This easy garlic chicken recipe is the ultimate chicken dinner! Pan-fried chicken breasts are crispy on the outside and have a tender, juicy interior, drenched in an aromatic garlic butter sauce. The recipe is ready in less than 20 minutes and goes well with mashed potatoes and roasted broccoli or green beans.
Be sure to try my parmesan-crusted chicken, chicken pot pie, and chicken piccata next!
The best butter garlic chicken
Quick + easy: My easy garlic butter chicken is the best way to get a delicious dinner on the table fast. The dish is ready in about 20 minutes, and there are no extra steps for dredging or breading. Plus, the sauce is cooked in the same pan, making cleanup a pinch.
Juicy chicken: Pan-fried chicken breasts are the best! Pan-searing is super quick and results in succulent, tender deliciousness.
Amazing garlic butter sauce: The sauce really makes this dish! It’s light and buttery, full of savory garlic flavor and herbs. Perfect for drizzling.
Simple ingredients: If you have chicken breast and garlic, the rest are just basic staples from your fridge and pantry.
Want a version with pork? Try these tasty rosemary garlic pork chops!
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 x 8-oz boneless skinless chicken breasts – Choose cuts that are similar in thickness, so they cook evenly. You can prepare this recipe with boneless chicken tights, too.
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning – adds herby flavor to both the chicken and the sauce.
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil – needed to sear the chicken. Vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil can be substituted.
Sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth – is the base of the sauce. Select low-sodium broth because regular broth will make the sauce too salty.
- 5 garlic cloves, sliced – is the star of the show. I recommend fresh garlic for the best taste. Since it’s the main ingredient, avoid jarred minced garlic and garlic powder – they aren’t as flavorful as fresh garlic.
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning – You can also use 1/2 teaspoon of each dried parsley, dried thyme, dried oregano, and dried rosemary. If opting for fresh herbs, triple the amount.
- 4 tablespoons butter – adds richness and a lovely butter taste to the sauce. I usually use unsalted butter. Reduce the amount of salt for salted butter.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
For serving (optional)
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley – Fresh parsley adds a pop of green and freshness and makes for a pretty presentation.
- fresh lemon slices – Squirt a little lemon juice over your chicken for serving – the tanginess is so delicious with the buttery garlic sauce!
Variations
- Lemon garlic butter sauce: For a lemony sauce, add 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of lemon zest to the sauce.
- Red pepper flakes: If you want a little heat, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the sauce.
- Wine: Feel free to replace the chicken broth with a dry white wine such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, or Sauvignon Blanc. You could also opt for a non-alcoholic wine.
Instructions
1. Flatten the chicken breasts
Pound the thickest part of the chicken breasts to the same thickness as the thinner parts. Doing so ensures the chicken cooks evenly and you don’t end up with under- and overcooked parts.
Pounding chicken breasts
You need to flatten the chicken breast to an even thickness so they cook evenly. Pound also breaks down fiber and muscles, making the chicken more tender.
I like to place the chicken breast between layers of plastic wrap (makes cleanup easier) and use the flat side of a meat tenderizer.
Start pounding from the thick center of the breast and move toward the edges until the chicken has the same thickness throughout. Don’t pound the thinner parts – they are fine as is.
2. Season the chicken
Dry each chicken breast with paper towels. This helps to remove excess moisture and create a golden sear. Then, season both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
3. Sear until golden brown
Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes. Don’t move, touch, or disturb the chicken while searing.
After 5 minutes, flip the chicken breasts over. Cook on the second side, undisturbed, for another 5 minutes, until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and wrap in tin foil to keep warm.
Pan searing chicken
Preheat the pan: Let the pan and oil get hot before adding the chicken. Otherwise, the meat will soak up the oil and stick to the pan.
Don’t touch the chicken until it’s time to flip: Let the chicken sear undisturbed, and don’t touch or move it. This is important to get a crispy, nicely browned exterior. Check on it after 5 minutes. If it needs more time, let it brown for 1 to 2 minutes, then flip.
The trick to juicy chicken is the right cook time: To avoid an overcooked, dry texture, cook the chicken until it’s just done. Sear the chicken on both sides and take it out of the pan once it hits 163°F on a meat thermometer. The chicken will come up to 165°F as it rests covered in foil and you cook the sauce.
4. Deglaze
Using caution, pour the chicken broth into the skillet to deglaze and use a wooden spoon to scrape the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan. The broth will bubble up and steam fiercely for a few seconds.
5. Simmer the sauce.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the butter and Italian seasoning and simmer the sauce for 3 minutes. Then, add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
Skillet temperature: Make sure your pan isn’t too hot after adding the butter to ensure it doesn’t break or separate.
Double or triple the sauce: My recipe makes the perfect amount of sauce for the chicken, but if you want extra sauce for your sides, double or triple the amounts.
6. Combine the chicken and sauce
Return the chicken breast to the pan and flip around to coat all sides in the sauce. If needed, warm for a minute or two, until heated through.
7. Serve
Spoon the garlic butter over the chicken when serving (it’s the best part!). Optionally, garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Serving suggestions
- Mash: Nothing is better than mashed potatoes (or cauliflower mash) to soak up the delicious garlic butter sauce.
- Potatoes: Scalloped potatoes, Hasselback potatoes, or smashed potatoes are fabulous sides for garlic butter chicken.
- Roasted vegetables like roasted broccoli and carrots or roasted zucchini and mushrooms are perfect with garlic chicken. I like to pop my veggies in the oven before I start on the chicken, so the main and side are ready at the same time.
- Pasta or rice go particularly well with this, especially when you double or triple the sauce, as I suggested above.
- Salad: If you want a lighter meal, serve the chicken with a light salad, like caprese salad.
Store & Reheat
- Store: Place cooled leftovers into an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Put portions of chicken and sauce in freezer bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- Reheat: Place the chicken and sauce into an oven dish, cover with foil (so it stays juicy), and bake at 350°F until warmed through. You could also reheat on the stove or in the microwave, but this can dry the chicken out.
More chicken dinners
- Chicken Marsala
- Chicken Penne alla Vodka
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Baked Chicken Drumsticks
- Velveeta Chicken Spaghetti
- Tuscan Chicken Mac and Cheese
- Chicken Sandwich
- California Chicken Salad
Garlic Chicken Recipe
This easy garlic chicken recipe is the ultimate chicken dinner! Pan-fried chicken breasts are crispy on the outside and have a tender, juicy interior, drenched in an aromatic garlic butter sauce. The recipe is ready in less than 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 x 8-oz Boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
Sauce
- 1 cup / 240 ml / 8 fl oz low-sodium chicken broth
- 5 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 4 tbsp butter
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 tsp pepper, or to taste
For serving (optional)
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley
- fresh lemon slices
Instructions
- Flatten the chicken breasts. Pound the thickest part of the chicken breasts to the same thickness as the thinner parts. Doing so ensures the chicken cooks evenly and you don’t end up with under- and overcooked parts.
- Season the chicken. Dry each chicken breast with paper towels. This helps to remove excess moisture and create a golden sear. Then, season both sides with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Sear until golden brown. Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts in a single layer and cook for 5 minutes. Don’t move, touch, or disturb the chicken while searing.
- Flip the chicken. After 5 minutes, flip the chicken breasts over. Cook on the second side, undisturbed, for another 5 minutes, until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and wrap in tin foil to keep warm.
- Deglaze. Using caution, pour the chicken broth into the skillet to deglaze and use a wooden spoon to scrape the flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan. The broth will bubble up and steam fiercely for a few seconds.
- Simmer the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the butter and Italian seasoning and simmer the sauce for 3 minutes. Then, add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
- Combine the chicken and sauce. Return the chicken breast to the pan and flip around to coat all sides in the sauce. If needed, warm for a minute or two, until heated through.
- Serve. Spoon the garlic butter over the chicken when serving (it’s the best part!). Optionally, garnish with fresh parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy!
Notes
Pounding chicken breasts: You need to flatten the chicken breast to an even thickness so they cook evenly. Pound also breaks down fiber and muscles, making the chicken more tender. I like to place the chicken breast between layers of plastic wrap (makes cleanup easier) and use the flat side of a meat tenderizer. Start pounding from the thick center of the breast and move toward the edges until the chicken has the same thickness throughout. Don’t pound the thinner parts – they are fine as is.
Preheat the pan: Let the pan and oil get hot before adding the chicken. Otherwise, the meat will soak up the oil and stick to the pan.
Don’t touch the chicken until it’s time to flip: Let the chicken sear undisturbed, and don’t touch or move it. This is important to get a crispy, nicely browned exterior. Check on it after 5 minutes. If it needs more time, let it brown for 1 to 2 minutes, then flip.
The trick to juicy chicken is the right cook time: To avoid an overcooked, dry texture, cook the chicken until it’s just done. Sear the chicken on both sides and take it out of the pan once it hits 163°F on a meat thermometer. The chicken will come up to 165°F as it rests covered in foil and you cook the sauce.
Skillet temperature: Make sure your pan isn’t too hot after adding the butter to ensure it doesn’t break or separate.
Double or triple the sauce: My recipe makes the perfect amount of sauce for the chicken, but if you want extra sauce for your sides, double or triple the amounts.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 198Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 1393mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 19g
