Creamy Garlic Chicken Recipe

Name: Creamy Garlic Chicken Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 each boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded to equal thickness if needed); 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon all purpose flour; 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 head roasted garlic (roughly 15 cloves, mashed); 2 cups heavy whipping cream; ½ cup frozen green peas; ¼ cup sun dried tomatoes (chopped); ¼ cup bacon (cooked and chopped); ¼ cup Parmesan cheese (grated); cooked pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes (for serving)

Creamy Garlic Chicken is an easy skillet dinner with seared chicken breasts in a roasted garlic cream sauce loaded with bacon, peas, sun dried tomatoes, and Parmesan. A whole head of roasted garlic gives it deep, mellow flavor that’s not too in your face. Serve it over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes for a full meal. Made with pantry staples, it comes together in about 30 minutes and serves 4.

Jump to Recipe

shallow bowl with egg noodles and a piece of creamy chicken

This recipe calls for an entire head of garlic. Roughly fifteen cloves. I want you to know that going in, and I want you to know it’s not a typo.

Here’s the thing about roasted garlic though: it isn’t the sharp, aggressive stuff that makes your eyes water. Roasting turns it sweet and mellow and buttery, so a whole head disappears into the sauce and just makes everything taste better without announcing itself.

You’ll wonder why the sauce is so good. It’s the garlic. It’s always the garlic.

Then there’s bacon in it, and Parmesan, and sun dried tomatoes for a little sweetness, all wrapped up in a cream sauce that you’ll be scraping out of the pan with bread. Thirty minutes, one skillet, and it looks like you tried a lot harder than you did.

Serve it over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes. If you’re building out a rotation of good skillet dinners, I have a few in the same weeknight hall of fame.

More Skillet Chicken Dinners

French Onion Chicken Skillet – caramelized onions over juicy chicken
Marry Me Chicken – creamy sun dried tomato sauce with rich garlic
Texas Roadhouse Herb Crusted Chicken – juicy chicken with herb crust
Skillet Chicken Pot Pie – creamy chicken filling with flaky crust

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individual ingredients for a recipe with text overlay labeling them

See recipe card for complete information on ingredients and their quantities.

Ingredient Notes

Chicken – Breasts pounded to even thickness so they cook at the same rate instead of one being perfect while the other’s still arguing with you. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work great too.

Roasted Garlic – This is the whole point of the sauce. Roasting mellows out the sharpness and softens the cloves so they mash right into the roux. You can use fresh minced and smashed garlic in a pinch, but it’ll be sharper and more aggressive.

Heavy Cream – Don’t use regular milk. I know you’re wondering. Milk doesn’t have the fat content to make this sauce creamy and you’ll end up with something thin and disappointing.

Sun Dried Tomatoes – They bring color and a little sweetness that cuts through all that richness. It’s worth having a jar in the fridge or the pantry.

Bacon – Bacon makes it non-negotiable. Ham or pancetta work if that’s what’s in the fridge, but you know which one I’d pick.

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How To Make Creamy Garlic Chicken

chicken breasts being seared in a white pan

Trim the chicken breasts and pound them to even thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the chicken 4 to 5 minutes per side, until lightly browned and the internal temp hits 165°F. Remove and set aside.

white skillet with roasted garlic, flour, and butter being stirred together

In the same skillet, melt the butter and sprinkle in the flour, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom. Add the mashed roasted garlic and stir into a paste. Cook 1 to 2 minutes to lose the raw flour taste.

white skillet with heavy cream, bacon, peas, and sun-dried tomatoes

Stirring constantly, add the cream until the sauce thickens and smooths out. A few garlic chunks are fine and good. Stir in the peas, bacon, sun dried tomatoes, and Parmesan. Cook 2 to 3 minutes to bring the flavors together.

seared chicken breasts sitting in a creamy sauce

Return the chicken to the skillet and coat it in the sauce. Serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes with extra sauce spooned over the top.

For the full recipe and detailed instructions, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

white skillet with chicken and a creamy sauce

Storage & Reheating

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Reheat: Microwave or a skillet over low heat. Add a splash of milk or chicken broth, because the sauce thickens up considerably in the fridge and needs help loosening back up.

Freezer: Cook and cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Add a little broth or cream to bring the sauce back to life.

Storage Tip: Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces before storing. It reheats more evenly and you’re not microwaving a whole breast and hoping for the best.

close up of chicken on egg noodles topped with a creamy sauce

Variations

Different Cut: Chicken thighs instead of breasts for something juicier and more forgiving.

Different Veggies: Swap the peas for green beans, spinach, or asparagus.

Different Cheese: Any melting cheese works, though Parmesan brings that salty, nutty flavor.

Slow Cooker: Pan sear the chicken and bacon first, then transfer to the slow cooker. Skip the roux and thicken with a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch to 1 tablespoon water) added about 30 minutes before serving.

Different Seasoning: Add a pinch of my Homemade Italian Seasoning to the sauce for a deeper, herb flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?

I wouldn’t. Cream and milk have very different fat contents, and milk will leave you with a thin, watery sauce instead of a creamy one. This is the recipe to use the real thing.

Does the garlic have to be roasted?

Roasted is best because it’s mellow and sweet instead of sharp, and the soft cloves mash easily into the roux. If you’re short on time, mince and smash fresh garlic instead. The flavor will just be more aggressive.

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

Yes, with a couple of changes. Pan sear the chicken and bacon first, then skip the flour roux and thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry added about 30 minutes before serving.

How do I fix a sauce that’s too thick?

Add chicken broth or a splash of milk a little at a time until it’s where you want it. This works during cooking and when reheating leftovers.

Can I freeze it?

Yes, up to 2 months in an airtight container. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then reheat gently with a little broth to bring the sauce back.

What should I serve with it?

Pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes to catch the sauce. Add a green salad and some bread, because you’ll want something to wipe the pan with.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Pound the chicken to even thickness so it cooks evenly instead of drying out on one end.
Scrape up all the browned bits when you make the roux for the creamy sauce. That’s free flavor sitting in the bottom of your pan.
Serve the chicken and pasta separately so people can mix and match with other sides.
Thin the sauce with chicken broth if it gets too thick.
Have bread on hand. You’ll want it for the sauce, and pretending otherwise is just delaying the inevitable.

This Creamy Garlic Chicken recipe is rich, garlicky, and on the table in 30 minutes. Make it for your next weeknight dinner and prepare for people to ask what’s in the sauce!