This chicken is drenched in a creamy garlic sauce and couldn’t be easier to make!
Sometimes, life just calls for soft & juicy chicken breasts with a dreamy sauce to go alongside. Sound up your street? Follow me…
Roasted Garlic Sauce
Sure, creamy garlic sauce is great, but creamy roasted garlic sauce is SO much better! By roasting the garlic you not only transform the texture, but you also transform the flavour too:
- Texture – Roasting the garlic low and slow turns the garlic buttery soft. It can then be easily squeezed out of the skins and blended into a sauce so beautifully.
- Flavour – The garlic turns from a rather strong, pungent flavour, to something much more mellow. The garlic ends up gorgeously sweet and nutty.
Whilst it does take a little time, it’s fairly low maintenance. You can just bung it in the oven and crack on with the rest of the recipe when needed.
Process shots: slice tip off garlic bulb (photo 1), wrap in foil (photo 2), roast (photo 3), squeeze out garlic and mash with fork (photo 4).
Pan Fried Chicken Breast
The mighty chicken breast is such a versatile cut of meat. The backbone of weeknight dinners if you will. Admittedly chicken breast does need a little dressing up, which we’ll get to in just a sec, but first, let’s talk about prepping chicken breast.
Slicing the chicken
Typically if I’m frying chicken breasts, I like to slice them right through the centre to double the quantity. Not only will this reduce cooking time, but it also allows the chicken to cook through more evenly.
Dredging the chicken
For this recipe, we’re then going to coat the chicken in seasoned flour. I do this for two main reasons:
- Dredging the chicken with flour creates a nice golden crust on the chicken when it fries.
- That crust will also absorb the sauce and help it cling to the chicken.
Can I use chicken thigh instead?
This recipe will definitely work with chicken thighs (given they are boneless and skinless). You won’t need to slice them through the centre, instead, I recommend pounding them to even thickness before dredging through the flour.
One note when it comes to frying the chicken, I recommend using a pan that isn’t non-stick. Something like a cast-iron skillet. That way you can build up some flavour in the pan and incorporate it with the sauce. Those small golden/char pieces in the pan after you’ve fried the chicken? Free flavour!
Process shots: add chicken to chopping board (photo 1), slice through the centre (photo 2), add to seasoned flour (photo 3), coat then shake excess (photo 4), add to pan with oil and butter (photo 5), fry both sides until golden (photo 6).
Chicken with Creamy Garlic Sauce
Once the chicken has been fried, you’ll want to deglaze the pan to collect all that flavour. To do this, I recommend using white wine. Not only will the bubbles help lift the flavour, but the touch of acidity will help cut through the richness of the sauce. Once you’ve reduced the wine right down to burn off the booze, we’ll create the base of the sauce with chicken stock and cream.
Sauce Seasonings
You’ll have already created a fairly good flavour profile with the ingredients discussed, but just to add a little ‘something something’ I love adding a small pinch of nutmeg, alongside some fresh parsley. The nutmeg helps to gently highlight the nutty tones of the roasted garlic, whilst the parsley adds a pop of colour and a subtle burst of flavour too.
Process shots: deglaze pan (photo 1), add cream and stock (photo 2), add seasonings & garlic and simmer (photo 3), add chicken and coat (photo 4).
Serving Creamy Garlic Chicken
When it comes to serving, here I’ve served with Smashed Potatoes and Roasted Broccoli, but any sort of Potato/Veg combo will do the trick.
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this creamy garlic chicken shall we!?
How to make Creamy Garlic Chicken (Full Recipe & Video)
Creamy Garlic Chicken
Equipment
- Large Pan, Tongs & Wooden Spoon
- Large Shallow Dish (for dredging chicken)
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Jug (for stock)
- Fine Cheese Grater
- Aluminium Foil
Ingredients
- 2x 9oz/250g Chicken Breasts (see notes)
- 1 cup / 240ml Heavy/Double Cream, at room temp
- 3/4 cup / 180ml Chicken Stock
- 1/4 cup / 60ml Dry White Wine
- 1/4 cup / 20g freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/4 cup / 35g Flour
- 1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley
- 1 tbsp Butter
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil, plus more as needed
- 1 tsp EACH: Garlic Powder, Salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, plus more to taste
- small pinch of Ground Nutmeg (see notes)
- 1 small bulb of Garlic
Instructions
- Slice the top off of the bulb of garlic to expose the cloves. Place on a square of aluminium foil, drizzle with olive oil then scrunch up to cover the garlic. Place in the oven at 180C/350F for 45-60mins, or until very soft, golden and caramelized. Don't rush the process and crank up the heat, low and slow is the aim of the game. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze out the roasted garlic and smooth it out with a fork. Place to one side.
- Horizontally slice each chicken breast through the centre to create 4 even-sized breasts. In a large shallow dish combine flour with 1 tsp salt & garlic powder and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Dredge each chicken breast through the flour to coat, then shake off excess and place to one side.
- Add 1 tbsp butter and olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and fry both sides for a few mins, or until golden on the outside and just about cooked through the centre. Remove and place chicken to one side.
- Pour in the wine and simmer until it's mostly all evaporated, deglazing the pan with your wooden spoon as necessary. Lower heat slightly, then pour in chicken stock and cream. Bring to a simmer, then stir in parmesan, roasted garlic, parsley, salt & pepper (to taste) and a small pinch of nutmeg.
- Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken, stirring somewhat frequently. Add the chicken back to the pan and coat in the sauce. Serve up and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
For another garlic chicken recipe check out my Garlic Butter Chicken and Boursin Chicken!
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Pan Fried Chicken Breast Recipes
- Cream Cheese Chicken
- Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken
- Chicken Piccata
- Creamy Tarragon Chicken
- Roasted Red Pepper Chicken
- Creamy Tomato Chicken
Fantastic, didn’t have wine however, had both types of vingear and gave it a go,
(It’s better with white wine for sure). Tried it with both red wine vingear in one pan and white wine vingear in another, with chicken legs, (ext time I’ll stick with chicken breasts).
Took an extra 20mins crisping them longer in the oven after cooking on the stove top. Wanted to use panko on top for the baking portion, then add it afterwards into sauce. Unfortunately, the panko fell apart but really thickened up the sauce and made it super flavourful, which was still a win-win.
I used the red wine vingear with added black pepper and a lemon squeeze. I also had non alcoholic light beer and added it to both and it took away the bitterness from the vingear and gave it a rich flavour, which I was happy to have on hand or it would of been more vingear/bitter tasting.
Try it with beer and a tad of either wine vingears if you’re stuck, mine turned out superb. Oh added a sliv of parmigiano-reggiano to finish it off.
Thks!
Thanks so much for such a lovely review! 🙂 C.
What could I use besides white wine? Chicken stock maybe? Thanks for your reply!
Hi Bree! Yes, I’d use stock. C.
Wow!! This was an absolute show stopper. Thanks for the recipe!
Great to hear, Mary! Thanks for the review! C.