• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Laura Fuentes
  • Healthy Eating
  • Cookbooks
  • Recipes
  • About
  • #MOMLIFE
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Eat Healthy
  • Fasting
  • Meet Laura
  • Contact
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
  • Eat Healthy
  • Fasting
  • Meet Laura
  • Contact
×

Lemon Garlic Sauce

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

This simple lemon garlic sauce is perfect for serving over pasta, with chicken, salmon, and so much more.

It’s creamy with a hint of garlic and comes together in a single pan. Very little work that yields lots of flavor!

creamy lemon garlic sauce in a pan

Best-Ever Lemon Garlic Sauce

Made with simple ingredients that go big in flavor, this sauce is the perfect base for any meal. You can toss it with plain pasta, chicken, vegetables, or a combination of all!

Lemon, garlic, and herbs add flavor and the milk or half-and-half provides an irresistibly creamy texture. This recipe takes just 20 minutes and is always a winner!

Go ahead and pan-sear some chicken breasts, bake your favorite fish, or boil pasta for the family because this divine lemon garlic sauce awaits!

on the left, chicken with lemon garlic sauce. On the right, pasta chicken with the same sauce.

Ingredients 

Make this drool-worthy lemon garlic sauce with a few staple ingredients.

Before you swap or omit, here is why you need the following:

  • Butter: a delicious base to start this sauce.
  • Shallot: an aromatic, can use yellow or white onion instead.
  • Garlic cloves: a classic aromatic to add flavor and aroma! Use garlic powder if you don’t have any as noted in the recipe card.
  • Dried thyme: you can use Italian seasoning or poultry seasoning instead. Fresh works too, double up on the amount.
  • Chicken broth: store-bought or homemade chicken broth is the liquid for the base of this recipe. Use bouillon paste or cubes and water if needed.
  • Lemon: makes this sauce taste incredibly good.
  • Milk: use whole milk or half-and-half; both work great for this recipe.

For the ingredient measurements check the recipe card below.

How to Make Lemon Garlic Sauce

This epic sauce comes together quickly in one large pan with no fuss: chop the aromatics, mix, and cook!

Check out the step-by-step:

  1. Sauté
    Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, melt the butter. Add the chopped shallot and sauté, for 2 minutes, until it’s translucent and golden. Add the garlic, and stir to cook the garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Add the liquid 
    Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and stir to combine. Heat up the milk or half and half before adding it to the pan to prevent separation. Add it to the pan, bringing it to a simmer while stirring. 
  3. Simmer
    Add the thyme, stir to combine, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes. 
  4. Serve
    Once the lemon garlic sauce has thickened, it’s ready to be tossed with pasta or over your favorite protein.
creamy sauce in a pan and a wooden spoon.

Making It Creamy

What makes this sauce so good is not just the delicious taste but also its soft texture. Adding whole milk or half-and-half gives the sauce a perfect creamy flavor and consistency.

Sauce Cooking Tips and Tricks 

For making perfect sauces every time, check these tips and tricks:

How to keep the sauce from sticking
Stirring is key to keeping the sauce from sticking. When you follow the recipe instructions, grab a wooden spoon, and don’t forget to stir!

Heat the milk
Whether you use milk or half and half, heat it up before adding it to the sauce to prevent separation.

Add the milk slowly
Heating up the milk and adding it slowly will help it not curdle.

How to know when the sauce is done
After simmering the sauce according to the recipe instructions, the consistency will be thicker, meaning it’s ready. 

chicken breasts with lemon garlic chicken in a pan

How to Use Lemon Garlic Sauce 

Lemon and garlic are a combo that pairs great with many ingredients to make the ultimate family meal. Use it in this Lemon Chicken Asparagus Pasta or this epic Creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta recipe that only takes 30 minutes to make. Both are nutritious and super delicious!

You can also serve this sauce over your favorite protein, like roasted chicken, baked salmon, or shrimp. One of my favorite recipes is Pan-seared Chicken Lemon Garlic Chicken and Asparagus. You must try it!

lemon garlic chicken pasta in a pan
Print

Creamy Lemon Garlic Sauce for Pasta or Chicken

creamy lemon garlic sauce
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

This creamy lemon garlic sauce is perfect for pasta, chicken, and more! An easy recipe with tons of flavors!

  • Author: Laura Fuentes
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped*
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced*
  • ½ teaspoon dried  thyme, or Italian seasoning
  • ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 medium lemon, juiced
  • 1 cup warm whole milk or half-and-half

Instructions

  1. Heat a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, melt the butter. Add the chopped shallot and sauté, for 2 minutes, until it’s translucent and golden. Add the garlic, and stir to cook the garlic for about 30 seconds until fragrant.

  2. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and stir to combine.  Heat up the milk or half and half before adding it to the pan to prevent separation. Add it to the pan, bringing it to a simmer while stirring. Add the thyme, stir to combine, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer the sauce for 10 minutes. 

     

  3. Once the sauce has thickened, it’s ready to be tossed with pasta or over your favorite protein.

Notes

Swap the shallots for ¼ of cup finely chopped white or yellow onion. If you want to use garlic powder, use 2 teaspoons instead of the whole garlic cloves.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1
  • Calories: 127
  • Sugar: 3.7 g
  • Sodium: 37.3 mg
  • Fat: 10.9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 6.6 g
  • Trans Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 5.5 g
  • Fiber: 0.2 g
  • Protein: 2.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 29 mg

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @MOMables on Instagram and hashtag it #momables

More Pasta

  • Lemon Chicken Asparagus Pasta in a plate
    Lemon Chicken Asparagus Pasta
  • large plate of fettuccine alfredo with shredded parmesan cheese in the background
    Simple Fettuccine Alfredo Sauce with Cream
  • large pot of cajun salmon pasta
    Easy Cajun Salmon Pasta
  • Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
    Roasted Red Pepper Pasta

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

Primary Sidebar

Hi! I'm Laura.
I inspire moms to live a healthy lifestyle while juggling their family and work with fresh recipes and practical advice.

More about me →

Let's Be Social!

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram YouTube
Download The Busy Mom's Guide to a Healthier Life

Fresh Favorites

  • Best-Ever Bacon Deviled Eggs
  • stack of chocolate chip pancakes with bananas on a plate cut
    Fluffy Chocolate Chip Pancakes
  • low carb lunches in glass lunch containers
    20+ Low Carb Lunch Ideas
  • large baking dish of pesto chicken thighs
    Baked Pesto Chicken Thighs

Trending Now

  • two pieces of fried catfish with lemon slices
    New Orleans Fried Catfish Recipe
  • 35 Healthy Dessert Recipes
  • a collage with three smoothies and three blenders
    Best Cheap Blenders for Smoothies
  • list of real foods for intermittent fasting
    Intermittent Fasting Food List

Footer

^ back to top

Browse

  • Recipe Index
  • Weekly Meal Plan
  • Clean Eating Program

Download the Busy Mom's Guide to a Healthy Life

laura holding meal plan guide in front of prepped food

Useful Links

  • Contact
  • Permissions
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy

COPYRIGHT © 2023 LAURA FUENTES · DESIGN BY FUENTES MEDIA