Want the easiest creamy garlic chicken recipe that is perfect for your weeknight dinner? This recipe is all made in one-pot that is sure to be a family favorite.
If you’re craving a hearty meal with notes of that garlic aroma, this creamy garlic chicken recipe is exactly what you need. As a garlic lover myself, this dish combines the herbed flavor of the buttered chicken with the zest of lemon juice to create the perfect balance.
Not only is this sauce super simple, but will be extra flavorful as it soaks up all the flavor from the chicken and herbs.
This creamy garlic chicken recipe will definitely take your typical chicken recipe to the next level, and become your weeknight go-to meal everyone is sure to love.
This post will go over everything you need to know to create the easiest 13 clove creamy garlic chicken recipe.
Recipe difficulty: Beginner
With limited cutting and the use of one-pot, this recipe is simple enough for anyone wanting a quick meal with reduced prep time.
Sam’s Pro Tips for the Easiest Creamy Garlic Chicken Recipe
- Easily replace the herbed ingredients with dried herbs from the pantry (usually I don’t have fresh herbs, and I will substitute with dried herb seasoning). See Frequently Asked Questions for measurements I use.
- Don’t have chicken tenderloins on hand? Use chicken breasts and cut lengthwise into 2-3 strips depending on size of chicken breast.
- For a real time save, you can buy already peeled garlic cloves from the grocery store to drop right into your pan!
- Pro tip: By using the water to cook the chicken and other add-ons in this recipe, it will keep your chicken moist and extra flavorful as it will absorb the browned seasoning in the pan.
Key Ingredients – Creamy Garlic Chicken Recipe
Below are some key and optional ingredients for this recipe:
- Chicken tenderloins: These cut chicken pieces are a huge time save when bought from the grocery store. These literally can be dropped into the pan!
- Garlic: With this creamy garlic chicken recipe, fresh garlic is the best way to get that flavorful sauce. So an average garlic head will usually yield 10-15 cloves of garlic. Instead of peeling each individual clove, opt for garlic cloves already peeled from the grocery store. So much faster!
- Heavy Cream: This cannot be called a creamy garlic chicken recipe without the heavy cream right? As we are preparing the sauce, you will see the heavy cream change color as it is absorbing all the browned bits from the pan. So good!
- Lemon juice: The lemon juice creates the perfect balance with the cream by adding some zest to the sauce. Although the recipe calls for the juice of about half a lemon, I sometimes squeeze a little bit more when I’m plating this meal!
- Fresh versus Dried Herbs: Usually I use dried herbs when I make this recipe if I didn’t have time to go to the store. I find it just as tasty! The parsley in this creamy garlic chicken recipe makes this dish look so pretty and adds that herbed flavor combined with the chicken.
More Variations to this Recipe
There are a few ways you can take this creamy garlic chicken recipe up a notch. Here’s how:
- Mushrooms: So I love this dish with mushrooms! I add this right after I take the chicken tenderloins out of the pan and cook it with the flavor of the chicken. Add some butter and seasoning and…Walla….pairs so well in this dish.
- Spinach leaves: Want some healthy greenery in your dish? You definitely can make this with some spinach leaves. Remember spinach leaves shrink when cooked down, so grab a hefty handful after you remove the chicken from the pan and cook before you add the garlic cloves.
- What can I pair with this dish? No joke, this dish is perfect with French Fries or Side Potatoes that you can dip into the sauce. It’s also great with cut vegetables of your choice like broccoli, cauliflower, or even peas.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many cloves does a head of garlic have?
Depending on the size of the garlic, there are about 10-15 cloves.
What is the rule of thumb in regards to substituting fresh herbs for dried herbs?
Dried herbs are more potent compared to fresh herbs. A good rule of thumb is to use 3x the amount of fresh herbs compared to dried herbs. For example, 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley is equivalent to one teaspoon of dried parsley.
How much juice can you get from one lemon?
Usually, 1 lemon can yield 3 tablespoons of juice depending on the size of the lemon.
How much dried parsley do I substitute for fresh?
If the recipe uses 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, use 1 teaspoon of dried parsley.
What is creamy garlic sauce made of?
Creamy garlic sauce is usually made with heavy cream, fresh garlic, and herbs for a flavorful sauce.
Amy says
Love this dish❤️. Will definitely cook it for my kids when they visit!
sam says
I’m so glad! Thank you!
Greg says
I LOVED this dish and the mushrooms were a great recommendation to add to the meal.
sam says
Glad to hear it! Stay tuned for more!