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Cook this creamy, garlicky chicken and asparagus in one skillet with a rich, herb-filled cream sauce. Ready in 30 minutes, this dish is perfect for busy weeknights!
This creamy chicken and asparagus recipe couldn’t be easier to make. It involves juicy chicken thighs cooked in a flavorful garlic cream sauce with basil and tender asparagus spears. And, it’s ready in 30 minutes or less, all in one pan.
Swing by the wine aisle for a bottle of dry white (why not?), and we’re ready to hit the checkout line and get cookin’!
Why We Love This Chicken And Asparagus Recipe
- One-pan. The chicken, asparagus, and sauce come together in about 30 minutes in one skillet on the stovetop. Just like my one-pan honey garlic chicken recipe, low-carb, easy weeknight dinners don’t get much better.
- Prepped herbs. Dried basil brings a delicious flavor to the sauce. Gourmet Garden lightly dried herbs are super convenient, and they last so much longer than fresh herbs (less waste, yay!). Plus, everything is already chopped up and ready to go. I also use their stir-in garlic paste, which I always have on hand in the fridge.
- Customizable. I love this asparagus chicken recipe because you can swap out ingredients as needed for a delicious family meal.
What You’ll Need
The best part about chicken and asparagus is that you need just a handful of ingredients to make it. Below are the key ingredients, along with some easy swaps if needed, but please scroll to the recipe card for a full ingredient list and detailed instructions.
- Chicken: As mentioned above, boneless skinless chicken thighs are my go-to. You can use another type of chicken such as bone-in thighs, skin-on, chicken breasts, etc., just make sure to adjust the cooking times accordingly.
- Basil: Dried, or fresh basil that’s been chopped up finely. For this recipe, I use the lightly dried basil from Gourmet Garden. Their dried herbs can be substituted 1:1 for fresh herbs in any recipe.
- Garlic: I used garlic paste for the sauce, but 3-4 cloves of finely minced garlic are your next best bet.
- Evaporated Milk or Cream: I use low-fat evaporated milk in place of cream in this recipe. It works so well! All the creaminess without loads of excess fat. Of course, feel free to make this recipe using heavy cream or half-and-half if you prefer.
- Asparagus: Chopped fresh asparagus spears with their woody ends trimmed. In addition to or in place of asparagus, change up this skillet chicken recipe with broccoli, green beans, snap peas, and mushrooms.
Can I Use Bone-In Chicken Thighs?
I make this recipe with boneless, skinless chicken thighs. However, you can technically use any cut of chicken that you’d like, even chicken breasts. Some things to remember: bone-in thighs will take longer to cook in the pan (8-10 minutes per side), while boneless, skinless chicken breasts will be shorter (5-7 minutes per side). The key is that the internal temperature reaches a cooked 165ºF.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Chicken and Asparagus
This one-pan chicken and asparagus recipe is one of my favorite weeknight dinners because it’s just so simple, yet so crazy-full of flavor! With all your ingredients ready to go, here’s how to make it:
- Prepare the chicken thighs. To start, season your boneless chicken thighs with salt and pepper, and give the thighs a generous sprinkle with dried basil. Add the chicken thighs to a hot skillet with a bit of olive oil and cook until the thighs are browned all over and cooked throughout.
- Make the sauce. Remove the chicken from the pan for now. Next, whisk together the evaporated milk with flour, garlic paste, and more basil, along with salt and pepper. Add this to the skillet to heat up.
- Combine with asparagus. When the sauce is bubbling, stir in the asparagus, and arrange the chicken thighs back in the skillet. Nestle them right in there and continue to simmer everything together for a few more minutes. Once the asparagus is tender, your creamy chicken is ready to serve!
Recipe Tips
- Use a non-stick skillet. If you have one, I highly recommend it! It helps with sticking and makes clean-up that much easier.
- Drain any excess chicken juices from the pan before you make your sauce. Browned bits are more than fine (hello, flavor!), but if there’s a lot of liquid left over in the pan, you can discard it.
- Check the temperature of the chicken. Your chicken thighs are cooked when the juices run clear, and the internal temperature reads 165ºF on an instant-read thermometer.
- Use the sauce as a gravy. This basil garlic sauce makes the best gravy for mashed potatoes and other sides.
- Marinade. This recipe comes out deliciously juicy even without marinating. However, if you’d like to marinate your chicken before pan-searing, I’d recommend my lemon chicken marinade.
Serving Suggestions
This juicy and tender chicken already comes with a side of asparagus, but you can also serve it next to fluffy mashed potatoes, and spoon the creamy garlic and herb sauce over top. Try cauliflower mash for a low-carb version.
Chicken and asparagus is amazing served over a bed of plain jasmine rice or this zesty lemon rice, too. You could also pair it with a side of sauteed spinach, kale, or garlic broccolini. Serve it with a fresh green goddess salad, or with a side of lemon kale Caesar salad.
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate any leftovers of the chicken and asparagus airtight for up to 3-4 days, or freeze leftovers for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To reheat leftover, add everything together to a pan on the stovetop and cook over medium-low heat until it’s heated through. You can also use the microwave if you’re in a hurry. If the sauce has thickened, add a splash of water to help loosen up the texture a bit.
More One-Pan Chicken Dinners
- Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken Breasts
- Chicken Marsala
- Creamy Cilantro Chipotle Chicken
- Mozzarella Chicken in Tomato Sauce
- Creamy Coconut Milk Chicken
- Creamy Chicken Francaise
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Chicken and Asparagus
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 skinless boneless chicken thighs
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ tablespoon dried basil
FOR THE CREAM SAUCE
- 12 ounces low fat evaporated milk
- 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon dried basil, or to taste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 pound fresh asparagus stalks, cut into 2-inch pieces (break off and discard the woody ends of the asparagus)
- parsley,, for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the chicken. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Season the chicken with the salt, pepper, and dried basil. Place the chicken thighs in the skillet and cook for about 7 to 8 minutes, or until browned.
- Finish cooking the chicken thighs. Flip the chicken and cook for about 8 more minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Make the sauce. Combine evaporated milk, flour, garlic paste, dried basil, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl; whisk until well combined. Add it to the hot skillet and bring it to a boil.
- Add the asparagus and chicken. Stir in the asparagus, return the chicken to the pan, and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 4 minutes or until the asparagus is tender and the chicken is heated through.
- Finish and serve. Remove from heat. Garnish with parsley and serve.
Equipment
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I would LOVE to make this creamy chicken recipe you posted. It looks amazing!!
I would make a cilantro lime chicken & veggies on the side!
I would use the basil for a basil orzo my family loves.
I am looking forward to trying this recipe. I have almost everything I need.
I would use parsley in homemade chicken noodle soup. Yum!
I would use it in a broth-based soup, or whip it with butter to make a bread accompaniment.
Creamy garlic basil with asparagus. I can’t wait to make it
I would make Cilantro-Lime chicken tacos. Thanks for the chance to win!
Hello! I make stir fry with it! I add a little of the ginger and garlic and lemongrass to the oil before stir frying the veggies, then do the same for the meet. I usually make a teriyaki sauce that utilizes the ginger and garlic as well! It’s delicious
I would make some vegetable soup!
I would make a chicken and rice casserolle