tonight but also making enough for my mom and dad ! Thanks so much 🤗
J.L. says
Turned out so well. My family joked and think it needs to be called Cr*ck Creamy Garlic Chicken Breasts. Absolutely delicious and the chicken breasts are so tender. We served it with rice and broiled asparagus.
P. Norton says
I made this. It was delicious. The chicken came out perfect. The flavor was good. I didn’t use cream though. I used milk. It was still creamy. Thanks for the recipe.
Peter says
This looks delicious and I’m making it for my parents tonight. I was curious tho… After you add the chicken back into the sauce how long do you cook it?
The Chunky Chef says
I hope you all love it! Just a minute or two, or however long you need to make sure the sauce is thickening a little and the chicken is cooked through 🙂
Jaime Willet says
I want to make this tonight but I don’t have the dry italian dressing. I have regular italian dressing. Any substitute suggestions? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
My apologies for any confusion, this doesn’t use a packet of Italian dressing, it uses dried Italian seasoning that comes in a regular spice jar. If you don’t have that, you can use a pinch of dried basil plus oregano.
Laura says
I’m wondering if I can use coconut or almond flour instead and turn this keto? It looks delicious and really easy to make.
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve only tested this recipe as written. So without testing and retesting it myself, I can’t say for certain if that would work. If you try it, I’d love to know how it turns out!
Damaris Canela says
My friend did this and said it was absolutely delicious. She follows a keto diet as well.
Loz says
Try cutting right to left if you are left handed
The Chunky Chef says
The snark isn’t necessary. Yes, obviously if you are left handed, you would have to cut from left to right… I trust that my readers are intelligent enough to figure that out 🙂
Vicki says
Omg I’m dead!! I LOVE that you shot down the rudeness! I can’t wait to try the recipe and post a positive review!
Carmen says
Loz- I’m left handed and cut left to right. It’s not rocket science to figure that out.
Cindy says
Super delicious! My husband and kids love it too! I served it over zoodles.
Judy says
THis was very delicious and easy! I did use cornstarch to thicken the sauce but otherwise perfect! Thank you!