Creamy Garlic Chicken with Fresh Veggies – Easy Weeknight Dinner
Creamy Garlic Chicken with Fresh Veggies – A quick and easy weeknight dinner that’s better than takeout. After making this many times, I’ve discovered the trick to keeping it creamy and full of garlic flavor. Jump to recipe or keep reading for my best tips. If you love recipes like this, you’ll also enjoy Delicious Crockpot Chicken Lo Mein Recipe You’ll Love and Easy Bunuelos Recipe (Only 4 Ingredients).
Why This Creamy Garlic Chicken with Fresh Veggies – Easy Weeknight Dinner Is Pure Comfort
- Packed with garlic flavor in every bite
- Loaded with fresh veggies for a balanced meal
- Ready in just 30 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner
- Better than takeout and perfect for meal prepping
What You'll Need for Creamy Garlic Chicken with Fresh Veggies – Easy Weeknight Dinner
Choosing the right ingredients makes a big difference, but this recipe is forgiving enough to work with what you have.
- chicken breasts
- garlic cloves
- fresh spinach
- mushrooms
- cherry tomatoes
- olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- heavy cream
- chicken broth
- parmesan cheese
- Optional: fresh parsley
- Optional: red pepper flakes
📝 Ingredient Notes
- chicken breasts: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best for this recipe.
🛒 Tools & Equipment I Recommend
- Instant Pot — Saves time and cooks chicken perfectly → See on Amazon
- Good quality garlic press — Makes mincing garlic a breeze → See on Amazon
How to Make Creamy Garlic Chicken with Fresh Veggies – Easy Weeknight Dinner
- Step 1: Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken for 6-7 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Step 2: In the same skillet, add sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and begin to brown. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Step 3: Stir in heavy cream, chicken broth, and parmesan cheese. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Step 4: Add fresh spinach and cherry tomatoes to the skillet and cook until the spinach has wilted and the tomatoes have softened. Slice the cooked chicken and return it to the skillet. Stir to combine and serve hot with fresh parsley and red pepper flakes if desired.
Cook's Tips for Perfect Creamy Garlic Chicken with Fresh Veggies – Easy Weeknight Dinner
- Common mistake and fix: Don't overcook the chicken. It will become dry and tough. Remove it from the skillet as soon as it's cooked through.
- Pro tip: For extra flavor, deglaze the skillet with a little white wine before adding the heavy cream. Just make sure to cook off the alcohol before adding the cream.
- Pro tip: To make this dish even heartier, add some cooked pasta or rice to the skillet and let it soak up the creamy garlic sauce.
Storing & Reheating Creamy Garlic Chicken with Fresh Veggies – Easy Weeknight Dinner
Short-Term Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Make-ahead tip: This dish can be made ahead of time and reheated on the stove or in the oven.
Freezing Creamy Garlic Chicken with Fresh Veggies – Easy Weeknight Dinner
Freeze cooked chicken and sauce separately for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
How to Reheat Without Drying It Out
Oven: Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes until heated through. Microwave: Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until heated through. Stir halfway through to ensure even heating.
Recipe Notes
- Chef tip: For a spicy version, add some red pepper flakes or diced jalapeños to the skillet when cooking the mushrooms.
- Best substitution: You can substitute the chicken breasts for chicken thighs or even tofu for a vegetarian version.
- Make-ahead: This dish can be made ahead of time and reheated on the stove or in the oven. The sauce may thicken upon standing, so you may need to add a little more chicken broth when reheating.
- Scaling: This recipe can easily be doubled or halved to serve more or fewer people.
- Troubleshooting: If the sauce becomes too thick, thin it out with a little more chicken broth or water.
Want to level up this recipe?
Good quality chef's knife — Makes prep work a breeze and ensures even cooking → Check price on Amazon
Creamy Garlic Chicken with Fresh Veggies – Easy Weeknight Dinner
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- chicken breasts
- garlic cloves
- fresh spinach
- mushrooms
- cherry tomatoes
Seasonings
- olive oil
- salt
- black pepper
- heavy cream
- chicken broth
- parmesan cheese
Optional Toppings
- fresh parsley
- red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Step 1: Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken for 6-7 minutes per side until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Step 2: In the same skillet, add sliced mushrooms and cook until they release their moisture and begin to brown. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute.
- Step 3: Stir in heavy cream, chicken broth, and parmesan cheese. Bring to a simmer and let it cook for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Step 4: Add fresh spinach and cherry tomatoes to the skillet and cook until the spinach has wilted and the tomatoes have softened. Slice the cooked chicken and return it to the skillet. Stir to combine and serve hot with fresh parsley and red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
- Chef tip: For a spicy version, add some red pepper flakes or diced jalapeños to the skillet when cooking the mushrooms.
- Best substitution: You can substitute the chicken breasts for chicken thighs or even tofu for a vegetarian version.
- Make-ahead: This dish can be made ahead of time and reheated on the stove or in the oven. The sauce may thicken upon standing, so you may need to add a little more chicken broth when reheating.
- Scaling: This recipe can easily be doubled or halved to serve more or fewer people.
- Troubleshooting: If the sauce becomes too thick, thin it out with a little more chicken broth or water.
Storage
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze cooked chicken and sauce separately for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Oven reheat: Reheat in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for 10-15 minutes until heated through.
- Microwave reheat: Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes until heated through. Stir halfway through to ensure even heating.
- Make ahead: This dish can be made ahead of time and reheated on the stove or in the oven.
Nutrition Per Serving
- Calories: 420
- Protein: 35g
- Fat: 25g
- Carbs: 15g
- Fiber: 2g
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 750mg
- Cholesterol: 110mg
- Sat. Fat: 11g
Nutritional values are estimates only. Actual values may vary by brand and portion size.
Creamy Garlic Chicken with Fresh Veggies – Easy Weeknight Dinner FAQs
Yes, you can make this ahead of time and reheat it on the stove or in the oven. The sauce may thicken upon standing, so you may need to add a little more chicken broth when reheating.
Overcooking the chicken is the most common reason for it becoming dry. Remove it from the skillet as soon as it's cooked through.
Yes, you can freeze cooked chicken and sauce separately for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
Yes, you can make this in the slow cooker. Cook the chicken and mushrooms separately on the stove, then combine them in the slow cooker with the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.
This dish goes well with a side of pasta, rice, or crusty bread to soak up the creamy garlic sauce.
A Warm Final Note
I can’t wait for you to try Creamy Garlic Chicken with Fresh Veggies – Easy Weeknight Dinner and see how effortlessly it comes together. When you make it, pop back here and leave a rating or share how it turned out — I love hearing from you!
