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.
Valerie says
Tried this recipe today for lunch & it was SOOOO delicious!
The sauce reminds me of an alfredo sauce- even better!
Can’t wait to try it again!
Taylor Fairbanks says
Sounds delicious, cant wait to make it! If I want to add spinach to it, at which point would I put it in? Thank you
The Chunky Chef says
I would add it when you add the garlic 🙂
Matthew27 says
Oh yum, yum, YUM!!! This recipe is a keeper!! I used tenderloin chicken strips and it worked beautifully! Didn’t have heavy cream so I used the coconut milk inside of my fridge. Didn’t have chicken stock so I poured 1-1/3 c water and added 2t “Better than Buillion” vegetarian flavor. To thicken, I took the hot broth and leftover flour from dredging and whisked that together. My husband LOVED it!! Thank you, 5 stars!
Jennifer says
This was super easy, and both guys loved it. I added spinach and the dish was even better.
Kerri says
I great recipe. I made it for the family and it’s a keeper. I used half and half instead of heavy cream, and it was fine. I also added sun dried tomatoes,. It was delicious. Next time we are going to add mushrooms.
Mona Altman says
Delicious recipe. I had no cream so I used half and half with cornstarch. Also had no Fresh Parm so I used Pecorino. Thank you Chunky Chef for a great recipe! Locked up inside, looking for fun new recipes to try. This is a winner!
Celia says
Excellent! I won’t change a thing, except, of course, adding my love.
Joy says
I tried this recipe and I must say that it turned out pretty good! I added some red pepper flakes and spinach. I served it with a green salad and bow tie pasta. My family loved it! Thank you.
Cheryl says
This was easy and delicious. I used milk and a little half and half to cut down on fat.
Joy says
easy and quick, good flavor. I didn’t have parmesan cheese and didn’t use italian spices, just salt and pepper and it was still fantastic.
Shirley says
Awesome for my family! Pretty much followed the recipe. But fried the chicken and finished in the oven. Will definitely make again!! LOVED IT!!
Kendra says
Awesome recipe! I added extra cheese and also added a little extra flour because the sauce wasn’t as thick as we wanted. Otherwise, followed exactly and it turned out AMAZING.
Lara James says
Wow! This was so easy and delicious. I didn’t have cream so I used fat free half and half and I cut liquids down 1/2 cup between the stock snd cream. Heavenly!
Samantha says
Amazing! Delicious! My boyfriend said it was a better version than Olive Garden ; ) hehe. But I did have to make a substitution due to lack of supply but nonetheless worked out fine. I didn’t have the onion so I just put onion powder in with the garlic. Also struggled making the sauce thick-I always struggle with this…I did the corn starch suggestion that didnt do much so I sprinkled some flour and then let it cool and BOOM thick sauce!! It was amazing. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
Samara C Wilson says
What if you dont have chicken broth? Can I use something else?
The Chunky Chef says
You could use water, but add a tablespoon or so of butter with it, to give it a touch more flavor. I’ve not tested this recipe other than as written, so I can’t guarantee it’ll taste the same.
Lena says
Dairy Free Version absolutely delicious!
Followed recipe but instead of butter used plant based butter (I’m allergic to milk protein) in combination with olive oil. For cream substitute I’ve used oatmeal cream and for parmesan cheese substitute I’ve used nutritional yeast. My kids loved it even though one of them is a finicky eater.
Thank you for the recipe.
Mary Kidwell says
A keeper! This tastes so fresh and delicious. It is quick and easy. I had chicken stock and used half heavy cream, half, half-n-half, chicken stock, and added turmeric with the paprika, salt and pepper. Honestly, I didn’t measure anything at all. Just put olive oil and about two pats of butter in the pan, cut one extra large chicken breast into about 9 tenders, and followed the recipe from there. Everyone in my family loved it! We will make this at the beach when we go this Summer to SC!
Thanks for a great recipe to add to my collection!
Mary
Jennifer Robotham says
This chicken was absolutely delicious! I had it with rice, broccoli and cauliflower. With the leftovers I plan on making some fusilli noodles and tossing the extra chicken and sauce into it. Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Kyle K says
Sliced breast in 1/2 long way, pounded, brined for 30 minutes, then followed recipe. Wicked tasty and tender.
Doris says
I made this last night for my family.
This dish is so filling! We had Mushroom ravioli with it and I added Laccinato Kale to the sauce for color and for veggies. We also had broccoli too.
Everyone loved it and said that it should be written in our family book! It is a keeper!
Vicki says
What can I use in place of heavy cream. Trying to cut some calories.
The Chunky Chef says
You could try half and half or milk, but I haven’t tested using anything other than what the recipe specifies.
Kelsey says
This recipe was amazing! My whole family loved it, even my picky 9 year old finished his plate. I used a yellow onion and I used an Italian cheese mix (mozzarella, Parmesan, Romano, provolone and Asiago) and probably doubled the cheese because, well cheese. Freaking amazing!!