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My family can't get enough of this velvety garlic chicken for our quick dinners. The smooth, rich sauce with softened garlic bulbs makes a mouthwatering home-cooked meal that beats takeout and comes together using just one pan.
I whipped this up when family dropped by without warning one night. They couldn't stop raving about it and grabbed the instructions before heading home, and now it shows up at practically every family dinner we have.
What You'll Need
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: They work perfectly with our creamy mixture, grab bigger cuts that you can slice flat
- Italian seasoning: Gives you a nice herb mix that works with the garlic but stays in the background
- Flour: Helps brown the chicken nicely and makes our sauce thicker
- Parmesan cheese: Brings a rich flavor to both chicken coating and sauce, grate it fresh if you can
- Whole garlic cloves: The main attraction, they turn amazingly soft and sweet when cooked down
- Chicken broth: Creates the tasty base for our sauce, pick low-salt kinds to adjust flavor yourself
- Beef bouillon: My little trick for amazing flavor depth, try to find good ones without added junk
- Heavy cream: Makes that amazing smooth richness that takes this dish up a notch
- Butter: Helps soften the garlic and adds richness to everything, go with unsalted to control taste
Cooking Guide
- Get Everything Ready:
- Mix your sauce liquids and spices in a big measuring cup that pours easily. This jump-starts the flavor blending and makes cooking way easier. Put your flour and Parmesan on a flat dish and mix them really well.
- Fix The Chicken:
- Cut each big chicken breast sideways to make thinner pieces, then pound them flat to about half an inch thick. The same thickness means they'll cook evenly, and beating them makes them more tender. Dry the chicken completely with paper towels or your flavors won't stick right.
- Add Flavor And Coating:
- Sprinkle both sides with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Push the chicken into the flour mix to coat it evenly and tap off the extra. This thin layer will turn golden but won't get heavy or thick.
- Brown The Chicken:
- Heat oil until it's hot and shiny, then add chicken with space between pieces. Let each side turn deep gold before flipping, around 4 minutes each way. The brown bits sticking to the pan bottom will make our sauce amazing.
- Cook The Garlic:
- Turn heat down and add butter, scraping up all those tasty chicken bits. Drop in whole garlic cloves and let them slowly transform for 6-7 minutes. They should turn golden and soft, going from sharp and strong to mellow and sweet.
- Thicken The Base:
- Dust flour over the garlic and butter, stirring all the time for about two minutes. The flour needs time to cook so it won't taste raw while coating the garlic. It should look like wet sand and smell a bit nutty.
- Make Your Sauce:
- Pour in small splashes of broth mix at first, stirring non-stop to avoid lumps. Once it's smooth, add the rest and bring to a gentle bubble. The sauce will start getting thicker as it heats. Mix in cream and Parmesan, letting the cheese fully melt into the sauce.
- Bring It All Together:
- Put the chicken and any juice it made back in the pan, spooning sauce over each piece. Cover halfway and let it gently bubble for 5 minutes so the chicken can finish cooking and soak up all that flavor.
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The first time my kids tried this, they carefully picked around the whole garlic cloves, thinking they'd be too strong. After some begging to try just one, their faces lit up with surprise at how sweet and mild they'd become. Now they squabble over who gets to eat more garlic.
Great Side Dishes
This velvety garlic chicken really needs something that can mop up all that amazing sauce. My family loves it with mashed potatoes best, especially using Yukon golds with lots of butter. Fluffy rice or a chunk of crusty bread work great too.
For the green stuff, anything slightly bitter makes the perfect match against the rich sauce. We usually go for roasted broccoli, quickly cooked spinach, or steamed asparagus. The freshness cuts through the richness and balances everything nicely.
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Prep In Advance
This meal actually gets tastier over time as the flavors mix together more. You can make the whole thing up to two days ahead and warm it slowly on the stove with a splash of cream or chicken broth to freshen the sauce.
When life gets crazy, you can also get parts ready beforehand. Season and flour your chicken, mix your sauce stuff, and even cook down the garlic a day early. Keep everything separate in the fridge, then put it all together and finish cooking in about 20 minutes.
Fixing Common Problems
If your sauce separates or looks lumpy, take it off the heat and whisk in a spoonful of cold cream until it smooths out. Don't ever boil the sauce after you add the cream.
When your chicken turns out tough, you probably cooked it too long at the start. Remember it'll keep cooking in the sauce, so it should be a little underdone after the first frying.
For sauce that's too runny, let it bubble uncovered a few minutes longer. If it gets too thick, add some chicken broth bit by bit until it looks right.
Common Recipe Questions
- → Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts?
Absolutely! Chicken thighs work great and often turn out more tender. Just cook them a bit longer or shorter based on how thick they are.
- → What can I substitute for heavy cream?
You can use half-and-half or mix milk with a bit of butter. Just know your sauce might not be quite as rich.
- → Can the sauce be made without Parmesan?
Sure thing. Skip the Parmesan if you want a lighter sauce. You could also try Pecorino Romano or some nutritional yeast to still get that cheesy kick.
- → How can I make this dish gluten-free?
Just swap regular flour with any gluten-free flour mix. Also double check your chicken broth doesn't have any hidden gluten in it.
- → What sides pair well with this dish?
This chicken tastes amazing with fluffy mashed potatoes, a pile of rice, some roasted green beans, or tender asparagus.
- → Can I prepare this dish in advance?
You can make the sauce and cook the chicken separately ahead of time. Then just throw them together and warm everything up when you're ready to eat.