Creamy Garlic Roasted Chicken

By: Stephanie

23 Comments

Posted: 01/24/19 Updated: 04/17/24

Yes, this dish has 30 cloves of garlic in it. Yes, this creamy garlic chicken will be your new favorite dinner! My garlic roast chicken recipe is a one-skillet dish with tender juicy chicken breast surrounded by a creamy garlic sauce. Nervous about so much garlic? Don’t be! When garlic is roasted in the oven, it mellows out and takes on a sweet velvety texture.

What is creamy garlic chicken?

Creamy garlic chicken is a savory dish, baked or simmered with browned chicken breasts and a heavenly cream sauce.

This sauce is filled with aromatics, including shallots, rosemary, sage, and, of course, lots of garlic.

Tender, juicy chicken perfectly complements the rich sauce, served simply over vegetables, rice, pasta, or risotto. 

The dish has definite French influences, particularly in its affinity for garlic. 

Why this creamy garlic chicken recipe works

• Roast chicken with garlic is an extremely flavorful, quick, and easy dinner recipe. 
• This recipe is packed FULL of garlic (30 cloves to be exact). When baked, the garlic takes on a delicious, velvety texture and subtler flavor. 
• Heavy cream and butter make this recipe a creamy decadence, perfectly countering the zing from both garlic and shallots. 
• Fresh herbs, including thyme and rosemary, give this dish a heightened depth of flavor. 
• This dish is made in a single cast-iron pan for easy clean-up and serving. 
• Versatile serving options include rice, pasta, vegetables, and more. 

Ingredients needed

Here’s everything you’ll need to gather for this garlic roast chicken recipe…

• Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Garlic
• Shallots
• Olive oil
• Butter
• Dry white wine
• Low-sodium chicken broth
• Heavy cream
• Red pepper flakes
• Fresh thyme
• Dried rosemary
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper

How to make creamy garlic chicken

Once you see how easy it is to make roast chicken with garlic, this recipe will quickly join your weekly rotation. 

For the web story version of this recipe, click here!

Step 1: Prep and sear chicken

1. First up, preheat your oven to 375 degrees F for later baking. 
2. Then, season your chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. All the flavor is going to come later from our garlic, shallots, and sauce. 
3. In a large cast-iron pan, add 1 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium-high heat.
4. Sear your chicken breast in your cast iron skillet for about 4 minutes on each side. 
5. Remove the chicken and set it aside.

Crispy chicken tip:

If you prefer a super crispy chicken texture, substitute chicken breasts for skin-on chicken thighs. The skin will get super crispy and delicious when searing, then again once baked. 

Note: Baking times will change based on the cut of the chicken, especially if you choose a bone-in cut. Adjust accordingly and use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature reaches 165°F. 

Step 2: Make the creamy garlic chicken sauce

1. Now we are going to get a nice toast on the garlic/shallots. In the same skillet, lower the heat to medium, add a tbsp of butter, 30 cloves of garlic, 3 shallots, and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme.
2. Push the ingredients around for about 4 minutes until the garlic and shallots begin to get some color on them.
3. After slightly cooking the garlic and shallots, add in ½ cup of white wine and allow the skillet to deglaze for about 4 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half. This is going to pull delicious garlic flavor into the sauce and soak up the chicken flavor as well.
4. Take this time to scrape up the stuck-on bits in the skillet because that’s where all the flavor is. 
5. Then you’re going to add in ½ cup chicken broth, ½ tsp dried rosemary, ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes, and 3 tbsp of heavy cream. 
6. Allow your sauce to come to a boil, then turn the heat off.

Can I use pre-minced garlic?

I get it – jarred minced garlic is convenient and cost-effective. But to get the true flavors of this dish, fresh, whole garlic is an absolute must. 

Fresh garlic is far more aromatic, developing a complex, caramelized flavor when roasted. Due to processing, jarred garlic is milder and can be somewhat tangy.

Garlic is the star of this dish, so spring for the fresh stuff!

Step 3: Bake and serve creamy garlic chicken

1. Add the chicken back into the skillet, add fresh thyme sprigs on top, and pop it in the preheated oven. 
2. The cooking time depends on the thickness of your chicken breasts. Mine took 25 minutes until they were done, but just ensure that the internal temperature is 165 degrees F using a meat thermometer.
3. When the oven-roasted chicken is done, it’s juicy, tender, and surrounded by a creamy garlic sauce. Let cool slightly and dig in!

How to serve creamy garlic chicken

Roast chicken with garlic is best served over pasta or paired with rice and veggies. 

Try my oven-roasted chicken recipe with creamy pesto pasta, pea and asparagus risotto, or with a side of kale Caesar salad for extra garlic-y goodness. 

When you serve it, make sure to spoon the sauce over the chicken – that’s the best part! Utilize the soft roasted garlic cloves and sweet shallots with each bite.

How to store creamy garlic chicken 

To store your finished dish, first, wait for the recipe to cool down completely. This will help your dish keep longer, reducing any excess moisture. 

Once completely cooled, add your creamy garlic chicken to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to three days. 

To reheat your chicken, I recommend heating it in the oven for the best texture. Add it to an oven-safe dish, cover the top in aluminum foil, and reheat for 10-15 minutes at 325°F.

Love one-skillet chicken meals? Try these:

• Chicken Saltimbocca
• Lemony Chicken and Asparagus
• Tuscan Chicken with Tortellini 
• Chicken Milanese
• Chorizo and Chicken Paella

Tried this recipe and loved it? Leave a star rating below!

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4.63 from 35 votes

Garlic Roasted Chicken

This one skillet juicy chicken breast, surrounded by roasted garlic and shallots in a white wine cream sauce.

Prep: 10 minutes mins

Cook: 40 minutes mins

Total: 50 minutes mins

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4 servings

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Ingredients

• ▢ 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or use chicken thighs with skin)
• ▢ 30 cloves garlic (peeled (3 heads))
• ▢ 3 shallots (peeled and quartered)
• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1/2 cup dry white wine (125 ml mini bottle)
• ▢ 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
• ▢ 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves + 4 sprigs
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• ▢ Kosher Salt
• ▢ Freshly ground black pepper

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Equipment

• ▢
  Lodge Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet 

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F
• Season chicken breast with salt and pepper on each side. In a large cast iron skillet over medium/high heat, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter. Sear chicken breast about 4 minutes on each side or until a nice golden color is achieved. Remove and set aside on a plate.
• Lower the heat to medium and add 1 tbsp butter, shallots, garlic, and 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add white wine to skillet and allow pan to deglaze for about 5 minutes or until liquid has reduced by half. Add in chicken broth, 1 tbsp butter, rosemary, red pepper flakes, and cream. Allow to come to a light boil for 2 minutes then turn the heat off.
• Add the chicken back into the skillet and top with fresh thyme sprigs,then place into the oven. Bake for 25 minutes until chicken is fully cooked through with an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Serve over pasta, or rice, or your favorite vegetables. Spoon sauce over chicken. Enjoy!

Notes

• Cooking time for chicken varies on thickness, make sure internal temperature is 165 degrees F

Video

Nutrition Information

Calories: 389kcal (19%), Carbohydrates: 13g (4%), Protein: 27g (54%), Fat: 24g (37%), Saturated Fat: 8g (50%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 100mg (33%), Sodium: 200mg (9%), Potassium: 646mg (18%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 2g (2%), Vitamin A: 535IU (11%), Vitamin C: 13mg (16%), Calcium: 74mg (7%), Iron: 2mg (11%)

© Author: Stephanie