Creamy Garlic Chicken is the ultimate comfort dinner recipe! Tender, juicy chicken breasts are cooked to perfection on the stovetop in a creamy medley of garlic, spinach, white wine and more. This is a restaurant quality meal that’s SO easy to make!
What’s in Creamy Garlic Chicken
You only need 8 simple ingredients to make this creamy chicken dinner. You likely already have most of them on hand!
- Chicken Breasts: You can either use 4 small breasts or 2 larger ones that have been cut in half lengthwise.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is used to dredge the chicken and give it the best consistency.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter. That way, if I do want a saltier taste I can just sprinkle in a pinch.
- Olive Oil: Avocado oil can be used instead if preferred.
- Garlic: You’ll need a whole head of fresh garlic cloves for this supremely garlicky recipe!
- Dry White Wine: Learn everything you need to know about wines HERE.
- Heavy Cream: This is what gives the sauce the best creamy consistency. I don’t recommend swapping it with anything else.
- Baby Spinach: Make sure you’re really packing the 2 cups full of spinach. Don’t worry if it looks like you’re adding a ton, because it cooks down beautifully.
PRO TIP: If your garlic cloves are really big, cut them in half so they’re all roughly the same size and cut evenly.
What else can I add?
There are plenty of ways you can customize this easy dinner recipe! Here are just a few ingredients you may want to consider tossing into the skillet:
- A dollop of whole grain mustard
- Fresh or dried herbs, such as rosemary or thyme
- A spoonful of pesto – basil works great
- Mushrooms – one of garlic’s BFF’s!
- Sun dried or cherry tomatoes – for a pop of color and twist in texture
I’ve used chicken breasts for this creamy garlic chicken recipe, they’re easy plus they sear nice and evenly. But you could also use boneless chicken thighs, they’re a flavorful cut and work great too.
It can be SO easy to overcook a chicken breast, which dries it out in no time! A meat thermometer is a great way to check if your chicken is done.
The internal temp should be 165°F. If you’re careful with your internal temperature, your chicken will come out juicy and tender every time. You can find our favorite meat thermometer HERE (aff).
I only recommend using fresh spinach for this recipe if possible. It cooks down to the best consistency with the other ingredients.
How to Store and Reheat
Once your chicken cools to room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Feel free to reheat in the microwave or right back on your stovetop over medium-low heat until warmed all the way through.
Because of the creamy sauce, I don’t recommend freezing this chicken.
Serving Suggestions
This garlic chicken is friendly with all kinds of sides. Pasta or mashed potatoes make it super hearty and take on the sauce nicely. Or, you can go lighter with a salad if you want.
Steamed or roasted veggies are also great, as is rice. A nice crusty bread to mop up that addictive garlic sauce is never a bad idea!
More Creamy Chicken Recipes We Love
- Creamy Mushroom Chicken
- Creamy Chicken Tortellini Soup
- Creamy Chicken Meatballs
- Creamy Chicken Piccata
- Creamy Chicken with Olives
- Creamy Lemon Mushroom Chicken
Creamy Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 small chicken breasts or 2 large chicken breasts cut in half, lengthwise
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tbsp. unsalted butter divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 head of garlic peeled
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups packed baby spinach
Instructions
- Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place flour on a medium plate. Dredge each chicken breast with flour, patting off any excess.
- Heat a large skillet with high sides to a medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon butter and olive oil. Once the butter has melted, add the chicken breasts. Sear until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Flip and sear until brown, another 2-3 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts from the pan and set aside on a plate. (Do not worry about cooking the chicken all the way through, they will finish cooking later.)
- Add the remaining ½ tablespoon butter to the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and add all the peeled garlic cloves. Toast the garlic until light brown on all sides. Be careful to not burn the garlic.
- Pour in the wine. Bring it up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by half. Once the wine has reduced, pour in the cream. Again, bring the cream and wine up to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the chicken back to the sauce, cover and cook until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Once the chicken is cooked, add in the spinach. Shut the lid and simmer for another 1-2 minutes. Remove the lid and toss the spinach with the chicken and sauce until completely wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Notes
- A meat thermometer is a great way to check if your chicken is done. The internal temp should be 165 degrees.
- If your garlic cloves are really big, cut them in half so they’re all roughly the same size and cut evenly.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, should last 3 days.
- You can sub in boneless chicken thighs if you like.
Allyson says
Beautiful. Impressed all of my family with this one.
Becky Hardin says
So glad you enjoyed it, Allyson!
Andrea Rackley says
This recipe is a keeper, delicious!
Becky Hardin says
Happy to hear that, Andrea!
Diane says
My husband loved this recipe! I will definitely make again for company!
Becky Hardin says
So happy it was a hit!
Katana says
I really enjoyed this recipe my family loved it and it was easy. I crushed the garlic before frying it and I also added one tsp of garlic powder to the cream sauce. Towards the end I also added 1/4 c of parmesan cheese for sharpness. Served it with rice and veggies! Love it
Becky Hardin says
Thanks so much for sharing, Katana! Sounds delicious!
Michelle says
Easy and delicious—a hit for all ages in our house. I used Bob’s Red Mill 1-for-1 GF flour and omitted the spinach. I might have doubled the wine, which made it even better I suspect.
Becky Hardin says
Sounds wonderful, Michelle! Thanks so much for sharing!
Allie K. says
Can I use half & half and can I freeze left-overs?
Becky Hardin says
You can use half-and-half, but it will be less creamy! I don’t usually recommend freezing cream-based dishes, as the cream tends to separate once thawed!
Stephonie Cozzolino says
This recipe is HUGE hit in my family!!! And I have very picky younger eaters. To my surprise the WHOLE family loved this and wanted it again this week!! Thank you for sharing this beautiful recipe
Becky Hardin says
I love when a recipe is a hit with the whole fam! Thanks so much for stopping by, Stephonie!
Ian Wright says
Absolutely delicious
Becky Hardin says
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, Ian!
Michele m Fitch says
i don’t drink wine and i always hear chefs “if you won’t drink, don’t cook with it”. i also talked to another chef and she said I can use white wine vinegar or red wine vinegar, is this statement true?
Becky Hardin says
You can use chicken broth mixed with a little bit of white wine vinegar!