One Pot Creamy Garlic Chicken

This one pot creamy garlic chicken takes 20 minutes to make and is super delicious! All you have to do is throw everything in one skillet or pot and once cooked, you can taste the fragrant flavor from the garlic and cilantro (you can also use parsley or basil instead!). You can add the creamy and juicy chicken on rice, pasta or salad for a complete meal!

You know that I love making one pot dinners or using as little of dishes as possible. This quick and easy garlicky chicken is going to be on rotation for dinner. There’s so much flavor and spice, you’re going to be licking the cream sauce when you’re done (that’s what we did!). You have to check out this creamy garlic chicken recipe on your next busy weeknight!

More One Pot Meals Made in a Rice Cooker:

• hainan chicken rice – a super popular chicken dish sold in Asia with ginger scallion sauce
• mushroom rice – an aromatic shiitake mushrooms and bamboo rice (vegetarian-friendly!)
• chinese sausage with chicken

Ingredients and Variations:

What I love about this recipe is that most of the ingredients for this creamy chicken should be already in your pantry (seasonings) and refrigerator (milk)! Even if you don’t have them, the ingredients are very accessible and easy to find in most grocery stores.

• chicken thighs (skinless and boneless) – it’s easier to cook and the chicken tastes juicy. You can definitely use chicken breast for this recipe, but you may need to adjust the cooking time. Just make sure the chicken is at an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit after cooking.
• salt
• black pepper
• garlic powder
• paprika
• cumin

Cream Sauce

• neutral oil such as avocado or vegetable oil will be added to the pan to fry the chicken
• unsalted butter – I prefer to use unsalted because we are adding salt to the chicken and parmesan cheese to the sauce
• half & half (can substitute with 1 cup milk or chicken broth) – I found that heavy cream itself was too thick to use as a sauce. You can substitute half & half with milk or chicken broth, but the sauce will not be as thick and creamy.
• garlic cloves – I used 4 cloves and I think it’s plenty but I know garlic lovers can add more 😉
• shredded parmesan cheese – freshly shredded parmesan cheese tastes the best but any will do!
• fresh cilantro – fresh parsley or basil can be substituted. I know that not everyone likes cilantro

How to Make This One Pot Creamy Garlic Chicken

Season Chicken Thighs

Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel.

Mix the following seasonings together in a bowl: salt, black pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and cumin. Season chicken on both sides.

Pan-Fry Chicken

Heat pan or pot to medium high heat.

Once the pan is hot and you see a little bit of smoke coming from it, add 1 tablespoon neutral oil. Next, add your chicken thighs on the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on one side. Flip over and cook for 2-3 minutes. Both sides should be golden brown!

When the chicken has browned, take it off of the pan and place on a separate plate.

Make Creamy Garlic Sauce

Turn down the heat to low. Add butter to the pan with your minced garlic. Cook for one minute. Then, add 1 cup half & half. Stir occasionally.

Add your shredded parmesan cheese to the cream and continue to stir occasionally. Keep the heat on low to ensure that the cheese sauce doesn’t curdle while cooking.

Add You Chicken Back In!

Place cooked chicken thighs (along with juices) in the pan and cook for 1 minute. Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro or your preferred herb of choice!

Recipe FAQs

Serve

I love to serve this dish with plain white rice. You can also serve on top of pasta. Any carb will soak up the yummy sauce! If you don’t want to eat carbs, you can serve the creamy chicken on the side with a nice mixed salad.

How to Store

You can store this creamy garlic chicken in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. Since, we added fresh herbs, it is more likely to spoil, so eat it as soon as you can ◡̈ To heat up the leftovers, you can heat in the microwave for up to 2 minutes or reheat on a pan on low heat.

Expert Tips

• Dry your chicken with a paper towel before frying so you can get a nice sear on your chicken!
• After browning your chicken, you will have some brown bits on the pan. Don’t throw that away (it has lots of flavor!). When adding the milk or cream, you can gently scrape that off and stir it in the sauce!
• When cooking the cream sauce, make sure to turn down the heat to low or low medium. If the pan is too hot, the milk or cream will curdle with the cheese. This means that the sauce will look clumpy
• Use fresh herbs like cilantro or basil for this dish. Dried seasonings will not be as fragrant.
• Use fresh parmesan or parmigiano-reggiano for impeccable taste in your cream sauce. Grate the cheese fresh if you can and it will taste more fresh! Higher quality ingredients make the biggest difference in the taste of your food.
• Add in some vegetables like spinach or mushrooms to enhance your one pot meal!