🧄🧀 Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken Skillet Bake
Serves
4–5 people
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
30–35 minutes
Total time
About 50 minutes
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 700–800 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp paprika
- ½ tsp Italian seasoning
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
For the creamy garlic sauce
- 5–6 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup cream cheese
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chili flakes, optional
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
For the topping
- 1 to 1½ cups shredded mozzarella
- ¼ cup Parmesan
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- A little paprika or Italian seasoning
Step 1 — Prepare the chicken
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. This is important because dry chicken browns much better.
If you’re using chicken breasts, cut the thicker pieces in half horizontally or pound them slightly so they’re an even thickness. This helps them cook evenly.
Season both sides with:
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Paprika
- Italian seasoning
Rub the seasoning into the chicken.
Step 2 — Sear the chicken
Place a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the olive oil and butter.
Once the butter melts and starts bubbling, carefully place the chicken into the skillet.
Cook for about 4–5 minutes on the first side, without constantly moving it.
Flip and cook another 3–4 minutes.
You don’t need to cook the chicken completely through at this stage. You’re mainly looking for a beautiful golden-brown crust.
Remove the chicken from the skillet and place it on a plate.
Don’t clean the skillet. Those browned bits left behind are packed with flavor and will become part of the sauce.
Step 3 — Build the garlic butter base
Reduce the heat to medium.
Add another tablespoon of butter to the same skillet.
Add the chopped onion and cook for about 2–3 minutes, until softened.
Add the minced garlic.
Cook for approximately 30–60 seconds, stirring constantly.
Be careful not to burn the garlic. Burnt garlic can make the entire sauce taste bitter.
At this point, your kitchen should smell intensely buttery and garlicky.
Step 4 — Make the creamy sauce
Pour in the chicken stock.
Use a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the skillet.
Those caramelized chicken pieces stuck to the pan will dissolve into the sauce.
Let the stock simmer for about 1–2 minutes.
Now reduce the heat to medium-low and add the heavy cream.
Stir gently.
Add:
- Cream cheese
- Parmesan
- Italian seasoning
- Paprika
- Chili flakes, if using
Keep stirring until the cream cheese melts completely and the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
Taste the sauce.
Add additional salt and black pepper if necessary.
The sauce should be:
Creamy + garlicky + buttery + slightly cheesy + savory.
If it becomes too thick, add a splash of chicken stock or cream.
Step 5 — Put the chicken back in
Place the seared chicken back into the skillet.
Spoon some of the creamy garlic sauce over each piece.
Let everything simmer gently for about 3–5 minutes.
The chicken will continue cooking in the sauce and absorb all those amazing flavors.
Step 6 — Add LOTS of cheese 🧀
Turn off the heat.
Sprinkle the shredded mozzarella generously over the chicken and sauce.
Then add the Parmesan.
For an extra cheesy result, make sure the cheese covers most of the surface of the skillet.
A combination of mozzarella + Parmesan works particularly well:
- Mozzarella = stretchy, gooey cheese
- Parmesan = salty, nutty, golden flavor
Step 7 — Bake
Preheat your oven to 200°C / 400°F.
Transfer the skillet directly into the oven.
Bake for approximately 10–15 minutes, or until:
- The chicken is fully cooked
- The sauce is bubbling around the edges
- The mozzarella has completely melted
- The cheese is golden and slightly browned
For an even darker, bubbling cheese crust, switch the oven to broil/grill for 1–3 minutes at the end.
Watch it carefully because cheese can go from beautifully golden to burnt very quickly.
The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 74°C / 165°F.
Step 8 — Finish the skillet
Remove the skillet from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes.
This allows the sauce to thicken slightly.
Sprinkle freshly chopped parsley over the top.
For extra flavor, add a tiny pinch of chili flakes or freshly cracked black pepper.
🍽️ How to serve it
This chicken is extremely good with something that can soak up the creamy garlic sauce.
My top choices:
🥖 Crusty garlic bread
Probably the best option. Tear off a piece and dip it directly into the sauce.
🍝 Pasta
Pour the creamy sauce and chicken over fettuccine, penne, or spaghetti.
🥔 Mashed potatoes
The creamy sauce becomes almost like gravy.
🍚 Steamed rice
Simple and excellent for soaking up the garlic-butter sauce.
🥦 Roasted vegetables
Broccoli, carrots, zucchini, or green beans balance the richness.
🔥 Extra-creamy version
If you want the sauce really thick and luxurious, use:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup cream cheese
- ½ cup Parmesan
- 1½ cups mozzarella
You can also add ½ cup sautéed mushrooms before making the sauce. Mushrooms work incredibly well with the garlic butter and cream.
For an even more loaded version
Add cooked crispy bacon and spinach to the skillet before adding the mozzarella.
You’ll end up with something like:
Garlic Butter Chicken + Creamy Garlic Sauce + Spinach + Crispy Bacon + Mozzarella + Parmesan = seriously loaded skillet chicken.