Crispy Chicken Garlic Cream (Printable)

Golden pan-fried chicken breasts with luscious garlic cream sauce, ideal for a comforting meal.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
04 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 2 large eggs, beaten
06 - 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
07 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
08 - 1/4 cup olive oil

→ Garlic Cream Sauce

09 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
10 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
11 - 1 cup heavy cream
12 - 1/2 cup chicken broth
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
15 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Place chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound to an even 1/2-inch thickness. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
02 - Place flour in a shallow bowl, beat eggs in a second bowl, and combine panko breadcrumbs with Parmesan cheese in a third bowl.
03 - Dredge each chicken breast in flour, dip into the beaten eggs, then coat evenly with the panko-Parmesan mixture, pressing lightly to adhere.
04 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
05 - Lower heat to medium in the same skillet and melt butter. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
06 - Add heavy cream and chicken broth, scraping up browned bits from the skillet. Bring to a simmer and cook 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened.
07 - Stir in salt, black pepper, Parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley. Simmer an additional 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
08 - Return chicken to the skillet, spoon sauce over the top, and heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish with extra parsley and serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The chicken stays juicy inside while the crust shatters between your teeth like you'd never made anything this crispy before.
  • That garlicky cream sauce tastes restaurant-quality but comes together in the same pan, no extra dishes required.
  • It's flexible enough for a weeknight but impressive enough to plate for guests without feeling like you scrambled.
02 -
  • Don't skip the resting step—letting the chicken sit tented while you make the sauce keeps it from overcooking and drying out while the pan is occupied.
  • If your sauce looks too thin after simmering, let it bubble for another minute or two, but if you add the cream and broth too early or at too high a heat, the cream can break and look curdled, so pay attention to that gentle simmer.
  • Pressing the breading mixture onto the chicken firmly makes the difference between a coating that stays put and one that falls off mid-bite.
03 -
  • Test your oil temperature with a breadcrumb—if it sizzles immediately, you're ready; if it's sluggish, wait another minute because cold oil makes soggy breading.
  • Keep the heat at medium-high for frying, not high, so the outside gets golden and crunchy while the inside stays juicy instead of drying out.
  • If the sauce starts looking too thick, you can thin it with a splash of broth or cream, but it's harder to fix if it's too thin, so start with a gentle simmer and let time do the work.
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