Name: 5 Ingredient Creamy Garlic Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon butter; 3 garlic cloves (grated or minced); 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (*); 1 cup chicken broth (or stock); 1 cup cream or half and half (warmed)

Recipe

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This creamy garlic sauce is an easy way to upgrade plain chicken or pasta in just 10 minutes.

With only 5 ingredients, this creamy garlic sauce is the quickest way to make a meal that disappears.

creamy garlic sauce in a large pot with pepper on top

Best-Ever Garlic Cream Sauce for Chicken and Pasta

This creamy garlic sauce is my go-to when dinner feels basic. Poured over chicken, it becomes a creamy garlic chicken that’s always a winner. Bulked with pasta, it’s now a garlic chicken pasta that gets devoured by everyone.

It’s one of those recipes that makes people ask, “what is this sauce?” and it comes together in minutes while the rest of the dinner cooks. Sure, you can buy garlic sauce in a jar, but why? This is so much better.

Ingredients

Make this quick and delicious garlic sauce with butter, either salted or unsalted, garlic cloves, grated for the best texture, or swap garlic powder if that’s what you have. Italian seasoning for a hint of herbs (swap for thyme or oregano), plus chicken broth (or stock) as the base, and warmed heavy cream or half and half for a creamy texture.

Want an epic sauce without cream? Try my White wine sauce.

How to Make Creamy Garlic Sauce

If it’s your first time making it, watch the quick step-by-step video and follow these simple steps:

Sauté the garlic and herbs in butter.
Add the chicken broth and warmed cream or half and half to the pan, bring it to a simmer, and cook it for about 5 minutes until the sauce has reduced.
Serve it as is, combine it with pasta, or make a quick slurry if you need it thicker to pour it over chicken.

How to Thicken the Sauce

If the sauce isn’t as thick as you want it, mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of cold water to make a slurry. Add it to the sauce, stir, and simmer on low for 5 more minutes.

side by side photos of creamy garlic sauce in a pan. One with chicken breasts and one with pasta

Can You Make Garlic Cream Sauce Ahead?

Yes, this garlic cream sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead, cooled, and stored in the fridge. It can also be frozen for up to 2 months in an airtight container as a full batch or smaller portions. Then, reheat it gently on the stovetop after thawing it in the fridge, or submerged in water, until it’s warm and smooth.

5 Ingredient Creamy Garlic Sauce

creamy garlic sauce in a pan with four chicken breasts

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

This creamy garlic sauce is an easy way to upgrade plain chicken or pasta in just 10 minutes.

4.99 from 66 votes

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Watch how it’s made:

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
3 garlic cloves, grated or minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, *
1 cup chicken broth, or stock
1 cup cream or half and half, warmed

Instructions

Prep:

Warm the cream (or half and half) and grate the garlic.

Make the sauce:

Heat a large pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the garlic and sauté it for about a minute while stirring until fragrant. Add the herbs and stir to toast them.
Pour in the chicken broth (or stock) and the warmed cream (or half and half) into the pan. Stir and bring the liquid to a boil. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes to reduce it and give it a thicker texture. It can be used as is or thickened further -it's a matter of preference.
To thicken the sauce, make a slurry in a small dish by mixing 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 3 tablespoons of cold water. Add it to the sauce and simmer it for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat.