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Creamy garlic butter chicken in a cast iron skillet with a rich garlic butter sauce and fresh parsley

Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken

Juicy, golden pan-seared chicken simmered in a rich, garlicky butter sauce. Ready in one pan in about 30 minutes with simple, everyday ingredients.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the chicken
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 1.5 lb / 680 g
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 2 tbsp olive oil for searing
For the garlic butter sauce
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped optional, to garnish

Method
 

  1. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through (internal temperature 165F). Transfer to a plate.
  3. Lower the heat to medium. Melt the butter in the same pan, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  4. Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  5. Stir in the Parmesan until the sauce is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  6. Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the sauce over the top. Simmer for 2 minutes, then garnish with parsley and serve.

Notes

Use a heavy skillet so the sauce does not catch. If the sauce is too thin, simmer it for another minute; if it is too thick, splash in a little chicken broth. Freshly grated Parmesan melts far more smoothly than pre-shredded.