Garlic Chicken
Golden chunks of buttery chicken, pan-seared with toasty bits of garlic and then hit with a squeeze of fresh lemon. That would be delicious enough. But all that goodness is draped with satiny, savory gravy!
This dish is so incredibly yummy, and made with a handful of ingredients! The reason it’s so flavorful is more about technique than ingredients. First, the chicken is coated with a little flavor – this guarantees and golden crust. Then, butter and garlic are added to pan; the butter coats the chicken while the garlic gets toasty. Then, a quick pan gravy is crafted with all the those tasty bits in the bottom of the pan.
The pop of lemon in this dish is perfection. Tangy lemon is an excellent addition to this dish because it balances the richness of the butter. It’s adds freshness while complementing the other elements of the dish, including the gravy.
There’s a decent amount of black pepper in this dish. Black pepper really shines in this dish, and it’s added to the chicken coating in the very beginning (which means it toasts in the pan while the chicken sears). You can adjust the amount to suit your needs. I used 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, but you can use more/less.
About the garlic. You have a couple options here. You can use fresh minced garlic OR the dried minced garlic sold in the spice aisle. Both work perfectly. When using fresh garlic, keep an eye on the pan to make sure it doesn’t burn.
How should you serve your garlic chicken? Since the chicken is served with a gravy, I suggest some sort of “starch” to soak up the sauce. I served my chicken with spaghetti (that I jazzed up with Italian herb seasoning and olive oil), but you can use any pasta shape, rice, or your favorite grain. Add a steamed or roasted veggie on the side and dinner is complete!
Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 1/12 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, tenders or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic, or 2 teaspoons dried minced garlic
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges
- Chopped fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. In a large bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Add the chicken and turn to coat.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown on all sides (and a nice crust forms). Work in batches if necessary to prevent crowding the pan, then return all the chicken to the pan.
- Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and garlic and stir to coat the chicken. Cook until the butter melts, the garlic is toasty, and the chicken is cooked through, stirring frequently.
- Transfer the chicken to a shallow serving bowl and cover with foil to keep warm.
- Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the same pan over medium-high heat. When the butter is bubbly, whisk in the remaining tablespoon of flour until blended.
- Whisk in the broth plus the juice of 3 to 4 of the lemon wedges and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley. Serve with the remaining lemon wedges on the side.