Epic Whole30 Creamy Garlic Chicken Recipe

This Epic Whole30 Creamy Garlic Chicken Recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner for the garlic lover! Juicy pan seared chicken smothered in a dairy free garlic cream sauce for the ultimate bite – all in just 30 minutes.

Whole30 Creamy Garlic Chicken

Creamy. Garlicky. And oh so savory. This recipe will seriously blow your mind. How do I know? Because it blew my mind. I impressed myself with this one. Pan seared chicken with pan roasted garlic, fresh herbs, lemon and a cream sauce that is mouthwatering!

Who knew whole30 recipes could taste so good? Sorry if you’re a whole30 lover out there. I’ve never done whole30, so this arena is a little knew to me. But honestly I’m starting to love it. We served this with roasted potatoes and asparagus. Let’s just say it was divine and devoured!

What is creamy garlic sauce made of?

Garlic sauce is typically a pungent sauce made with lots of fresh garlic for a strong garlic flavor. Then mellowed out with ingredients like butter, cream and fresh herbs. Some people emulsify it so the cloves of garlic are pureed and others leave the cloves of garlic whole. 

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Ingredients you’ll need:

This recipe is whole30, so you’ll be using things like ghee and coconut milk to make a dreamy creamy sauce. Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this whole30 creamy garlic chicken recipe.

• Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts. However, you could use chicken tenders or even chicken thighs if you’d like.
• Ghee: Instead of butter, we use ghee in this dish. 
• Yellow Onion: I’m an onion lover, I add it to most everything I make. But if you’re not, you can omit this from the recipe.
• Garlic: You’ll need a whole head of garlic. I know it sounds like a lot, but trust me the garlic doesn’t overpower in this dish. In fact, if you’re a garlic lover you could add 2 whole heads of garlic. The garlic mellows out and gets sweeter as it’s pan seared and turns into the best bite you’ll ever have. If you don’t want the whole cloves of garlic, slice them in half for smaller pieces.
• Lemon Juice: This helps cut through the sweet and fat from the coconut milk. 
• Chicken Broth: I use low sodium chicken broth or stock to further emphasis the savory flavor of the chicken.
• Coconut Milk: Buy the full fat canned coconut milk. You will find this in the international aisle of your grocery store. Do NOT use the carton that you’ll find buy the milk, it will be too liquidy. 
• Thyme: Fresh is best. This flavorful lemony herb brightens up the dish.
• Salt & Pepper: This is a must for seasoning any and every dish. 

Should I season chicken before cooking?

Absolutely. I season every protein before I cook it. Salt and pepper are flavor. Don’t skip on that. The seasoning will also carry through to the sauce of this while you’re cooking. Meaning you won’t have to add as much salt at the end.

How to make Creamy Garlic Chicken?

Not only is the garlic chicken dish bursting with flavor in every bite. It’s all done in under 30 minutes. Here are the simple instructions on how to make this dish a reality in your house.

1. Season Chicken: Lay chicken breast on a cutting board. With your hand on top, carefully slice the chicken in half. You’ll have a top and a bottom have. (essentially cutlets) Season your 4 chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides.
2. Sear Chicken Breast: Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee. Then add chicken breast to skillet. Pan sear chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes per side. Next, remove chicken from pan and let rest.
3. Pan Sear Garlic Cloves: Reduce heat to medium, then immediately add remaining tablespoon of ghee and whole garlic cloves to the pan. Saute cloves for 3-4 minutes, stirring around the pan occasionally to brown the outside.
4. Add Aromatics: Once garlic is slightly browned, add yellow onion to pan. Saute for 1-2 minutes, until translucent.
5. Pour in the flavor: Next, add in chicken broth, lemon juice and fresh thyme. Stir and bring to a simmer, reduce by the mixture by half.
6. Make it Creamy: Slowly add in coconut milk and stir until combined. Season with salt to taste.
7. Back in the Pan: Add chicken breast pan to pan and simmer for an additional 5 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley or basil and serve!

What to serve with Whole30 Creamy Garlic Chicken?

You can’t go wrong with a simple and classic. Some of our favorite dishes to serve with this whole30 chicken recipe are listed below:

• Everyday Go-to Salad
• Oven Roasted Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
• Best Spinach Salad with Apples, Pecans & Gorgonzola
• Instant Pot Sweet Potatoes
• Crispy Baked Fries with Garlic Aioli
• Grilled Asparagus with Lemon Zest

Additional Add-ins:

In my opinion, this recipe is perfect just as it is. But if you want to “amp it up” a bite. Here are a few things I thought about adding in.

• Vegetables: The more veg you can add into recipes the better. I thought about adding spinach, cherry tomatoes, sweet peas or broccoli.
• Cheese: This recipe is whole30 which is why didn’t add in cheese. But I totally thought about adding grated parmesan cheese.
• Noodles: Turn it into an epic pasta dish by adding in elbow, penne or spaghetti noodles!

Do you have to use Chicken Breast?

No. If you don’t have chicken breasts on hand you can substitute with chicken tenders, chicken thighs or even salmon if you really wanted. This recipe is super flexible.

More Chicken Breast Recipes you need to try:

• Cilantro Lime Chicken with Avocado Salsa 
• 5 Flavorful Chicken Marinades
• Keto Pecan Crusted Chicken Recipe
• Chicken Parmesan Zucchini Boats
• 30 Minute Creamy Tuscan Chicken
• Baked Chicken Parmesan with Zucchini Noodles

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