At the risk of sounding conceited, had I been served this Low Carb French Garlic Chicken in a restaurant in Paris, I would not have complained. And of course, since it’s my recipe it’s stupid simple. This is an easy low carb chicken recipe that you can make made in the Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, or Stovetop.
Low Carb French Garlic Chicken
This is a great low carb chicken recipe that takes less than 30 minutes start to finish but is elegant enough to serve for company.
It's a very simple French Garlic Chicken recipe that combines juicy chicken thighs with dijon mustard, garlic, and a mixture of spices to make a French-inspired dish that is as delicious as it looks.
It's easy to see why this is one of my best Instant Pot recipes.
The only things you may have to buy to make this recipe, are an Instant Pot and Herbes De Provence. Everything else is probably already in your house.
Why Make Creamy Garlic Chicken?
This is actually one of my post popular recipes on the blog. You know what several people have said about this recipe?
This sauce would make a BOOT taste good!
When was the last time you made a sauce like that?? How about tonight then? Even if you don't have an old boot laying around? I promise Instant Pot chicken thighs or chicken breast will taste even better.
- Versatile. It can be made in an Instant Pot, in a multicooker with a sauté function, or in a heavy skillet such as a cast iron skillet.
- Fast. Done in less than 30 minutes.
- Easy. A Pour and Cook Instant Pot recipe.
- Low Carb. Only 4 carbs per serving.
- Authentic. Tastes just like food I've eaten in France.
How To Make Instant Pot French Garlic Chicken
You can make this dish either on the stovetop or in your Instant Pot.
If you make this dish stovetop, be sure to use a thick bottomed pan such as a cast iron saucepan.
- Mix together the oil, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic, and Herbes de Provence.
- Coat the chicken with the marinade. At this point, you can either cook in a few minutes, marinate in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days, or freeze along with the marinade.
- Sauté butter, garlic and chicken and then add marinade and water.
- Cook for 5 mins under high pressure.
- Allow it to release pressure naturally for 10 minutes, and then release all remaining pressure.
- Slowly add in cream, and allow the sauce to thicken on the Sauté setting.
7. Ladle the sauce over the chicken, garnish as desired, and serve up your delicious low carb chicken dish--and transport yourself to Provence with the first bite!
Tips and Tricks For Making This French Chicken Recipe
- Prep Ahead
- If you have time to marinate the chicken, it will be that much more tender, but you don't have to. You can let the chicken marinate for anything from 30 minutes to up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- You can marinate the chicken, and freeze the marinade and chicken together. That way, when you're ready to cook, simply brown the garlic in butter, throw in the frozen chicken and marinade (skipping the step where you sear the chicken), and just cook it in the Instant pot.
- Double Up
- You can double up on the sauce ingredients, and save some of the extra sauce to serve over asparagus or other steamed vegetables.
- You could add in a cup or so of mushrooms to this dish and have a more complete meat and vegetable dish in one go.
- Adapt for different diets
- This is a keto Instant Pot chicken recipe--but really that has nothing to do with anything. What it is, is a SUPER TASTY low carb chicken recipe.
- If you are dairy-free or kosher, use coconut milk or coconut cream for the cream, and coconut or olive oil for the butter.
- Vegetarians should use a hearty vegetable like butternut squash or even turnips instead of the chicken.
- If you are allergic to Lavender, you can either find a lavender-free Herbes de Provence or use a mixture of dried thyme, oregano, rosemary, and marjoram.
Can I Put Frozen Chicken In My Instant Pot?
Yes! That's one of the best features the Instapot recipes offer. The ability to have dinner ready in no time, even if you forgot to pull the meat out of the freezer the night before. Here's what you should know:
- Prep. The most important part of cooking chicken in your Instant Pot is making sure you freeze your chicken in a single layer so your pressure cooker chicken cooks evenly.
- Time. The pot may take a little longer to come to pressure since the frozen chicken will keep the temperature inside the pot cooler longer.
- Recipe. The actual cooking time of the recipe will be the same as it states once the pot comes to pressure.
Why Do I Call This French Garlic Chicken?
As you guys know, I suck at naming dishes. But Herbes de Provence, mustard and cream sauce, are all typically used in French cuisine. I just happened to use all these things in this dish, and I will say it reminded me of some wonderful meals I've had in France. So French Garlic Chicken is what this recipe became.
While different recipes contain different herbs, most Herbes de Provence mixes have a combination of rosemary, thyme, oregano, fennel, and sometimes lavender. It's an excellent way to get one bottle of a blend of different herbs rather than buying each individually
I often use Herbes de Provence to make a salad dressing with oil and balsamic vinegar.
Want More Instant Pot Chicken Recipes?
- Easy Chicken Tikka Masala- a restaurant favorite made at home.
- Chicken Vindaloo- adjust the heat to fit your taste buds.
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole- Mexican cuisine made easy.
- Pollo Con Salsa Rojo- a low carb recipe delight!
- Pakistani Karahi Chicken- A quick Keto Instant Pot meal.
- Fast and Easy Instant Pot Chicken - Your complete IP Chicken guide.
This Creamy Garlic Chicken recipe is so good you'll want to add it to your weekly dinner rotation. If you love it as much as I do, make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook and Pin it to make it again soon.
★ Did you make this recipe? Don't forget to give it a star rating below! Just click on the stars in the recipe card to rate. Don't forget to pin this recipe for later!
Ingredients
For the Marinade
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) Herbes de Provence
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) Olive oil
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Minced Garlic
- 1 pound (453.59 g) Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs, boneless skinless
For Cooking
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) Butter
- 8 cloves (8 cloves) Chopped Garlic
- 1/4 cup (62.5 ml) Water
- 1/4 cup (59.5 ml) Heavy Whipping Cream
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the marinade, using a wire whisk to emulsify the oil and vinegar together.
- Add in chicken thighs and allow it to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. If you need to marinate for longer, put in the refrigerator.
For Stovetop
- When you are ready to cook, heat a heavy-bottomed pan. When it is hot, add the butter and allow it to melt.
- Add chopped garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the chicken leaving behind as much of the marinade as you can. Do not discard the marinade.
- Cook the chicken thighs so that they can lightly brown on one side, 3-5 minutes.
- Add the marinade and 1/4 cup water.
- Cover the pot and allow it to cook for 10 minutes, turning the thighs halfway through.
- Using a meat thermometer, ensure an internal temperature of 165f.
- Remove the chicken on to a plate and add 1/4 cup cream into the pot, mixing well with the liquid in the pot.
- As soon as the sauce thickens, pour it onto the chicken thighs and serve.
For Instant Pot
- When you are ready to cook, turn your Instant Pot to Sauté and when it is hot, add the butter and allow it to melt.
- Add chopped garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the chicken leaving behind as much of the marinade as you can. Do not discard the marinade.
- Cook the chicken thighs so that they can lightly brown on one side, 3-5 minutes.
- Add the marinade and 1/4 cup water.
- Close the instant pot and set it to cook at High Pressure for 5 minutes. Allow it to release pressure naturally for 10 minutes, and then release all remaining pressure.
- Remove the chicken on to a plate and add 1/4 cup cream into the pot, mixing well with the liquid in the pot.
- As soon as the sauce thickens, pour it onto the chicken thighs and serve.
Watch The Video
- Prep Ahead
- If you have time to marinate the chicken, it will be that much more tender, but you don't have to. You can let the chicken marinate for anything from 30 minutes to up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
- You can marinate the chicken, and freeze the marinade and chicken together. That way, when you're ready to cook, simply brown the garlic in butter, throw in the frozen chicken and marinade (skipping the step where you sear the chicken), and just cook it in the Instant pot.
- Double Up
- You can double up on the sauce ingredients, and save some of the extra sauce to serve over asparagus or other steamed vegetables.
- You could add in a cup or so of mushrooms to this dish and have a more complete meat and vegetable dish in one go.
- Adapt for different diets
- This is a keto Instant Pot chicken recipe--but really that has nothing to do with anything. What it is, is a SUPER TASTY low carb chicken recipe.
- If you are dairy-free or kosher, use coconut milk or coconut cream for the cream, and coconut or olive oil for the butter.
- If you are vegetarian, use a hearty vegetable like butternut squash or even turnips instead of the chicken.
- If you are allergic to Lavender, you can either find a lavender-free Herbes de Provence or use a mixture of dried thyme, oregano, rosemary, and marjoram.
- If you don't have Herbes de Provence, sub Italian blend herbs or even Greek blend herbs for a slightly different taste
- Go easy on the salt in this recipe. I have reduced it to 1/2 teaspoon based on reader feedback
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Nutrition
Don't forget to check out my other Best-selling Instant Pot Cookbooks!
Indian Instant Pot, Keto Instant Pot, Instant Pot Fast and Easy, Healthy Instant Pot & Vegetarian Instant Pot.
Iso
This is easily one of, if not the best chicken dishes I have ever tasted, or prepared. Everything about this dish is excellent; but, most of all it's super easy to make, as it comes together super quick.
Marilou
Hey there! I've been following your log for a whie now and finally got the courqge tto goo ahead and
give you a shout out from Houston Tx! Just wanted to tell you keep up thhe gooid job!
Susan
Absolutely delicious! The entire family loved it. I served it with salad and roasted broccoli. The sauce as so good that I ended up using it on top of my broccoli and even my salad lettuce. This is a must try recipe.
Ashley Allen
My picky kid gobbled this up and asked for seconds! This is going into regular rotation. I only used half the amount of black pepper, because I thought Mr. Picky might reject that much pepper. I was also concerned that I might overcook the garlic, so I sauteed it after the chicken. That worked perfectly. All the bits from the bottom of the pan deglazed and made a beautiful sauce. The garlic caramelizes and the chicken braises in the sauce and becomes fork tender. I served this in non-low carb fashion over mashed potatoes. As always, Dr. Urvashi Pitre’s tips for tweaking the recipe were invaluable. I LOVE that I can freeze the chicken in the marinade, so that it is ready for a quick dinner! I love that I can fancy it up for company too.
Sally
So delicious! Added mushrooms and a splash of white wine. Definitely double your sauce... you'll want to have leftovers!
Susan
Wow! What an easy and WONDERFUL recipe! So rich and decadent! Thank you!
Ann Poritzky
I thought this recipe was delicious!
I have a question about the instant pot instructions.
4. "Cook the chicken thighs so they can lightly brown on one side, 3-5 minutes."
I only cooked one side m-- Was I supposed to flip the pieces over lightly brown the other side?
Also, after I added the cream, the liquid did not thicken after 5 minutes. Should I have kept cooking it? (I didn't)
I saw your note about the salt. I used the amount the recipe called for, but my husband thought it needed more salt.
Jane Ormrod
Oh my, Urvashi, this is surely the One Recipe To Rule Them All (well maybe tied with butter chicken). My family devoured this, even licking the sauce off their plates!
I made it as written, with the following deviations:
1. Chicken breasts rather than thighs
2. Mushrooms, a little over one cup sliiced. I added them to some oil just before the garlic and butter. I also put in a bit of soy sauce to bring out the umami.
3. Xanthan Gum (powder), Just a pinch in the sauce as it bubbled and reduced. I whisked it in and incorporated it well with the whisk.
Next time, I might go lighter on the salt, as the soy sauce adds some. However I am someone who has to watch my sodium (tends to get too low - the opposite of most people), this recipe was right for me, even with the glug of soy sauce in the mushrooms.
I served it with Liviva Kojac Rice, which I prepared with some parmesan strred in at the last moment. The rice actually took longer than the chicken.
As a teacher getting ready to return to school, these quick and tasty keto meals are a lifeline!
Millions of thanks!
URVASHI PITRE
Yay! So glad you liked it!
Jane Ormrod
This looks brilliant!
I'm making it tonight and wondering if a pinch of sodium citrate would thicken the sauce. Or maybe xanthan gum?
I'll try tonight and get back with my rating. My mouth is SO SET for this!!
Jane Ormrod
Ok so I have done a little bit of research, so I am replying to my own comment.
I'm trying xanthan gum, incase reducing the sauce fails.
The marinade smells amazing - out of this world .... takes me back to France, and it isn't even cooked yet!
Thanks for this recipe! I'll review it when I am done cooking it!