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Garlic Herb Chicken Breast with Mashed Potatoes

Garlic herb chicken breast with mashed potatoes featuring golden seared, herb-crusted chicken and a quick garlic-herb pan sauce. Serve the sliced chicken over smooth, buttery Yukon Gold mash for an easy comfort food chicken dinner with a glossy drizzle.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 0.25 tsp salt and pepper to taste Use to season.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter Divided; 2 tbsp for searing and 2 tbsp for the pan sauce.
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
Mashed Potatoes
  • 2 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 2 tbsp butter For the mashed potatoes.
  • 0.5 cup heavy cream or whole milk, warmed
  • 0.5 tsp salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste Season the mash.
  • 1 fresh parsley for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the mashed potatoes
  1. Boil the peeled and cubed Yukon Gold potatoes in salted water for 15-18 minutes until fork-tender, then drain well.
  2. Mash the hot potatoes with butter, warmed heavy cream or whole milk, salt, pepper, and garlic powder until smooth and fluffy; keep warm.
Sear and rest the chicken
  1. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season with garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, dried rosemary, salt, and pepper.
  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 to 165°F, then remove.
Make the garlic herb pan sauce
  1. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the same pan and cook the minced garlic for 1 minute.
  2. Add the chicken broth, scrape up the browned bits, and simmer for 2-3 minutes until a simple pan sauce forms.
Plate and garnish
  1. Plate the mashed potatoes and place the cooked chicken on top.
  2. Drizzle the garlic herb pan sauce over the chicken and drizzle across the plate.
  3. Finish with fresh parsley garnish.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the mash warm in a covered pot on the lowest heat while you make the sauce so it stays creamy. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days; the chicken and mash reheat best gently (add a splash of warm milk/cream to loosen). Freezing: mash freezes up to 1 month but can turn slightly grainy after thawing—best for chicken only. For a lighter swap, use half-and-half or whole milk in place of heavy cream, and reduce butter to 3 tbsp total for the potatoes and sauce.