Quick Garlic Parmesan Chicken (Print)

Tender chicken simmered with garlic, creamy Parmesan sauce, and pasta in one easy skillet dish.

# Ingredients:

→ Poultry

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Pasta

02 - 10 ounces penne or rotini pasta

→ Dairy

03 - ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
04 - ½ cup heavy cream
05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
08 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

→ Stock & Seasonings

09 - 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
11 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Oil

13 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

# Instructions:

01 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper, and half the Italian seasoning and cook until golden and thoroughly cooked, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
02 - Add chopped onion to the skillet and sauté for 2 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
03 - Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in uncooked pasta and reduce heat to medium. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and most liquid has absorbed, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
04 - Lower heat to low and stir in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese, mixing until the sauce is smooth and cheese has melted.
05 - Return cooked chicken to the skillet, toss to coat, and heat through for 1 to 2 minutes.
06 - Stir in chopped parsley and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and parsley.

# Pro Tips:

01 -
  • It's ready in thirty minutes flat, which somehow never feels rushed despite all the flavors coming together.
  • One pan means less cleanup while you're eating, which honestly matters more than people admit.
  • The creamy Parmesan sauce coats every piece of pasta so completely that people always ask if there's some secret ingredient.
02 -
  • Don't skip the searing step on the chicken, because those golden bits that stick to the pan are pure flavor that you're about to release into your sauce.
  • Freshly grated Parmesan melts smoothly into the cream, but pre-grated cheese sometimes gets clumpy because of the anti-caking agents, and I've learned this the hard way too many times.
  • Stir the pasta occasionally as it cooks so it doesn't clump together, and the liquid absorbs evenly rather than you ending up with either dry pasta or soup.
03 -
  • Use low-sodium broth because you're adding Parmesan at the end and it's salty enough, so you control your seasoning from start to finish.
  • Don't be timid with the parsley at the end because it cuts through the richness and makes you remember you're eating something fresh, not just cream and cheese.
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