Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken

This Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken is an easy skillet dinner made with juicy golden chicken breasts smothered in a rich garlic-Parmesan cream sauce. Fresh parsley, black pepper, butter, and plenty of Parmesan give the sauce a restaurant-style flavor while keeping the recipe simple enough for a busy weeknight.

The chicken is lightly seasoned and seared until golden, then finished in the creamy sauce until tender and fully cooked. Serve it with mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, or roasted vegetables and spoon plenty of the garlic sauce over everything.

Why You Will Love This Recipe

Ready in about 35 minutes
Rich and creamy garlic sauce
Uses simple pantry ingredients
Juicy, tender chicken breasts
Perfect with pasta, potatoes, or rice
Easy enough for weeknights but special enough for company

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Ingredient Notes

Chicken breasts: If the chicken breasts are very thick, slice them horizontally or gently pound them to an even thickness. This helps them cook evenly without drying out.

Parmesan: Freshly grated Parmesan melts much more smoothly than many pre-shredded varieties and gives the sauce its best texture.

Heavy cream: Heavy cream creates the richest sauce. Half-and-half can be substituted, although the sauce will be thinner.

Garlic: Fresh minced garlic is one of the main flavors in this recipe, so four cloves gives the sauce a noticeable but balanced garlic taste.

How to Make Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken

Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels.
Season both sides with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt, and black pepper.
Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken breasts and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes on the first side until golden.
Flip and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a clean plate. It will finish cooking in the sauce.

Make the Garlic Parmesan Sauce

Reduce the skillet heat to medium.
Add the remaining tablespoon of butter.
Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Pour in the chicken broth and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Let the broth simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the heavy cream, optional Dijon mustard, and red pepper flakes.
Reduce the heat to low.
Add the Parmesan gradually, stirring continuously until melted and smooth.
Stir in most of the chopped parsley.

Finish the Chicken

Return the chicken breasts to the skillet.
Spoon some of the creamy sauce over the top.
Cover loosely and simmer over low heat for about 5 to 8 minutes.
The chicken is ready when the thickest part reaches at least 165°F.
Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Garnish with the remaining parsley and additional Parmesan.
Serve immediately.

How to Keep the Chicken Juicy

Chicken breasts can dry out quickly if overcooked, so an instant-read thermometer is very helpful. Once the center reaches 165°F, remove the pan from active heat.

Using chicken breasts of similar thickness also makes a big difference. If one breast is much thicker than another, the smaller pieces may overcook while you wait for the larger one to finish.

How to Keep the Sauce Smooth

After adding the cream and Parmesan, keep the heat low. Boiling a Parmesan cream sauce aggressively can cause it to separate or become grainy.

Add the cheese gradually and stir constantly. If the sauce becomes too thick, loosen it with a few tablespoons of warm chicken broth.

Easy Variations

Spinach garlic chicken: Stir 2 cups baby spinach into the sauce during the final few minutes.

Mushroom Parmesan chicken: Sauté 8 ounces sliced mushrooms after removing the chicken, then continue with the sauce.

Sun-dried tomato chicken: Add 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes with the cream.

Spicy garlic chicken: Increase the red pepper flakes or add a spoonful of chili garlic sauce.

What to Serve with Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken

Mashed potatoes are excellent because they soak up the creamy sauce. Pasta such as linguine, fettuccine, or penne is another easy choice.

You can also serve the chicken with white rice, roasted potatoes, garlic bread, or crusty bread.

For vegetables, try broccoli, asparagus, green beans, spinach, roasted carrots, or a crisp garden salad.

Storage and Reheating

Store cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days.

Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave in short intervals until steaming hot. Add a splash of chicken broth or cream if the sauce thickens during refrigeration.

Avoid boiling the sauce while reheating because high heat can cause the dairy to separate.

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