When it comes to homemade sauces, our easy garlic parmesan sauce is at the top of my list. This delicious sauce is cheesy, garlicky, and creamy. It’s the perfect sauce to elevate a busy weeknight dinner, date night, or fancy dinner party.
Made with simple ingredients and just a few simple steps, our creamy garlic parmesan sauce is guaranteed to become a family favorite!
Our garlic parmesan sauce has many uses. It can be used as a dipping sauce for chicken wings, chicken tenders, french fries, or vegetable sticks.
You can use it as a topping for breaded chicken cutlets, toss wings in it to make garlic parmesan wings, or toss it with your favorite pasta like an alfredo sauce.
This creamy sauce can even be used as a topping for a white pizza. Get creative with this easy sauce and have fun!
Ingredients to make Garlic Parmesan Sauce
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our homemade Garlic Parmesan Sauce recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Can I change up the recipe?
Absolutely. For a deeper, smoother garlic flavor, make a paste out of roasted garlic. You will be amazed how the heat from the fresh garlic changes into a natural sweetness.
Instead of parmesan cheese, use Locatelli romano grated cheese. For an extra cheesy flavor, add ½ cup of shredded gruyere, swiss, cheddar, or Monterey jack to the sauce. You can also add 4 ounces of cream cheese, Velveeta, or cheese whiz to this simple sauce.
For a touch of heat, add your favorite hot sauce or red pepper flakes to the mixture.
If you want to really get creative, add marinara sauce or pizza sauce to our creamy garlic sauce.
How to make Garlic Parmesan Sauce
- Add the unsalted butter to a medium saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
- Add the heavy cream to the mixture and heat to a light boil. Then, reduce the heat to low.
- Add the grated parmesan cheese, black pepper, and garlic powder to the saucepan and stir until well combined. Let the garlic parmesan sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes until it hasn’t thickened.
If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth to the mixture. If the sauce is too thin, let it reduce a little longer.
This is not a white sauce. To make a white sauce, you would have used all-purpose flour as the thickener. This simple sauce uses parmesan cheese and heat to achieve its creamy texture.
You’ll find so many ways to enjoy this versatile sauce. But make sure to make a double batch so all your friends and family can enjoy the deliciousness!
If you’re not using the garlic parm sauce right away, let it cool, then refrigerate it in a glass jar or airtight container for 4-5 days. This sauce does not freeze well.
Recipe FAQ’s
When refrigerated, this sauce will thicken considerably. To reheat the parmesan sauce, place it in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add a little milk or cream to loosen it up, whisking the mixture until it’s reached 165 degrees. Taste and re-season as needed with salt and black pepper.
Yes, you can use milk instead of heavy cream, but the sauce will be thinner. To thicken it, let it reduce longer to achieve the desired consistency. Adding additional parmesan cheese will also help thicken the sauce.
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Easy Garlic Parmesan Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt more or less as needed
- 1 tablespoon Italian parsley – finely chopped
Instructions
- Add the unsalted butter to a medium saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
- Add the heavy cream to the mixture and heat to a light boil. Then, reduce the heat to low.
- Add the grated parmesan cheese, black pepper, and garlic powder to the saucepan and stir until well combined.
- Let the garlic parmesan sauce simmer for 2-3 minutes until it hasn’t thickened Then remove the pan from the heat.*If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little water, chicken broth, or vegetable broth to the mixture. If the sauce is too thin, let it reduce a little longer.
- Taste and season with sea salt as needed.
- If you're not using the sauce right away, let it cool, then store it in a glass jar or airtight container. Refrigerate for 4-5 days.
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