If you’re a fan of rich and creamy sauces, this Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce might steal your heart. It’s silky smooth and perfect for coating noodles, dressing up meats and veggies, and even taking breakfast to the next level!
What is Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce?
Lemon garlic cream sauce is a cream-based sauce thickened with a garlicky flour-based roux. It’s brightened up with not just lemon juice, but also lemon zest, for plenty of concentrated citrus flavor.
Easily made in just one pot, this sauce is great for busy weeknights. But it’s also elevated enough to serve at dinner parties or for date night!
Ingredients
This creamy lemon butter sauce with garlic comes together quickly with just a handful of simple ingredients.
- Unsalted Butter – Since the cheese and kosher salt will add plenty of salty flavor, you’ll want to use unsalted butter.
- Flour – All-purpose flour will work best for making the roux.
- Fresh Garlic Cloves – Grate or finely mince the cloves so that it’s easy to evenly disperse them in the sauce.
- Heavy Cream – Heavy whipping cream is what gives the sauce its richness.
- Whole Milk – Whole milk helps to thin the sauce slightly while keeping it creamy.
- Fresh Lemon – Using both the juice and the zest helps to give the sauce its bright lemon flavor.
- Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese – Be sure to grate the cheese just before using it for the freshest flavor. Freshly grated cheese also melts significantly better than pre-shredded varieties.
- Coarse Kosher Salt – Just a bit of salt helps to bring out the nuttiness of the cheese as well as the brightness of the lemon. If you’re trying to reduce sodium, simply season the sauce to taste.
- Freshly Ground Pepper – Pepper balances out the sauce with its gentle heat.
- Italian Parsley – Finely chop the parsley and use it as a garnish for a pop of color and fresh flavor.
Variations
While this sauce is already beautifully balanced, there are a few ways you can tweak it, too.
- Heat – For a bit of spicy flavor, sprinkle in some cayenne pepper powder or crushed red pepper flakes.
- Garnish – Swap out the parsley for other fresh herbs like basil, thyme, or cilantro.
- Milk and Cream – Use a dairy-free alternative for either of these.
- Flour – Use a 1:1 alternative to make the sauce gluten-free.
- Broth – Substitute chicken broth for some of the milk for a nuanced flavor profile.
- Onion – Sprinkle in some onion powder or briefly saute finely diced onions.
What To Serve With Creamy Lemon Garlic Sauce
We love this sauce so much at our house that we could probably all eat it straight off the spoon! But there are a ton of practical ways to use it, too.
Of course, you can toss pasta like spaghetti or linguine with it, but it’s also great on dishes with a protein like chicken, pork, shrimp, salmon, or other seafood. Or, you can use it as a surefire way to get picky eaters to eat their roasted vegetables, broccoli, or asparagus!
The sauce also makes for a delicious warm dip for focaccia or garlic knots. And don’t miss out on making it part of your morning meal — it’s a great substitute for hollandaise on traditional eggs Benedict or simply drizzle it over scrambled eggs.
How to Make This Crave-Worthy Cream Sauce
With minimal prep time and a quick cook time, this sauce is a breeze to make.
- Make the roux. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan or skillet before stirring in the flour. Then, once combined, sprinkle in the garlic and cook briefly.
- Add dairy and zest. Pour in the milk, heavy cream, and lemon zest. Stir together and simmer.
- Season and add cheese. Shake in the salt and pepper before pouring in the parmesan cheese. Continue to stir until the cheese melts and the sauce is smooth.
- Garnish and serve. Take the pan off of the stovetop, add the fresh lemon juice, sprinkle in fresh parsley, and serve.
Storage and Freezing
This sauce will last a few days so it’s easy to store it and enjoy throughout the week.
How to Store Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
You can store any leftovers in the fridge for up to four days in an airtight container.
Can I Freeze Creamy Lemon Garlic Sauce?
Transfer the sauce to a resealable freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Common Questions About Creamy Lemon Garlic Butter Sauce
One simple way to add lemony flavor to a cream sauce without it curdling is to use lemon zest. However, you can also add lemon juice — just be sure that the cream sauce is not overly hot when the lemon juice is added. This is why our recipe recommends removing the saucepan from the heat before whisking in the juice.
This garlic cream sauce is fairly similar to Alfredo, but may be slightly thinner due to the inclusion of whole milk.
Yes, garlic and lemon pair beautifully! You can use them together to season proteins like chicken breast or a salmon fillet, make marinades and vinaigrettes, or add them to stir-fries.
Other Savory Sauces
On the search for more creamy, dreamy sauces? Check out some of these others that are always a hit:
Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 4 fresh garlic cloves grated or finely minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 fresh lemon zested and juiced, divided
- 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese freshly and finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. When melted, whisk in the flour. After it forms a paste, add the garlic, stirring for 1-2 minutes until it becomes fragrant.
- Whisk in the heavy cream, milk and lemon zest and bring it to a low simmer.
- When simmer, add the salt, pepper and 1/3 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. Whisk until the cheese has melted.
- Remove from the heat and right before serving, stir in the lemon juice and fresh parsley.
- Serve hot over vegetables, meats or pasta.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in comments or star ratings.
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