One-Pan Garlic Chicken: 3 Juicy Secrets

If you are staring down a hectic evening and dreading a mountain of dishes, then let me introduce you to your new best friend: One-Pan Garlic Chicken! Seriously, this recipe is a game-changer. We’re talking juicy, garlicky chicken dripping with a bright lemon sauce, all cooked and finished in one single skillet. Cleanup is minimal, which is exactly what I aim for when I’m cooking for my family.

I am Anna, a passionate food lover dedicated to sharing simple and flavorful chicken recipes designed to make your everyday cooking easier and more joyful. After years of trying to balance big flavors with tiny windows of time, I’ve perfected this method to be totally reliable—you can trust this skillet recipe to deliver perfectly cooked chicken every single time.

Essential Ingredients for One-Pan Garlic Chicken

Getting dinner on the table fast doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor, and this recipe proves it! We rely on pantry staples and fresh aromatics to build deep taste without dirtying a single casserole dish. Because this scales perfectly for three servings, the ingredient amounts are just right—no massive leftovers you have to worry about.

Here is exactly what you’ll need for this easy dinner. Make sure you have everything measured out before you turn on the stove, because once that garlic hits the pan, things move quickly!

Ingredient	Amount (For 3 Servings)
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts	1\u00bd pounds (about 3 pieces, 1 inch thick)
Kosher Salt	1 teaspoon
Black Pepper	\u00be teaspoon
Paprika	1 teaspoon
Garlic Powder	1 teaspoon
Olive Oil	2 tablespoons
Fresh Garlic, minced	5 cloves
Low Sodium Chicken Broth	\u00be cup
Lemon Juice	1 tablespoon
Unsalted Butter	1 tablespoon
Fresh Parsley, chopped	1 tablespoon

Selecting and Preparing Your Chicken

For this quick chicken recipe, the thickness of your chicken breasts is super important. I always aim for pieces that are about 1 inch thick. If yours are much thicker, don’t hesitate to slice them horizontally to create thinner cutlets—this ensures even cooking in just 17 minutes total. That’s key to avoiding that dreaded dry spot!

Before they go anywhere near the hot oil, you must pat them completely dry with paper towels. I mean it—get them bone dry! Any surface moisture will steam the chicken instead of searing it, and we want a gorgeous, golden crust here. Don’t skip this step!

Flavor Builders: Garlic and Seasonings

We use two kinds of garlic in this recipe, and they serve different purposes, so don’t mix them up! The garlic powder goes on the chicken upfront with the salt, pepper, and paprika to create a seasoned crust. The fresh, minced garlic goes in later, right before the liquid, to give us that incredible, aromatic punch in the pan sauce.

For the fresh parsley at the end, if you don’t have any on hand, you can substitute about 1 teaspoon of dried parsley flakes mixed in with your initial seasoning blend instead. But honestly, that bright green pop of fresh parsley right at the end just brightens the whole dish up!

Equipment Needed for This One-Pan Garlic Chicken Recipe

Because this is a one-pan recipe, we keep the equipment list really short, which is part of why cleanup is so easy! You absolutely need a large skillet—make sure it’s big enough to hold all three chicken breasts in a single layer without them touching. If they overlap, they steam, and we don’t want that!

You’ll also definitely want tongs for flipping. And please, please, please use an instant-read meat thermometer. It takes all the guesswork out of knowing when your chicken is perfectly done at 165°F. Trust me, that little gadget saves so many dinners!

Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect One-Pan Garlic Chicken

Okay, this is where the magic happens! Since we are using just one skillet, we have to manage the heat carefully to build layers of flavor without burning anything. Follow these steps closely, especially the timing, and you’ll have a restaurant-quality meal faster than delivery.

Seasoning and Searing the Chicken

First things first, grab that dried chicken from the previous step. We need to get our seasoning blend right on there. Sprinkle both sides generously with the salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. Really press it in! This seasoning mix is what creates that beautiful crust when it hits the hot oil.

Place your large skillet over medium heat and add the two tablespoons of olive oil. Let it get nice and shimmery—you want it hot but not smoking. Carefully lay the seasoned chicken breasts into the pan, making sure they aren’t touching. Cook them undisturbed for a solid six minutes until you see a deep golden-brown color developing on the bottom. Flip them over, and cook for about five more minutes on the second side. This initial sear locks in all those juices.

Building the Simple Garlic Pan Sauce

Once the chicken is mostly cooked through and nicely browned on both sides, it’s time for the star ingredient! Reduce your heat slightly—we don’t want to burn this—and toss in your five cloves of finely minced fresh garlic. Stir it constantly for just 30 seconds until you can really smell that wonderful fragrance. If it starts to look dark brown, pull the pan off the heat immediately!

Next, we deglaze! Pour in the three-quarters cup of low-sodium chicken broth and the tablespoon of lemon juice. Use your wooden spoon to scrape up all those browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan; that’s pure flavor, trust me! Let this mixture bubble gently over medium-low heat, uncovered, for about four minutes.

Finishing the One-Pan Garlic Chicken

After those four minutes of simmering, the sauce will have reduced slightly. Now, turn the heat down even lower. Drop in that final tablespoon of cold butter and swirl the pan until it melts right into the sauce—this makes it glossy and rich. Gently spoon some of that beautiful sauce over the tops of the chicken breasts.

This is the most important part for food safety: check the internal temperature! Insert your instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. Once it hits that magic number—165 degrees Fahrenheit—remove the pan from the heat right away so it doesn’t overcook while resting. Sprinkle everything liberally with that fresh chopped parsley, and let it rest in the pan for five minutes before serving.

Tips for Success with Your One-Pan Garlic Chicken

This skillet chicken recipe is so straightforward, but there are three little things that pop up if you rush them. First, let’s talk about space. If you try to cram four pieces of chicken into a pan meant for three, they will steam instead of sear. You need that space around each piece for the moisture to evaporate quickly and give you that golden color we talked about. If you have to cook in batches, do it! It’s worth the extra three minutes.

Second, remember that uniform thickness we discussed? If you have one thin end and one thick end on the same breast, the thin end will be dry before the thick end even hits 160°F. Take the extra minute to pound or slice your chicken so they are all roughly the same size before seasoning. Consistency is everything in a quick recipe like this.

Finally, don’t skip the resting time! Once you pull that chicken off the heat at 165°F, it needs about five minutes resting right there in the pan with the sauce spooned over it. This resting allows the juices, which were pushed to the center during cooking, to redistribute throughout the meat. If you cut into it immediately, all that moisture just runs out onto the plate, and you end up with drier chicken. It’s hard to wait, but trust me, this is how you guarantee juicy results every single time.

Serving Suggestions for One-Pan Garlic Chicken

Since the clean-up for this garlic chicken is already a dream, let’s keep the sides simple too! We want things that soak up that incredible lemon-garlic broth beautifully without adding a lot of fuss. This recipe is naturally low-fat, so pairing it with some fresh vegetables keeps the whole meal light and healthy.

My favorite easy companion is quick-cooking angel hair pasta. You can boil that while the chicken is simmering and toss it right into the skillet at the end to coat it in the sauce—no extra dishes needed, really!

If you’re looking for something greener, steamed asparagus or quick-sautéed green beans tossed with just a pinch of salt and pepper are perfect. Roasted broccoli florets are also fantastic because they get a little crispy edge that contrasts nicely with the tender chicken. Whatever you choose, make sure you drizzle extra sauce over your side dish!

Frequently Asked Questions About One-Pan Garlic Chicken

I get so many messages about tweaking this recipe, and that’s awesome! It shows how much you guys are using this quick chicken recipe. Here are the most common questions I hear about making this easy dinner.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts in this One-Pan Garlic Chicken recipe?

Yes, you absolutely can use chicken thighs! They actually stay juicier than breasts sometimes, which is great. The main thing to remember is that thighs are thicker and have more connective tissue, so they take longer to cook. If you use boneless, skinless thighs, you’ll probably need to cook them for about 8 to 10 minutes per side during the searing phase, and then check the temperature. They must reach that safe 165°F internally, but they might need an extra minute or two simmering to get there perfectly.

How do I ensure the sauce doesn’t become too thin?

The sauce naturally thickens up because of the butter we stir in right at the end, which emulsifies everything, and because the broth reduces during simmering. The most important part is making sure that you simmer the broth and lemon juice uncovered for the full four minutes *before* you add the butter. If you let that liquid reduce down a bit naturally, you won’t end up with a watery mess. If it looks too thin even after the butter is mixed in, just take the lid off and let it bubble gently for another minute or two. Don’t rush that simmering time!

Is this One-Pan Garlic Chicken recipe considered low-carb?

It really is a great option if you are watching your carb intake! Based on the standard nutrition estimates, this skillet chicken is quite low in carbohydrates—we’re only talking about 3 grams per serving, mostly coming from the small amounts in the broth and the lemon juice. Since we aren’t adding any flour or sugar thickeners to the sauce, it stays nicely low-carb friendly. It’s a protein powerhouse, too!

Storing and Reheating Leftover One-Pan Garlic Chicken

Even though this recipe is so quick, sometimes you make a little extra, and that’s perfectly fine! The great news is that this garlic chicken reheats beautifully, especially because of the sauce it cooks in. You want to make sure you store the chicken and the sauce together so everything stays moist.

Pop the chicken and any remaining sauce into an airtight container. It’ll keep safely in the refrigerator for up to three days. When you’re ready to eat those leftovers, skip the microwave if you can! Microwaving tends to dry out chicken pretty fast, even when it’s coated in sauce.

The best way to reheat is on the stovetop in that same skillet. Just add a tiny splash of fresh chicken broth—maybe a tablespoon—to the pan, place the chicken in, cover it, and warm it over low heat until it’s steaming hot all the way through. Here is a quick guide for easy storage:

Storage Method	Time Limit
Airtight Container (Fridge)	3 Days
Freezing	Not Recommended (Texture changes)

Nutritional Estimate for One-Pan Garlic Chicken

I always tell folks to use these numbers as a rough guide because how much oil you use or the exact size of your chicken breast can change things slightly. But this gives you a good idea of what a serving looks like for this simple dinner.

Nutrient	Amount (Estimated Per Serving)
Calories	320
Protein	42g
Fat	15g
Carbohydrates	3g

Nutritional Estimate for One-Pan Garlic Chicken

I always tell folks to use these numbers as a rough guide because how much oil you use or the exact size of your chicken breast can change things slightly. But this gives you a good idea of what a serving looks like for this simple dinner.

Nutrient	Amount (Estimated Per Serving)
Calories	320
Protein	42g
Fat	15g
Carbohydrates	3g

If you want to see more simple, flavorful recipes like this one, be sure to check out my Pinterest page for daily inspiration!

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