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Quick And Easy Creamy Herb Chicken filled with so much flavor, ready and on your table in 15 minutes? YES!
This Creamy Herb Chicken will become your favorite chicken recipe! WITH no heavy cream and dairy free options and just over 300 calories per serve! How much easier could it get?
For another quick, delicious option, check out my butter shrimp with garlic recipe.
Creamy Chicken Recipe
Accidentally, this recipe is low-carb AND gluten-free, with just under 5g carbs per serving! What did I do? Picture this: Juicy, tender chicken breasts simmered in a flavourful, creamy herb sauce with a hint of garlic, HELLO! An easy weekday meal.
The BEST Sauce
So thick and creamy, this creamy herb sauce pairs perfectly with rice, pasta, or my personal favorite: mashed potatoes. To keep the entire meal low-carb, try it over cauliflower mash!
Creamy Chicken With Herbs: Key Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Choose high-quality chicken breasts and pound them to 1/2-inch thin for even cooking and tenderness. Fresh, organic chicken tends to have a better flavor and texture, making them perfect for absorbing the delicious sauce in this recipe.
- Garlic: Both fresh minced garlic and garlic powder add depth and aromatic richness to the sauce. Look for firm, plump garlic cloves with tight skins. Fresh garlic will give your dish a more vibrant flavor.
- Parsley: Fresh, chopped parsley adds a burst of color and a fresh, herbaceous note that balances the creaminess of the sauce. Opt for bright green, crisp parsley. Avoid any bunches with yellowing or wilting leaves.
- Thyme and Rosemary: These dried herbs bring a warm, earthy flavor to the dish. Thyme and rosemary are classic companions to chicken and contribute to the aromatic complexity of the sauce. Ensure your dried herbs are fresh and aromatic, not musty or dull.
- Cornstarch: Used as a thickening agent, cornstarch ensures the sauce has a smooth, creamy consistency without the need for heavy cream. Make sure to mix it well with water until smooth before adding to avoid any lumps.
Note: See the recipe card for the full list of measurements and ingredients
Additions And Substitutions
When it comes to Creamy Chicken With Herbs, don’t stress; there are plenty of alternatives that will give you the same flavors.
- Swap Chicken Breasts for Thighs: If you prefer, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts. Thighs are more forgiving and stay juicier, adding an extra level of tenderness to your dish.
- Add Fresh Ingredients: Toss in a handful of fresh spinach during the last few minutes of cooking. The spinach wilts into the creamy sauce and adds a nutritious touch. Add some fresh herbs too, like basil or tarragon.
- Experiment with Mushrooms: Sauté some sliced mushrooms along with the garlic for an earthy taste. Mushrooms add my favorite thing to add texture and depth to the dish without overpowering the main ingredients, similar to what happens when cooking the marry me chicken pastry recipe.
- Use Dairy-Free Milk Alternatives: If you’re dairy-free, swap out the milk for almond milk, coconut milk, or another preferred non-dairy alternative. These options keep the sauce creamy while catering to dietary preferences.
How to Make Creamy Chicken
First, you’re going to season you chicken in ALL the herbs. For this recipe, I chose:
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Parsley.
You can use Tarragon, or Basil with Oregano if you prefer. Don’t forget the salt and pepper!
Fry the chicken breasts in a skillet or pan over medium-high heat, then remove them from the pan, make the creamy sauce, and finally lick your fingers. See? E.A.S.Y.
I do not recommend using spreadable herb cheese for the creamy sauce. Make the sauce from scratch it’s very easy.
Sauté the aromatics in the same pan with extra virgin olive oil. This will take around 1 minute since the pan is already heated. Stir the milk (or heavy cream), season, and once it’s boiling, add the cornstarch to thicken the cream.
What To Serve With
This creamy herb chicken is a straightforward meal for a busy weeknight. Once you get the hang of making the sauce in the skillet, you can easily change the ingredients for other dinners. You can stir in Dijon for a creamy mustard chicken or deglaze with wine and mushrooms to make a creamy marsala.
If you prefer a lemon profile, you can use the same pan to make a quick garlic caper piccata or a simple lemon francese. The basic cooking steps are practically identical, so it saves a lot of time during the week.
Recipe FAQ’s
You can use almond milk, coconut milk, or any other non-dairy milk alternative. These options keep the sauce creamy and cater to dietary preferences
Cook the chicken breasts until they are opaque and no longer pink inside. Using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should reach 165°F (75°C)
Yes, this recipe is gluten-free as long as you use cornstarch and check that all other ingredients are gluten-free certified.
While the chicken itself can be frozen, the sauce may not hold up well to freezing due to the dairy content. It’s best enjoyed fresh or refrigerated for a few days.
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Creamy Herb Chicken
Ingredients
For The Chicken:
- 4 chicken breasts pounded 1/2-inch thin
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 teaspoon parsley fresh, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon salt to season
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper to season
For The Sauce:
- 4 cloves garlic minced, or 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon parsley fresh, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 cup milk or half and half
- 1/4 teaspoon salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water until smooth
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper to taste
Instructions
- Coat chicken breasts with the onion and garlic powders and herbs. Season generously with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken breasts until opaque and no longer pink inside (about 5 minutes per side, depending on thickness). Transfer to a plate; set aside.
- To the same pan or skillet, heat another 2 teaspoons of olive oil and sauté garlic, with parsley, thyme and rosemary, for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Stir in milk (or cream); season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring to a boil; add the cornstarch mixture to the centre of the pan, quickly stirring, until sauce has thickened slightly.
- Return chicken to the skillet. Sprinkle with extra herbs if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- If you don’t like thyme or rosemary, substitute these with basil and oregano, or use tarragon.
- For a dairy free option, I find cashew milk the best in flavour. You can also use almond milk or rice milk. Yes, heavy cream can be substituted!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was fantastic, we loved the flavors. And as you said, it was easy to prepare! It tasted like something from a fancy restaurant! I’ll definitely make this again!
Love this recipe! However, I never cook with corn starch so I’m blaming the odd taste on that. Can someone agree that I may have messed up somewhere along the way? It was such an odd taste. I can’t get rid of the taste. Almost soapy? Ugh. I can’t wait to try this again.
Is it possible you used cilantro instead of parsley? Some sense a soapy taste with cilantro
This recipe looked delicious! I’m going to make it this week! What would you recommend serving with it??
Oh my word, this is FABULOUS!! Only had thighs, and holy cow, that was so good! Thanks for a simple, hearty, QUICK meal! Definitely keeping this in the rotation! Bless you –
I was shocked by this recipe. I did not use the correct measurements for the chicken, I just poured the seasonings on it to my taste and I used chicken thighs. I also subbed the milk for sour cream because I didn’t have milk. When I tried it I was so surprised by how good the sauce tastes. 10/10
Very yummy and tender!
Made this last night for dinner… was so good! Made my house smell amazing! Will definitely be making this again. I didn’t get that thick sauce consistency because I used 2% milk, but I might use heavy cream next time.
Thanks!
So good, so fast, and so easy. Kids loved it. I was surprised that it was so good. I used 3/4 c milk with 1/4 c half and half.
This was absolutely delicious! The whole family loved it so much we had it twice in the same week. Even my picky eater asked for seconds! I did use basil and oregano instead because I was out of thyme. This will definitely be added to our normal meal rotation.
Made this for dinner tonight and oh my word this blessed my soul!! I should have turned the heat down when I started the sauce, but it was a great accident. The herbs browned a bit which made the sauce brown instead of the creamy color and it tasted like skillet gravy! Yum! Making this again…and again!
I did it ! But i substitute milk with heavy cream and put some parmesan as a finish. it came out greatt ! Thank you ! Finally i’m eating real food!