Go Back

Garlic Herb Chicken Breast with Mashed Potatoes

Garlic herb chicken with mashed potatoes featuring golden-seared chicken and a herb-flecked garlic pan sauce. Buttery Yukon gold mash is made smooth with warm cream for a classic comfort food dinner.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 690
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tsp salt Use for seasoning chicken.
  • 1 tsp black pepper Use for seasoning chicken.
  • 1 tsp garlic powder Use for seasoning chicken.
  • 1 tsp dried herbs Use for seasoning chicken.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter Divided; use 1 tbsp for searing and 1 tbsp for the sauce.
  • 3 tbsp butter Divided; total butter for chicken sear and sauce.
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 0.25 cup heavy cream
  • 1 fresh thyme Fresh leaves for the pan sauce.
  • 1 fresh rosemary Fresh leaves for the pan sauce.
Mashed Potatoes
  • 2 lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 4 tbsp butter For the mash.
  • 0.5 cup warm heavy cream For the mash.
  • 1 tsp salt To taste for mashed potatoes.
  • 1 tsp black pepper To taste for mashed potatoes.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook and mash the potatoes
  1. Boil the Yukon gold potatoes in salted water until completely tender, about 15 minutes, until a fork slides in easily (keep water at a steady boil).
  2. Drain the potatoes and mash with butter, warm heavy cream, salt, and pepper until smooth and creamy, with no visible lumps.
Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken breasts with salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and dried herbs, coating both sides evenly.
  2. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken for 5–6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through, then set aside.
Make the garlic herb pan sauce
  1. Melt the remaining butter in the same skillet, then add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant, without browning too much.
  2. Add chicken broth and heavy cream, scraping up all the browned bits from the pan so the sauce turns cohesive.
  3. Simmer the pan sauce for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened, then stir in fresh thyme and rosemary and simmer briefly to release aroma.
Serve
  1. Serve chicken over the mashed potatoes and drizzle the garlic herb pan sauce generously over both, so some sauce pools around the edges.

Notes

For extra-smooth mash, make sure the potatoes are fully tender before draining and mash while they’re still hot. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; freeze chicken and sauce up to 2 months, but mashed potatoes freeze best only if you reheat carefully. For a dairy-light swap, use half-and-half in place of heavy cream in both the sauce and mash (sauce may be slightly thinner).