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–+ servings
garlic chicken in skillet with cream sauce and spinach
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4.56 from 223 votes

Creamy Garlic Chicken Recipe

This creamy garlic chicken recipe is the pinnacle of easy weeknight dinners! Succulent pan-seared chicken breast is cooked in a rich, garlicky white cream sauce.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 607kcal
Author: Becky Hardin

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts *
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½ tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 head garlic peeled
  • ½ cup dry white wine **
  • 1 cup heavy cream room temperature
  • 2 cups packed baby spinach
  • kosher salt to taste
  • ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
    4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, kosher salt, ground black pepper
    Seasoned chicken breasts on a cutting board.
  • Place flour on a medium plate.
    ¼ cup all-purpose flour
    Flour in a shallow bowl.
  • Dredge each chicken breast with flour, patting off any excess.
    Chicken breast dredged in flour.
  • Heat a large skillet with high sides to medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon each of butter and olive oil.
    1 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon olive oil
    Melting butter and oil in a skillet.
  • Once the butter has melted, add the chicken breasts. Sear until golden brown, about 3-4 minutes.
    Flour-coated chicken breasts cooking in a skillet.
  • Flip and sear until brown, another 2-3 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts from the pan and set aside on a plate.
    Golden-brown seared chicken breasts in a skillet.
  • Add the remaining ½ tablespoon butter to the pan.
    0.5 tablespoons unsalted butter
    Melting butter in a skillet.
  • Lower heat to medium, and add peeled garlic cloves. Toast the garlic until light brown on all sides.
    1 head garlic
    Toasting garlic in a skillet.
  • Add wine. Bring it up to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by half.
    ½ cup dry white wine
    Deglazing skillet with white wine.
  • 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.
    1 cup heavy cream
    Mixing cream into wine sauce.
  • Add the chicken back to the sauce, cover, and cook until the chicken is cooked through.
    Seared chicken breasts added to a skillet with white cream garlic sauce.
  • Once the chicken is cooked, add in the spinach. Cover with a lid, and simmer for another 1-2 minutes.
    2 cups packed baby spinach
    Spinach added to a skillet with chicken and cream sauce.
  • Remove the lid and toss the spinach with the chicken and sauce until completely wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    kosher salt, ground black pepper
    Creamy garlic chicken breasts in a skillet.

Video

Notes

*I recommend using thinly-sliced chicken breasts for this recipe. If they're on the thicker side, cut chicken in half and/or pound it into thinner pieces. If using boneless thighs, increase the cooking time.
**Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are good options. Cooking wine or broth can be used instead.
Becky's Top Tips:
  • If your garlic cloves are really big, cut them in half so they're all roughly the same size.
  • For a mellower garlic flavor, roast the whole head in the oven at 400°F for 25-30 minutes or in the air fryer at 370°F for 15-18 minutes
  • A dollop of whole-grain mustard will add some tanginess to the white sauce.
  • Additions: mushrooms, onions, or sun-dried tomatoes make great additions to this dish. Simply add them in with the garlic when making the sauce.
  • Fully cooked chicken breasts should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Storage: Store creamy garlic chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 607kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 54g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 230mg | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 1072mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2484IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 2mg