Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skillet
When you want comfort food without a long recipe, this comes together in one skillet.
This is the dinner to make when you’re tired, hungry, and want something cozy that still feels like a real meal. It gives you the familiar creamy garlic-Parmesan chicken you’d expect, but it stays weeknight-friendly and lands on the table in under 45 minutes. The sauce is rich, savory, and clings to the chicken instead of turning into a heavy project. Serve it with pasta, rice, or crusty bread if you have it; if not, it’s still satisfying on its own with a simple vegetable on the side. Expect comfort, not restaurant drama.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts — cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 0.5 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 unit garlic cloves — minced
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1.5 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup half-and-half
- 0.75 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 0.5 tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley — optional
Method
- 1 Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then cook the chicken until browned and just cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- 2 Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter and garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds, stirring so the garlic does not brown.
- 3 Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute to make a quick paste. Slowly whisk in the chicken broth, then the half-and-half.
- 4 Add the Parmesan and Italian seasoning and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring often, until the sauce thickens a little.
- 5 Return the chicken and any juices to the skillet. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until everything is hot and coated. Finish with parsley and serve.
- 6 If the sauce gets too thick, splash in a little more broth or water until it looks silky again.
Variations
- Vegetarian swap — Use 12 oz of sliced mushrooms and 1 can of drained cannellini beans instead of chicken; brown the mushrooms first, then build the sauce the same way.
- Faster swap — Use thin-sliced chicken cutlets or leftover cooked chicken and skip the browning step, reducing the total time by about 10 minutes.
- Easy substitutions — Swap half-and-half for whole milk for a lighter sauce, or use mozzarella in place of some Parmesan if that is what you have.
Notes
For the best texture, grate the Parmesan finely so it melts smoothly. This is especially good over buttered noodles, rice, mashed potatoes, or roasted broccoli. The sauce will thicken as it sits, so loosen leftovers with a tablespoon or two of broth when reheating.
Equipment that helps
- Large skillet — Gives the chicken room to brown and leaves space for the sauce to simmer.
- Whisk — Helps the broth and dairy turn into a smooth sauce instead of a lumpy one.
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