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.
Danielle says
Easy and tasty
Family loved
lorna says
this was so good, added 1 tsp of dijon (and maybe a little extra garlic), loved it and so easy
Sarah Barrick says
My entire family loves this…flat out delicious! Quick, but so good it tastes like I spent hours on it. I made it as directed, but I have also used smoked paprika, which adds another layer of flavor. I have served over riced cauliflower for fewer carbs. Thanks for a great recipe!
Boss5 says
Chicken tasted so good, I put a bit double the paprika and it was too hot at all!
Jessica says
I told my husband it is like an Italian version of chicken fried steak. This was awesome! Thank you!
maria says
i had left over chicken breast and didn’t know what to do with them. searched and found this. i had almost all the ingredients (didn’t have the heavy cream nor milk) so quick trip to market. started at 6:30, we were eating at 7:15. included pasta shell to dredge the sauce over along with some mushrooms. I was pleasantly surprised how easy and quick this was to make. perfect quick meal. you can feed a crowd easily and cheaply. thank you
Lori Atkinson says
It looks really good. Glad I found you. I’m just wondering how much longer to cook it after I return the chicken to the pan? Did I miss something?
The Chunky Chef says
Glad to have been found 🙂 It will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts… if they are thin (like the halves mentioned in the recipe), you will likely need less than a minute.
Lyndsay Kay says
Fantastic recipe. My husband asks for it regularly. I use whole milk because we don’t keep heavy cream on hand and extra cornstarch to thicken up the sauce.
Veronica Neal says
I am known in the family as the one who cannot cook. My husband cooks every meal but in my defense, he is a chef! He broke his ankle and cannot stand long enough to cook right now. So, I looked up “Quick & Easy chicken recipes” and this one peeked my interest. OMG it’s amazing!! Everyone thought I bought carryout at a restaurant because that’s how good it tastes! I will be creating more meals from Amanda’s recipes! Thank you so much for saving me in the kitchen!
Rita says
Love this recipe, I have made with fettuccine, gnocchi & rice. I’ve added mustard and splash of cooking wine. Saved leftover sauce for turkey meatballs!
Lara says
Prepared this recipe several times and it’s always a success. I also added some pancetta and mushrooms on several times and love it too. Thank You
Kelly says
Awesome chicken! Very flavorful. I added spinach and more garlic. Served over egg noodles. Easy to make too! This is a keeper.
Shirley Minor says
I made the recipe with a slight modification. I never took the chicken out of the pan and I only poured half of the amount of heavy cream. Everything else I followed the recipe. The sauce wasn’t real thick but it was a very nice sauce for the chicken and the whole grain spaghetti that I served with it. This will definitely be one my go to recipes whenever I serve boneless chicken breasts.
Shanie B Madrid says
Omgggg… Made this for my family tonight. They raved about how great it was and I agreed. So good.
Tori Wayne says
Cant wait to try! 🙂 from one photography need to another, thanks for this simple but divine looking recipe!
Becky says
So easy and delicious! Love all your recipes, my goto website!
Carol says
This is a staple dinner menu in our family. My hubby loves and crave abt it. I made modification by dicing the chicken into bite size and serve thrm over rice. Thank youuuu sooo much for this easy to follow,but amazing recipe!!
Diana says
Omgggggg this is delicious made it for the first time my family loved it !! Everyone has seconds lol definitely will repeat.
Thank you Amanda
Tracey says
Made this tonight and we will see the family reviews. Thanks so much Amanda for the quick and easy recipe! My husband usually cooks, but they will be surprised tonight! It smells out of this world!
Heather Hine says
Absolutely delicious! I served the chicken over brown rice and with broccoli
Heidi Witte says
Best, easy chicken recipe ever!! The whole family has been asking when we’re having it again, so tonight is the night!
Vanessa says
My whole family loved your recipe!!! Took me longer the first time because I was reading step by step but the next few times was so much easier. My kids say it is better than a restaurant. Thank you for sharing your recipe!