Creamy garlic hen and greens is a household favourite dinner, and I guess will probably be a success in your desk, too! Tender hen thighs get the pan-seared therapy earlier than baking in an uber-flavorful creamy garlic pan sauce, alongside vibrant roasted greens. On the desk in 45 minutes!

You’re a comfortable skillet hen and vegetable dinner, one in every of my favourite methods to prepare dinner and serve hen as a result of (1) it’s fairly straightforward, (2) it’s very saucy, and (3) it’s massively scrumptious.
I initially revealed this creamy garlic hen recipe in 2016, and have made a few tweaks over time. The entire thought is just like my cilantro lime hen and lemon thyme hen recipes. Cook dinner the hen, make a pan sauce, after which end all of it up within the oven. This time I’m including roasted greens to the combo to make a rounded-out all-in-one meal. If I’m serving a big meal with somewhat extra substance, I serve it throughout some brown rice.
Right here’s Why You’ll Love This Creamy Garlic Hen:
- Healthful and satisfying
- Tender, juicy hen
- Tremendous flavorful creamy, garlicky pan sauce
- All-in-one meal
- Gluten-free recipe
- Customise it along with your favourite greens

Seize These Substances:
- Boneless, Skinless Hen Thighs: You may make this dish with boneless, skinless hen breasts, however I like to make use of hen thighs as a result of they prepare dinner quicker, and the fattier meat makes for some scrumptious pan drippings, which function the flavorful base for the pan sauce. Identical cause I take advantage of them on this apple cider hen skillet recipe!
- Greens: Determine a couple of cup of veggies per individual. I particularly love this garlic hen & greens recipe with broccoli and butternut squash, however you need to use any greens that you just love roasted. Potatoes, carrots, candy potatoes, cauliflower, inexperienced beans, asparagus, Brussels sprouts… you get the concept!
And right here’s what you want for the fabulously creamy garlic pan sauce:
- Butter: Just a bit pat, for that unparalleled buttery taste.
- Onion: A little bit diced onion makes for an important taste base.
- Garlic: You’ll have to mince 7 or 8 recent garlic cloves. Sure, I mentioned 8! That is garlic sauce!
- Dried Parsley, Salt, & Pepper: Taste
- Hen Broth: Flavorful liquid for the sauce.
- Half-and-half: You should utilize complete milk as an alternative, however I don’t advocate utilizing a lower-fat milk. Decrease-fat milks are extra susceptible to curdling when added to warmth as a result of they don’t have a excessive fats content material.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch thickens the sauce into an exquisite creamy consistency. Whisk it into the half-and-half to start dissolving it; including cornstarch on to the pan would make for a lumpy sauce, which isn’t what we would like!

Step 1: Roast the Greens within the Oven
No matter vegetable medley you select, chop them into roughly uniform-sized items, so they’ll roast evenly. Unfold them in a single layer on a baking sheet (I all the time use these half-sheet pans, the exact same ones I take advantage of for chocolate chip cookies!), and toss with somewhat olive oil and salt and pepper.
Success Tip: Don’t crowd the pan. If there are too many greens all crowding collectively, they’ll steam as an alternative of roast, and can be tender and mushy. If you wish to add additional greens, unfold them out over two baking sheets to offer them some room to breathe (er, roast).

Step 2: Brown the Hen on the Range
Whereas the greens are roasting, brown the hen thighs in a big, oven-safe skillet on the range. You need them browned and somewhat crisp on the surface, however not cooked during—about 4 minutes on either side. The hen will end cooking within the oven somewhat later.
Take away the hen from the skillet. No want to scrub the skillet—the hen thighs depart behind a lot taste, and we’re going to use each final drop of it for the pan sauce. No taste left behind!

Step 3: Make the Creamy Garlic Pan Sauce
Add the butter, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, parsley, and broth to the skillet, and get that cooking collectively. Be sure to scrape the underside of the skillet to include the scrumptious browned bits.
Whisk the cornstarch into the half-and-half, after which slowly pour it into the pan. Stir the creamy garlic sauce whereas it cooks, for a couple of minute or so.
LOOK HOW CREAMY:

Step 4: Mix All the things & End within the Oven
Now let’s mix. Add the browned hen thighs and roasted veggies to the skillet, turning the whole lot to get all of it good and coated. Switch the skillet to the oven and bake for simply 5–10 minutes, or till the hen is cooked by. (Inner temperature must be not less than 165°F (74°C)).
All the things begins to take in that flavorful effervescent garlic cream sauce:


You’ll be in search of methods to get pleasure from each final drop of that sauce… you possibly can serve this dish over rice, or simply mop your plate clear with some cornbread, biscuits, or dinner rolls!
Common Hen Recipes
I don’t publish savory recipes too typically on my baking web site, so after I do, you recognize they’re additional examined, and further tasty. Beneath are a few of my favorites, and every are very fashionable with readers on my web site. I hope you attempt at present’s creamy garlic hen, and the next recipes, too:

Creamy Garlic Hen & Greens
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook dinner Time: 35 minutes
Whole Time: 45 minutes
Yield: serves 4
Class: Dinner
Technique: Cooking
Delicacies: American
Description
Creamy garlic hen and greens is a household favourite dinner, and I guess will probably be a success in your desk, too! Tender hen thighs get the pan-seared therapy earlier than baking in an uber-flavorful creamy garlic pan sauce, alongside vibrant roasted greens (use your favorites). On the desk in 45 minutes!
Directions
- Roast the greens: Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line a big baking sheet with parchment paper. Unfold the greens out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and stir to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake the greens for 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, brown the hen: Warmth the remaining 1 Tablespoon of olive oil in a big 12-inch skillet over medium warmth, and swirl to coat. I normally use a forged iron skillet, however any skillet this measurement works. You too can use a Dutch oven. Place the hen thighs within the skillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and prepare dinner for 4 minutes on either side. You need the hen evenly browned on the surface, however not totally cooked within the facilities as a result of they'll end cooking within the oven. Switch hen to a plate and loosely cowl with foil. You’ll add it again to the pan in step 4.
- Make the pan sauce: Add the butter to the new pan (no have to wipe it out first), and gently swirl to coat because it melts. Add the salt, pepper, onion, garlic, parsley, and hen broth. Cook dinner and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the underside of the skillet. Let the sauce simmer for five minutes, stirring/scraping sometimes. With a fork, whisk collectively the half-and-half and cornstarch. Slowly pour the half-and-half/cornstarch combination into the skillet, stirring or whisking to mix. Cook dinner, stirring, for 1 minute. Style and regulate seasoning if wanted.
- Add the hen and roasted greens to the skillet, stirring to coat the whole lot within the sauce. Switch the skillet to the oven and bake for five–10 minutes, or till the hen is cooked by (inside temperature must be not less than 165°F (74°C)).
- Take away from the oven and garnish with recent parsley earlier than serving, if desired.
- Leftovers hold properly within the fridge for just a few days. You may reheat on the range over medium warmth or within the microwave.
Notes
- Freezing Directions: Cool utterly, then cowl and freeze for as much as 3 months. Thaw within the fridge or at room temperature, after which reheat on the range over medium warmth or within the microwave.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Baking Sheet | Parchment Paper | 12-inch Forged Iron Skillet (or common oven-safe skillet of the identical measurement) | Whisk | Tongs | On the spot-Learn Thermometer
- Greens: Use about 4 cups of any greens you want, holding in thoughts that they need to be chopped into similar-size items to make sure they roast evenly. Some ideas: pink or gold potatoes, carrots, candy potatoes, cauliflower, inexperienced beans, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts.
- Can I take advantage of hen breasts as an alternative of hen thighs? You may, however you’ll lose some taste, they usually might take longer to prepare dinner.
- Half-and-half: You should utilize half-and-half or complete milk. I don't advocate heavy cream as a result of it's too thick. When you resolve to make use of it, you could have to exclude the cornstarch, although the outcomes will fluctuate. Decrease-fat milks are extra susceptible to curdling when added to warmth as a result of they don't have a excessive fats content material. Once more, half-and-half or complete milk are splendid.
- Up to date in 2023. Authentic recipe known as for five cloves of garlic, 1 cup (240ml) hen broth, and hen breasts. You really want somewhat extra garlic to actually name this a “garlic hen” dish, so I elevated the quantity. I additionally discovered somewhat extra liquid within the sauce is useful for quantity, and whereas you need to use hen breasts right here, I desire hen thighs.
Diet
- Serving Measurement: 1 serving
- Energy: 310
- Sugar: 4.8 g
- Sodium: 286.3 mg
- Fats: 18.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 18.8 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Ldl cholesterol: 93.5 mg
Key phrases: creamy garlic hen and greens