Creamy Garlic Lime Chicken

This creamy garlic lime chicken is delightful, and it pairs great with rice. Extra saucy, yes, but with a balanced consistency. Each bite has a luscious, comforting mouthfeel and makes for a dish that lures everyone back for seconds.

A pound of chicken in a dish like this typically feeds four. But this one is ridiculously easy to eat, so I’ve cut the servings down to three (generous) ones.

Love that it’s simple to make, comes together quickly, and never fails to draw compliments whenever I serve it to friends and family.

The first time I made this, I used chicken breasts. They were fine, but felt too lean to carry that sauce. So I thought, if I’m indulging, I might as well go all in. Hence the thighs.

Feel free to throw in vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, or broccoli. And when you do, make sure to up the quantity of sauce.

Serve it with my buttered basmati rice or chicken or beef bouillon rice, and experience some serious restaurant-quality food at home!

Oh and if you're into creamy chicken dishes, give my truffle chicken recipe a try.

Pre-cooking notes

• You can go with boneless chicken breasts, but as I mentioned earlier, I only use thighs for this recipe.
• “Bite-size” pieces can mean different things to different people. Generally, though, we’re talking about pieces between 1 and 2 inches. If you want them a bit smaller or a bit bigger, I don’t see an issue. Never measured mine precisely, so the size has varied almost every time I’ve made this recipe. The cook time will vary depending on the size. Chicken pieces in my photos look bigger than they are because those shots are close-ups.
• Crushed red pepper flakes can range quite a lot in heat, so adjust according to what you have and your spice tolerance. Don’t skip, though, you need a little kick to balance the flavors.
• For the default serving size of this recipe, I use ¼ teaspoon of bouillon base. You can use powder, concentrate, granules, or even a cube. For reference, my ¼ teaspoon (or ¼ of a cube) matches the amount the label says is needed to make ¼ cup of broth or stock. Make sure you use the equivalent amount according to your product label.
• In different parts of the world, heavy or whipping cream products can vary in consistency. Some products, like “cooking cream” sold in the Middle East, contain additives that make the cream heat stable to prevent curdling. These are fine to use as long as they are unsweetened, but you may need to adjust the consistency with a bit of milk if your sauce turns out thicker than expected.

A visual guide for making creamy garlic lime chicken

Here are photos of the key steps to guide you through the recipe. For a printable version with quantities and notes, see the recipe card below.

Mix ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon paprika and combine with the chicken. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat, place chicken, cook 3 to 4 minutes per side or until done. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Lower the heat to medium-low. In the same skillet, melt butter, then sauté minced garlic and crushed red pepper flakes for 30 seconds. Sprinkle all-purpose flour, stir 1 minute, then gradually whisk in water until smooth. Add chicken bouillon, remaining quantities of salt and pepper. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes to slightly thicken.

Turn the heat down to low. Add lime juice, lime zest, sugar, and Parmesan, and stir. Slowly pour in heavy/whipping cream while mixing constantly. Then simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes.

Return the cooked chicken to the skillet/pan. Add parsley, mix, and cook just until the chicken is heated through. Serve hot with rice, pasta, or some crusty bread. Garnish with some extra parsley (optional), and enjoy.

Serving ideas

My favorite way to enjoy this creamy chicken is with some rice or crusty bread slathered with garlic butter. If you’re going for a no-holds-barred kind of feast, serve it on top of some mashed potatoes instead.