Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken is a restaurant-quality dish featuring perfectly seared, juicy chicken breasts swimming in a luxurious cream sauce infused with aromatic garlic and nutty parmesan cheese that’s ready in just 20 minutes using one skillet. The chicken develops a beautiful golden-brown crust from high-heat searing that locks in moisture and creates deep savory flavor, while the interior stays tender and succulent without drying out or becoming rubbery. The sauce combines heavy cream, freshly grated parmesan, and sautéed garlic into a velvety coating that’s rich but balanced, with enough acidity from white wine and brightness from fresh herbs to prevent it from tasting heavy or one-dimensional. This one-pan method means the chicken cooks directly in the sauce, absorbing flavor while simultaneously thickening and enriching the cream with savory chicken juices. Perfect for busy weeknights when you need dinner on the table fast but refuse to compromise on taste or presentation, this dish looks and tastes like something from an Italian trattoria despite requiring minimal effort, basic ingredients, and zero advanced cooking skills.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This one-pan recipe eliminates the need for multiple pots and pans, significantly reducing both active cooking time and cleanup afterward while creating deeper flavor as chicken and sauce cook together. The entire dish takes just 20 minutes from start to finish, making it faster than most takeout options and perfect for hectic weeknights when hunger strikes but time is limited. Chicken breasts, often dismissed as bland and dry, become restaurant-quality through proper searing technique and cooking in creamy sauce that keeps meat moist and flavorful throughout. The garlic parmesan sauce is incredibly versatile and pairs beautifully with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread for soaking up every last drop of liquid gold. This recipe uses simple, affordable ingredients found at any grocery store without requiring specialty items, expensive cuts of meat, or complicated techniques that intimidate home cooks.
The Science of Juicy Chicken
- High-heat searing creates the Maillard reaction on chicken surface, developing golden-brown color and complex savory flavors through protein-sugar interactions.
- Cooking chicken to exactly 165°F internal temperature denatures proteins just enough to make meat safe and tender without overcooking into dry, stringy texture.
- Pan sauces use fond (browned bits stuck to pan) and chicken juices to create deeply flavored liquid that’s more complex than sauce made separately.
- Heavy cream contains emulsified fat that prevents sauce from breaking or curdling when heated, creating smooth, glossy consistency.
- Parmesan cheese releases glutamates that enhance savory umami flavor, making sauce taste richer and more satisfying than cream alone.
Ingredients You Need
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts: 4 medium (6-7 oz each)
- Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons for searing
- Butter: 2 tablespoons for richness
- Garlic: 6 cloves minced for flavor
- Heavy Cream: 1½ cups for sauce
- Chicken Broth: ½ cup for depth
- Parmesan Cheese: 1 cup freshly grated
- White Wine: ¼ cup for acidity (optional, can substitute broth)
- Italian Seasoning: 1 teaspoon for herbs
- Paprika: ½ teaspoon for color
- Salt: 1 teaspoon or to taste
- Black Pepper: ½ teaspoon freshly ground
- Fresh Parsley: 2 tablespoons chopped for garnish
- Red Pepper Flakes: ¼ teaspoon for heat (optional)
How to Make It (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Pat chicken breasts completely dry with paper towels, removing all surface moisture. If breasts are very thick, pound them to even ¾-inch thickness. Season both sides generously with salt, black pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning, pressing spices into meat so they adhere well.
Step 2: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering and almost smoking. Add chicken breasts in a single layer without crowding and cook undisturbed for 5-6 minutes until deep golden-brown crust forms on bottom. Flip chicken and cook another 5-6 minutes until second side is golden and internal temperature reaches 165°F on instant-read thermometer. Remove chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.
Step 3: Reduce heat to medium and add butter to the same skillet without wiping it clean. Once butter melts, add minced garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds until fragrant but not browned, stirring constantly to prevent burning. If using white wine, pour it in now and scrape up all browned bits stuck to pan bottom with wooden spoon, letting wine reduce by half (about 1 minute).
Step 4: Pour in heavy cream and chicken broth, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly and reduces by about one-third. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon but still flow freely.
Step 5: Remove skillet from heat and stir in freshly grated parmesan cheese, whisking constantly until cheese melts completely and sauce becomes smooth and glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Return chicken breasts to skillet along with any accumulated juices from the plate, spooning sauce over top to coat. Let chicken rest in warm sauce for 2-3 minutes to reheat gently. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately with sauce spooned generously over each piece.
3 Mistakes That Ruin Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken
- Not Drying Chicken Before Searing: If chicken surface is wet when it hits the hot pan, the moisture creates steam that prevents browning and causes chicken to boil instead of sear, resulting in pale, rubbery meat without flavor-building crust. Always pat chicken completely dry with paper towels before seasoning and cooking. Dry surface = perfect golden crust that locks in juices.
- Overcooking Chicken Past 165°F: If you cook chicken breasts beyond 165°F internal temperature (the USDA safe minimum), proteins squeeze out moisture and become dry, tough, and stringy no matter how good your sauce is. Use an instant-read thermometer and remove chicken the moment it reaches 165°F. Carryover cooking will bring temperature up a few more degrees as it rests.
- Adding Parmesan While Sauce Is Boiling: If sauce is at full rolling boil when you add cheese, the extreme heat causes proteins to seize and clump, creating grainy, separated sauce with an unpleasant gritty texture. Always remove pan from heat completely before stirring in parmesan, letting residual heat melt cheese slowly and gently for smooth, creamy results.
What to Serve with 20-Minute Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken
This elegant chicken dish is perfect for weeknight dinners or special occasions. Serve over Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes or alongside Perfect Butter Pasta and Simple Roasted Garlic Green Beans to soak up every drop of that incredible cream sauce.
FAQ
20-Minute Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken (One-Pan Recipe)
Method
- Step 1: Pat chicken breasts completely dry with paper towels, removing all surface moisture. If breasts are very thick, pound them to even ¾-inch thickness. Season both sides generously with salt, black pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning, pressing spices into meat so they adhere well.Step 2: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering and almost smoking. Add chicken breasts in a single layer without crowding and cook undisturbed for 5-6 minutes until deep golden-brown crust forms on bottom. Flip chicken and cook another 5-6 minutes until second side is golden and internal temperature reaches 165°F on instant-read thermometer. Remove chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil to keep warm.Step 3: Reduce heat to medium and add butter to the same skillet without wiping it clean. Once butter melts, add minced garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds until fragrant but not browned, stirring constantly to prevent burning. If using white wine, pour it in now and scrape up all browned bits stuck to pan bottom with wooden spoon, letting wine reduce by half (about 1 minute).Step 4: Pour in heavy cream and chicken broth, stirring to combine. Bring mixture to gentle simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens slightly and reduces by about one-third. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon but still flow freely.Step 5: Remove skillet from heat and stir in freshly grated parmesan cheese, whisking constantly until cheese melts completely and sauce becomes smooth and glossy. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Return chicken breasts to skillet along with any accumulated juices from the plate, spooning sauce over top to coat. Let chicken rest in warm sauce for 2-3 minutes to reheat gently. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately with sauce spooned generously over each piece.
Notes
