One Pot Creamy Garlic Chicken

Name: Creamy Garlic Chicken
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 1.5 pound chicken thighs (boneless and skinless); 1½ teaspoon salt; ½ teaspoon black pepper; ½ teaspoon garlic powder; ½ teaspoon paprika; ½ teaspoon cumin; 1 tablespoon neutral oil (for frying the chicken); 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 cup half & half*; 4 garlic cloves (minced); ¼ cup shredded parmesan; 12-20 sprigs cilantro (finely minced)

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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!

creamy chicken with cilantro on top of white rice on grey plate and a spoon

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! And for another super easy one-pot dish, check out my Soy Sauce Chicken In Rice Cooker.

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

seasoning chicken with black pepper, paprika, and garlic powder on white plate

Step 1: Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel.

seared golden brown chicken on cast iron pan

Step 2: 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

melted butter and minced garlic on hot pan

Step 3: 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.

parmesan cheese shredded added in cream sauce stirred in pan

Step 4. 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!

chicken thighs with cilantro on top made in a cream sauce

Recipe FAQs

Can I use chicken breast?

Yes, you can! Try to use 1.5 pound chicken breast so the proportions of the ingredients is the same as the recipe. You may need to increase the cooking time of the chicken to ensure that the chicken is cooked through.

I am lactose intolerant. Can I use lactose-free milk or oat milk?

Yes, you can! Use your preferred type of milk. Parmesan cheese has low lactose content and can usually be tolerated by those with lactose intolerance.

Can I add in veggies?

Yes, you can add some chopped spinach or mushrooms to the cream sauce. You can also added cooked pasta for an easy one pot meal!

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 like a Carrot Ribbon Salad. This will surely add a pop of color and crunch to your chicken meal!

creamy chicken with cilantro on top of white rice

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. If you love cilantro sauce, you can also add this creamy cilantro sauce on top for extra flavor!
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!

More Delicious Chicken Recipes:

Hainan Chicken Rice – a super popular chicken and rice dish sold in Asia with ginger scallion sauce.
Japanese Cream Stew – chicken cooked with vegetables in a Japanese cream sauce
Chinese Sausage with Chicken Rice – Chinese inspired one pot rice with fragrant flavors of lap cheong!