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4.92
/5
30 minutes minutes
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By: The Chunky Chefpublished: 05/15/2019
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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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AND DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’VE MADE THIS RECIPE, LEAVE A COMMENT AND PLEASE GIVE IT A STAR RATING!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
One Pan Creamy Garlic Chicken Breasts
4.92 from 347 votesAuthor: The Chunky Chef
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Calories: 780
Servings: 4 servings
(hover over # to adjust)
Print Rate Pin
Tender chicken breasts smothered in a rich garlic cream sauce, all made in the same pan, and ready in less than 30 minutes!
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.
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Chef Tips
If sauce isn't thickening up to your liking, mix 2 tsp of cornstarch with 1 Tbsp heavy cream and stir into the sauce. Cook and stir another minute or so and it should thicken up nicely.
Video
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.
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Meet The Chunky Chef
Hey there! I'm Amanda. Wife, mother, photography nerd, and bacon lover! I believe that delicious meals should be easy to make. Now that you’re here, stay a bit, browse a few recipes, and let’s get cookin’!
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Reader Interactions
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Liz Erskine says
This was surprisingly so so good, quick and easy too. I added in chopped spinach and served over mashed potatoes. Having leftovers for lunch today-can’t wait.
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Breanna says
So incredibly good. My two year old and her super picky dad devoured it!
I added some spaghett noodles prepared according to the pasta instructions and simmered them until the sauce was the desired consistency served with steamed broccoli. Everybody was happy, I will make this again!Reply
J C says
This was so good! The only thing I would recommend is cutting back on the liquid just a bit bcs it took forever to cream up and more flour is just way too much flour in any dish. Also used dairy free heavy cream (bcs no should be eating HC) and it was great!
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The Chunky Chef says
People are free to eat however much flour and heavy cream they wish; no one needs to be the ingredient police. So happy you enjoyed the recipe and were able to adapt it to your needs though! 🙂
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James says
I had high expectations however very bland.
Thank you for the recipe. Will tweak next time to my taste.
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Karen says
I made this for my “better half” of 30+ years, and I followed the recipe to the letter… We both agreed that it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! I’m making it again tomorrow, but this time I was to incorporate some fresh spinach into the mix. Any suggestion as to when I should add the fresh spinach? Thanks for all your help and all the wonderfully delicious recipes!! I’m a huge fan!!
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Sonya says
OMG! so good! I made this tonight and I’m waiting for everyone to have some so I can get my 2nd’s. I didn’t add the parm as I didn’t any but none the less still good (I can only imagine it with the parm). Next time however, I will slice the chicken breasts in half as they were too thick for my liking!
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Elizabeth says
This was easy and simply delicious! We both loved it! There are only 2 of us and I only had 3 chicken breasts and half and half, so I made it the same except those minor adjustments. It was perfect with steamed broccoli. BUT, as I was cleaning up I though, there is no way I’m throwing this gravy away. Hmmmmm.,. then I thought, ‘Easy chicken alfredo with broccoli tomorrow!!!’ Oh ny gosh, what a great recipe. I know I should have taken a picture, but it just disappeared too fast. Thank you!
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