Creamy Garlic Chicken with Parmesan Cream Sauce
By Olivia Hayes
Twenty minutes and one deep frying pan put this creamy garlic chicken on the table for a weeknight dinner. Thin chicken breast steaks get a seasoned flour coating, then finish in a Parmesan cream sauce with garlic and Dijon mustard, using a short list of familiar ingredients.
The chicken is cut horizontally into thinner steaks, helping it cook quickly and evenly. Paprika, onion powder, thyme, salt, and pepper build the seasoning before flour forms the coating. In the same pan, garlic is followed by chicken stock, thickened cream, Dijon, and grated Parmesan; the reduced stock keeps the sauce from tasting flat. Dairy and cheese follow the reduction, keeping the pan sequence direct.
Watch the stock reduce by at least half before adding the cream, then look for a sauce that has thickened slightly after its short simmer. The chicken should be golden and just cooked before it leaves the pan. A very hot pan is the common problem: it can splatter oil, blacken the coating, and leave the center undercooked. Lowering the heat for the cream helps the sauce thicken without rushing.
Serve with mashed potatoes, steamed rice, or pasta and steamed greens, then add parsley and lemon. For leftovers, keep the chicken surrounded by sauce; rewarm it gently and add a little water if the sauce tightens. A covered pan and occasional stirring help it heat evenly.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Gets dinner on the table in 20 minutes because the chicken cooks as thin steaks and the sauce needs only a brief simmer.
- Uses one deep frying pan for searing and sauce-making, so the browned bits stay in the pan and cleanup stays contained.
- Relies on familiar seasonings, chicken stock, cream, and Parmesan, which makes a rich-tasting sauce without a long shopping list trip.
- Needs only five minutes of prep because slicing the breasts horizontally replaces longer cooking time with thinner, faster-cooking chicken steaks.
- Offers flexible serving options with rice, mashed potatoes, pasta, steamed greens, parsley, and lemon, using sides that suit an everyday dinner.
- Keeps leftovers from drying out when stored with the sauce, and gentle reheating with water can loosen sauce that thickens.
Ingredients
- •2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut in half horizontally to make thinner steaks)
- •1 tsp salt
- •0.25 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- •1 tsp sweet paprika
- •1 tsp onion powder
- •1 tsp dried thyme
- •35 g plain all-purpose flour (1/4 cup)
- •1 tbsp olive oil
- •1 tbsp unsalted butter (for cooking the chicken)
- •1 tbsp unsalted butter (for the sauce)
- •1 tbsp freshly minced garlic
- •125 ml chicken stock (1/2 cup)
- •300 ml thickened whipping or heavy cream (10 fl oz)
- •1 tsp Dijon mustard
- •50 g grated Parmesan (1/2 cup)
- •sea salt flakes (to taste)
- •freshly cracked black pepper (to taste)
- •mashed potatoes, steamed rice, or pasta (to serve)
- •steamed greens (to serve)
- •1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped, to serve)
- •lemon wedges (to serve)
Instructions
- 1
Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, sweet paprika, onion powder, and dried thyme.
- 2
Press the chicken into the flour so all sides are evenly coated.
- 3
Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large, deep frying pan over medium-high heat.
- 4
Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turning once halfway through, until just cooked.
- 5
Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside on a plate.
- 6
Add the butter for the sauce to the same pan.
- 7
Once the butter has melted, add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- 8
Add the chicken stock and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until it has evaporated by at least half.
- 9
Stir in the cream and Dijon mustard.
- 10
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- 11
Stir through the Parmesan and season to taste.
- 12
Return the chicken to the pan for 2 to 3 minutes, or until heated through.
- 13
Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, or pasta and steamed greens.
- 14
Top with chopped parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
601
Protein
34g
Fat
47g
Carbs
12g
Reviews
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