This Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken is an incredibly easy one-skillet dish that’s packed with comforting flavors. It’s a delicious weeknight meal made simple, ready in just 30 minutes!
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Why This Recipe Stands Out
You know we love a good chicken recipe, and this Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken is a winner! Here's why:
- Super Easy: The recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients. You might already have most of them in your kitchen.
- Rich and Creamy: The combination of Crème Fraîche, chicken broth, and Parmesan cheese creates a sauce that’s ridiculously creamy and flavorful.
- Tangy and Flavorful: Just like my popular French Mustard Chicken, the Dijon mustard and whole grain mustard add a little tang and depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Quick and Simple: This is a quick and easy recipe that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner but also impressive enough for a special occasion. Plus, you can make it in under 30 minutes!
- Versatile: This creamy garlic parmesan sauce doesn’t just work with chicken. Try it with pork or even fish!
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts - The star of our dish, chicken breasts are butterflied for even cooking and to allow the creamy garlic parmesan sauce to infuse every bite.
- Crème Fraîche - We use this instead of heavy cream for a richer, tangy flavor that perfectly complements the garlic and parmesan.
- Mustards - Dijon and whole grain mustards add a depth of flavor and a slight tanginess that sets this dish apart.
- Garlic and Shallot - Finely minced garlic and shallot add a robust, aromatic flavor to the sauce.
- Parmesan Cheese - We use freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese for its nutty, salty flavor that takes the sauce to the next level.
Substitutions and Variations
Here are some of our favorite substitution and variation ideas to make it your own:
- Protein: While this recipe calls for chicken breasts, feel free to use chicken thighs or even pork chops. If you're vegetarian, this sauce would also work beautifully with tofu or your favorite meat substitute.
- Cheese: We love the salty kick that Parmesan cheese adds to this dish, but you can also try using Pecorino Romano or Asiago for a slightly different flavor.
- Herbs: If parsley isn't your favorite herb, you can try using fresh thyme or oregano instead.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken
Step 1: Butterfly chicken into 4 cutlets and season with salt and pepper. Combine flour and 2 tablespoon Parmesan. Dredged cutlets in the mixture.
Step 2: In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoon butter and cook chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter and sauté shallot and garlic.
Step 3: Pour in chicken broth and add Crème Fraîche, both mustards, capers, salt, and pepper.
Step 4: When the sauce starts to boil, add ⅓ cup of Parmesan cheese. Return chicken to the skillet and simmer for 5 minutes.
Step 5: Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately!
For full list of ingredients and instructions, see recipe card below.
What to Serve with Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken
Rice
- Rice is a great choice for soaking up the extra sauce from this creamy garlic parmesan chicken. Try it with classic white rice or mix it up with some brown rice or even wild rice.
Pasta
- Pasta is another excellent side for this dish. We recommend a nice fettuccine or spaghetti to pair with the chicken and sauce. Drizzle that sauce all over your pasta. It's going to be yummy!
Potatoes
- Potatoes come in many forms, and all of them would work well with this chicken. Mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or even potato rosti with parmesan and goat cheese would be delicious on the side.
Vegetables
- A simple side salad with a light vinaigrette can help cut through the richness of the chicken and provide a good balance to the meal. You can also try serving the chicken with my favorite microgreens salad or roasted vegetables on the side. Asparagus, broccoli, or green beans would all be great choices.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you don't have Crème Fraîche, you can substitute it with heavy cream or Greek yogurt. Keep in mind that the flavor and consistency may vary slightly, but it will still result in a delicious creamy sauce for your chicken.
If your sauce is not thickening, it may be due to not adding enough Parmesan cheese or not allowing it to simmer for long enough. Make sure to follow the recipe and stir well after adding the cheese. If it's still not thickening, you can mix a small amount of cornstarch with water and add it to the sauce, then simmer for a few more minutes.
While pre-grated Parmesan cheese is convenient, we recommend using freshly grated or shredded Parmesan for this recipe. It will melt more smoothly into the sauce and give you a richer flavor.
Creamy garlic parmesan chicken can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Make sure to store it in an airtight container to maintain its freshness.
Watch Me Make This Recipe
Recipe
Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts butterflied
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons Crème Fraîche
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
- 2 teaspoons capers
- 1 small shallot finely minced
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese grated or shredded + 2 tablespoons*
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped
- salt pepper
- a pinch of turmeric optional
Instructions
- After you butterfly chicken, you'll have 4 cutlets.
- Sprinkle both sides of the cutlets with salt and pepper.
- In a small bowl combine flour and 2 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese.
- Dredge chicken cutlets in flour and cheese mixture.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet and over medium heat.
- Add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until juices run clear.
- Transfer chicken on to a plate.
- In the same skillet heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter. Add shallot and cook for 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Pour in chicken broth, add Crème Fraîche, Dijon mustard, whole grain mustard and capers. Stir well.
- Add ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. When the sauce starts to boil, add ⅓ cup of Parmesan cheese and stir well.
- *Optional: If you want the sauce to have more intense yellow color, add a pinch of turmeric.
- Return chicken back into the skillet, cover with a lid and simmer for additional 5 minute.
- Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately!
Notes
Nutrition
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Iryna Bychkiv is the founder and writer of the culinary website Lavender & Macarons, where she shares clean, European-inspired recipes that are delicious, easy to prepare, and made with wholesome ingredients. Iryna loves creating meals that are simple yet healthy and unique, including vegan and vegetarian recipes.
Iryna is also a freelance writer for MSN and Associated Press Wire.
Mike Tolbert says
Rather easy to make and rather delicious! This is now one of my wife's favorite meals. Learn to do this one and you can come up with several variations on your own. If you can't find Crème Fraîche, sour cream works. I find it's easier if you assemble all the ingredients prior to cooking. Thanks for the recipe.
Iryna says
You're welcome Mike! I'm very glad you liked my recipe!
Halimah Rizki says
Hi Iryna,
Thanks for this fabulous recipe. I made it for the first time tonight after finding capers in the supermarket. ( I'm an Aussie in Morocco) first time in 5 years I found them so I emptied the shelf.
I am adding this recipe to my repertoire. It was a big hit. everyone loved it! Pics on Instagram.
I cant wait to look try more of your fabulous recipes.
thanks once again,
Halimah
Iryna says
Hi Halimah,
Thanks for your comment! I'm so glad you liked the recipe!
Great that you were able to find capers, I'm literally obsessed with them and use them very often in cooking.