One-Pot Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken
This recipe was developed with AI assistance and reviewed by the Nibblevia team. We’ll add our own notes once we’ve cooked it in our kitchen. Learn more.
Golden chicken, plenty of garlic and a rich, creamy parmesan sauce, all from one pan in about 30 minutes. It’s the kind of cosy weeknight dinner that tastes like it took much longer. Serve it with rice, pasta, mashed potatoes or crusty bread to soak up every bit of sauce.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- One pan, so there’s very little washing up
- Ready in about 30 minutes
- Everyday ingredients: chicken, garlic, cream and parmesan
- Easy to adapt with spinach, breasts instead of thighs, or a lighter sauce
Tips for the best garlic butter chicken
- Dry the chicken well so it browns properly and gives the sauce its flavour.
- Keep the garlic gentle. Cook it for about a minute over medium heat, because burnt garlic turns bitter.
- Scrape up the pan. The browned bits stirred into the stock are where the flavour is.
- Check that it’s cooked through. The thickest part of the chicken should reach 75°C (165°F).
- Don’t crowd the pan. If the thighs don’t fit in a single layer with a little space, cook them in two batches so they brown instead of steam.
What to serve it with
Steamed rice, buttered pasta, creamy mashed potatoes or a crusty loaf all work well, with a simple green salad on the side.
One-Pot Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken
Tender chicken thighs in a silky garlic butter cream sauce, made in one pan in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 600 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs about 6
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp butter 40 g, divided
- 6 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1/2 cup chicken stock 120 ml
- 3/4 cup cream 180 ml, thickened or heavy cream
- 1/3 cup parmesan 30 g, finely grated
- 1 tsp dried Italian herbs
- 1 handful baby spinach optional
- fresh parsley chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and season it with the salt, pepper and paprika.
- Heat the oil and 1 tbsp of the butter in a large pan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken for 5–6 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through; the thickest part should reach 75°C (165°F). If the pan is crowded, cook it in two batches. Set it aside on a plate.
- Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining butter and the garlic and stir for 1 minute until fragrant, without letting it brown.
- Pour in the stock and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cream, parmesan and herbs, then simmer for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened. Add the spinach, if using, until it wilts.
- Return the chicken and its juices to the pan and spoon the sauce over it. Warm through for 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.
Notes
- Chicken breasts work too: slice them in half horizontally so they cook evenly, and check they reach 75°C (165°F). They usually need a little less time than thighs, about 4 minutes per side.
- For a lighter sauce, use half cream and half milk and simmer gently a little longer, without letting it boil hard (it can split).
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, and reheat gently with a splash of stock.
- This recipe was developed with AI assistance and hasn’t been kitchen-tested by Nibblevia yet.