Creamy Garlic Chicken is an easy chicken recipe made in the skillet! So much flavor in this creamy, garlic sauce, and it only takes 30 minutes from start to finish!
Creamy Garlic Chicken Is an Easy Chicken Recipe Perfect for a Weeknight Dinner!
Lately any excuse I have not to turn on the oven at dinnertime, I am taking it! That’s Why I love Skillet Recipes! You can really pull together a gorgeous dish in basically one large pan and I love it. And chicken works REALLY well in a skillet, because you can get a nice brown sear on the outside, while the inside will stay juicy and tender. Plus you can get really creative with the type of sauce you use! Add a little rice, pasta, or a side salad and you have a meal in under 30 minutes!
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How Do You Make Garlic Chicken?
Like I said, this is an easy, and quick chicken dinner recipe. It packs a lot of flavor into the simple sauce, thanks to the garlic.
Do You Have To Use a Cast Iron Skillet?
Nope, you don’t have to make this in a cast iron skillet, but if you have one, it’s a great tool for skillet meals! You can get a nice, deep sear on the outside of the meat, which adds flavor. And cast iron heat very evenly, so it’s a nice way to ensure that the dish will cook evenly, which is important when you’re making a dinner in under 30 minutes! You want to make sure it’s all cooked thoroughly and evenly! I have used THIS cast iron skillet for years and years, and it’s one of my most used kitchen tools!
What Ingredients Do You Need?
You use extra simple ingredients in this Creamy Garlic Chicken, which is one of the reasons I love making it for dinner! Here are some of the key ingredients you will need:
- Chicken: I love using Boneless Chicken Thighs in this recipe for maximum flavor!
- Garlic: Obviously this chicken recipe has tons of fresh garlic. Make sure your garlic is fresh for best flavor, and I just smash the garlic with the side of my large knife and add it to the sauce. This gives the dish a rustic vibe, while infusing the sauce with lots of garlic flavor. Once the garlic clove cooks in the sauce it will be sweet and delicious!
- Heavy Cream and Chicken Broth: Together the combination of these two ingredients make your sauce. You can sub out the heavy cream for milk if you prefer, but your sauce will be thinner, so just be aware of that! You can also use half the broth and add in some white wine! That would be delish!
- Seasonings: Obviously you need some spices to amp up the flavor. Salt, pepper, and garlic powder are a simple seasoning for the chicken. And I like to add in some crushed red pepper to the sauce to give it a little heat!
- Mascarpone Cheese: This gives the sauce a creamy, and silky texture. If you don’t prefer to buy Mascarpone Cheese you can absolutely use Cream Cheese. I really like Mascarpone in this because you just get a mild flavor that in undetectable, while cream cheese has a bit of tang!
Do You Have To Use Chicken Thighs?
NO! I like using boneless chicken thighs in skillet recipes, because I find they are moister and a little more flavorful than breasts. When you’re cooking quick using robust flavors is a way to duplicate the “slow cooked” taste without the time. It’s just a quick “cheat”. But, of course, if you prefer boneless breasts you can absolutely use those in the place of the thighs.
Can You Bake This Chicken Recipe?
If you don’t have a skillet, or just want to pop it in the oven and forget it, you can make this Garlic Chicken in a baking dish. Follow the recipe exactly, but reduce the amount of liquid by 1/3. Bake it at 400°F for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through!
Make It Your Own!
This chicken recipe is a great one to adapt to your own tastes. You can adjust the spices or add in extras to make it a more hearty dish!
What Can You Add To Creamy Garlic Chicken?
- Mushrooms: Add in 8- ounces of sliced mushrooms when you’re browning the chicken. And cook them in the sauce!
- Artichoke Hearts: You can add some sliced artichoke heats into the sauce and allow them to cook in the sauce. Yum!
- Spinach: Add some fresh spinach into the sauce the last 5 minutes of cooking. Stir to coat and watch it wilt down. You can use at least 8- ounces (or more!) of fresh spinach because it cooks down so much!
- Cherry Tomatoes or Sun Dried Tomatoes: Add in cherry tomatoes while you’re browning the chicken to burst them and cook them in the sauce, or add diced sun dried tomatoes into the sauce and cook!
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Creamy Garlic Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 6
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: Dinner
Description
Made in 30 Minutes in one skillet, this Creamy Garlic Chicken really packs a big flavor punch!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds boneless chicken thighs, trimmed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed or coarsely chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup mascarpone cheese
- 1 1/2 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley to garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl mix together the salt, pepper and garlic powder. Sprinkle the mixture on the chicken thighs.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken evenly into the skillet and cook until browned on each side, 4-5 minutes per side.
- While the chicken in cooking, whisk together the broth, cream, mascarpone, flour, and red pepper flakes.
- When the chicken is browned, add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute while stirring.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour in the broth mixture, stir to combine and cook for 10 minutes, until the mixture has thickened, stirring occasionally.
- Sprinkle with fresh parsley, and serve warm.
Notes
Store airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
You can sub boneless chicken breasts for the thighs.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 398
- Sugar: 1.2 g
- Sodium: 381.4 mg
- Fat: 23.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 4.1 g
- Protein: 41 g
- Cholesterol: 219.8 mg
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This was perfect comfort food and my kind of recipe! It would have been even quicker had I not deboned my thought myself. Super easy and full of flavor. I made it with a side of homemade coleslaw and Parmesan crusted cheese bread. My husband devoured it! Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed!
This was a hit! Added mushrooms, and used half and half in place of heavy cream, because that’s what I had on hand. Thanks for this delicious recipe, adding it to my rotation for sure!
Love the addition of mushrooms!
Love this recipe. We added mushrooms and peas/carrots mix. So yummy!!!!
Love that idea!!
HI! can not wait to make this but what am I serving it with?
Oh you can serve this with so many things!! Rice, pasta, a green veggie, side salad, even potatoes would be great!
Made this recipe Added some shallots that I sautéd with some butter and sherry before I added the garlicthen added about half cup of Parmesan cheese. Doubled everything. Was wonderful
Any way of making this much lower in cholesterol?? Obviously milk instead of heavy cream, i’d just add a pinch more flour to the roux so it’s not so thin…any other ideas?? Thanks
This recipe is delicious ?! I cooked the chicken ? about 10 minutes on both sides instead of 5 minutes. Also, I just add that mascarpone cheese can be difficult to find. I didn’t find that cheese ? at Walmart but I did find it at my local market. I highly recommend this recipe, it’s so ? yummy!
If you can’t find Mascarpone, you can sub in cream cheese!
Our boys are going to love this one, I can’t wait to try it!
Best chicken ever! The thighs were very tender and flavorful, but it was the sauce that knocked my socks off. Loved that it was extremely low carb but still delicious!
I see it now! Need new glasses problem!!
Thanks!
Are the thighs skinless, or just boneless. Not sure I’ve seen boneless with the skin ?
Boneless and skinless 🙂
I am looking at the recipe and don’t see at what point you add the garlic. Could you please let me know what i’m missing or maybe I’m just not seeing it! Lol!
Thanks a bunch
I cooked this tonight. Delicious and flavorful! I’ll be saving this recipe.
It’s in step 4 Marty!
Everyone is right, this chicken is wonderful, that sauce!
This would have saved me on that nutricken diet.
My husband is a huge fan! Thanks!