Silky Garlic Cream Sauce Recipe for Pasta and Chicken

My Garlic Cream Sauce is the kind of simple, satisfying recipe that elevates weeknight meals and special dinners alike. Naturally gluten-free and easily keto-friendly, this sauce is silky, bright and full of garlic flavor without being heavy. It comes together in under ten minutes using just four core ingredients and common pantry seasonings, so it’s perfect when you want something fast and flavorful. Use it tossed with pasta, spooned over rice or vegetables, or draped atop a roasted or pan-seared protein for an elegant finish.

Watch The Video!

A short video demo accompanies this recipe to show the key steps and texture to look for while cooking. The visuals make it easier to time the browning of the garlic and the thickening of the cream.

Butter Up, Buttercup

Butter melted in sauté pan — Heat over medium until the butter has melted and is shimmering.

A Little Garlic Never Hurt Nobody

Minced garlic — Add crushed or minced garlic to the warm butter.

Garlic sautéd to a light brown in the butter in the pan — Sauté briefly until the garlic just turns golden — avoid burning it to keep the flavor pleasant and not bitter.

Let’s Get Saucy

Broth added to pan — Deglaze the pan with a splash of liquid — broth, reserved pasta water, or a dry white wine work well.

Broth bubbling in pan — Let the liquid bubble briefly with the butter and garlic to concentrate the flavor.

Adding heavy cream to pan — Stir in heavy cream to create the sauce base; shake off the heat and begin seasoning.

‘Tis The Season

Adding seasonings to pan — Season to taste with salt, pepper and dried Italian herbs or your preferred spice blend.

The Thick Trick

Sauce in pan bubbling — Bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce to a simmer so it can thicken without scorching.

Stirring pan — Stir or whisk frequently as it simmers for several minutes until the sauce reduces and coats the back of a spoon.

Sauce simmering and thickening in pan — The sauce will thicken as water evaporates; this is the stage to check consistency and adjust seasoning.

Sauce thickened in pan and coating the back of a spoon — When the sauce clings to the back of a spoon, it’s ready to serve or to toss with pasta.

Sauce Away, Your Way

Adding pasta to pan with sauce in it — Use the sauce directly over chicken, fish, meat, rice, or steamed vegetables.

Tossing pasta with sauce — For pasta, reserve a cup of salted pasta water when you boil the noodles; add it by the quarter-cup to reach your desired silkiness.

Pasta fully coated in sauce — Toss warm pasta in the sauté pan until every strand is coated in the sauce.

Plate of pasta and bowl of sauce next to it — Serve immediately for best texture — the sauce is lovely hot and fresh.

Man trying sauce with pasta. — A quick toss with pasta or a ladle over seared cutlets makes a memorable meal in minutes.

Garlic Cream Sauce

Yield: 6 servings | Prep: 5 minutes | Cook: 8 minutes | Total: 13 minutes

This garlic cream sauce is a versatile, fast finishing sauce that balances rich cream with bright garlic and simple seasonings. It’s easily adaptable: swap liquids, adjust herbs, or double the quantities to feed a crowd. The result is a velvety sauce perfect for pasta, grain bowls, roasted vegetables, and proteins.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) salted butter
3 cloves (about 1 tablespoon) garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup liquid: any combination of broth, dry white wine, or reserved pasta water
2 cups heavy cream
Seasonings to taste: salt, black pepper, dried oregano, Italian seasoning, garlic powder and/or onion powder
Optional serving additions: 1 pound cooked pasta (reserve 1 cup pasta water), cooked rice, steamed vegetables, or cooked protein

Instructions

Melt the butter in a 4.5–5 quart sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté about 2 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.
Add your chosen liquid and let it bubble for about one minute to deglaze the pan and concentrate flavor.
Stir in the heavy cream and add seasonings. Increase heat to medium-high and bring the sauce to a gentle boil.
Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5–8 minutes, stirring or whisking frequently, until the sauce has reduced slightly and coats the back of a spoon.
Remove from heat. If tossing with pasta, add cooked pasta to the pan and toss to combine, adding reserved pasta water a quarter cup at a time for extra creaminess. Otherwise, spoon the sauce over proteins, rice or vegetables and serve warm.

Tips and Variations

Start with about 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of dried herbs, then adjust to taste. For a lighter sauce, use half-and-half in place of some heavy cream, though thickening will be slower. To boost depth, finish with a squeeze of lemon or a sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Double the recipe when serving more people, and allow a few extra minutes for the sauce to reduce and thicken.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently over low heat while whisking or add a splash of milk to loosen the sauce if it firms up in the fridge.