This Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce recipe is an easy way to turn a simple meal into something absolutely delicious. It uses just a few ingredients to make the most creamy, flavorful, and super versatile cream sauce that you can mix with pasta, use in casseroles and bakes, drizzle over chicken, and so much more.

A large saucepan full of spaghetti mixed with Lemon Cream Sauce and topped with fresh parsley. how to make a lemon cream sauce.

Easy Garlic Lemon Cream Sauce

This recipe for Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce is the perfect last minute dinner solution. It’s super creamy, delicious, and best of all takes just a few minutes to whip together. Mix it into your favorite pasta and top with fresh parsley and Parmesan cheese for a super simple dinner. Or, use it in place of Alfredo sauce in all sorts of pasta bakes and casseroles. 

You can even use this lemon garlic butter sauce as a simple way to make roasted veggies, baked potatoes, salmon, shrimp, or any chicken recipe a little more exciting. It’s really hard to go wrong, even with any picky eaters.

A white serving plate with spaghetti covered in creamy lemon sauce. Lemon cream.sauce. Creamy garlic lemon sauce.

Serving Suggestions

Here are a few of our favorite ways to serve this creamy lemon sauce:

Ingredients in Creamy Lemon Sauce

  • Butter – this add a silky smooth texture. You can use unsalted or salted butter for this recipe. If you choose salted butter, you may choose to add less salt at the end.
  • Garlic – fresh minced garlic or grated garlic has the strongest flavor. Be sure to cook the garlic in the butter until the galic is transparent. You can substitute garlic powder if you prefer, keeping in mind that the garlic flavor will be much more muted.
  • Lemon – fresh lemons are the star of the show. You’ll need both the zest and the juice from a fresh lemon. Make sure and zest the lemon before juicing it, and be sure to hold off on adding the juice until after the cream sauce has warmed up. This helps keep the sauce from curdling. The tanginess from the lemon juice balances perfefctly with the creaminess.
  • Chicken Broth – you can use any type of chicken broth. Or, substitute vegetable broth to make this recipe vegetarian. You could also use a splash of white wine.
  • Heavy Whipping Cream – this is the key to add that lovely creamy texture. It adds flavor and body to the sauce, keeping it super creamy. You can substitute milk or half and half but the sauce won’t be quite as rich.
  • Parmesan Cheese – make sure and use freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The kind from the can won’t melt properly. The parmesan cheese melts beautifully into the cream and add an incredible depth of flavor.
  • Salt and Pepper – the quantities given are just to use as a reference. As always, you should season with salt and pepper to taste.
Side by side photos of a pot full of cream sauce, a pot with spaghetti covered in sauce, and a serving plate with spaghetti and cream sauce topped with fresh parsley. Creamy Lemon Sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you keep lemon cream sauce from curdling?

A broken or curdled lemon garlic butter sauce can be so frustrating, however we have a couple of tips. The best way to prevent your sauce from curdling is to make sure that you don’t mix the lemon juice with the cream until the cream has heated and that it never gets hot enough to even come to a simmer. If the dairy is either too cold or too hot, it will react with the acids in the lemon juice and cause it to curdle.

If your sauce does curdle, don’t freak out! Add a little extra splash of heavy cream and either use an immersion blender to smooth it out, or add it to a regular blender.

Can you freeze Lemon Garlic Sauce?

We don’t recommend freezing this sauce because the texture will change once it is frozen and thawed. It’s best to either use the sauce immediately, or store for up to 3 days in the fridge and reheat over low heat once you want to use it.

What’s the best way to reheat this creamy Lemon Garlic Sauce?

Once the sauce begins to cool, it will immediately thicken. Because of this, it’s important to reheat over low heat, stirring often. I also like to add a little extra splash of heavy cream, broth, or even white wine to the sauce before reheating to thin it out just a touch.

lemon cream sauce recipe on a white plate, garlic cream sauce for pasta, garlic cream sauce.

Storing and Reheating

  • Refrigerator: if you have leftovers or want to make this sauce ahead of time, allow to cool at room temperature and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
  • To reheat: reheat in a pot over low heat, adding a splash of heavy cream, broth, or white wine and stirring frequently. Continue to thin the sauce as needed.

Recipe Variations

  • Red Pepper Flakes: If you enjoy a bit of heat, a pinch of red pepper flakes can be added to the sauce as it’s simmering, giving it a spicy kick.
  • Sun Dried Tomatoes: Add some minced sun dried tomatoes to your sauce as it’s simmering for a tangy varation. The addition of Sun Dried Tomatoes also creates a beautiful pale pink cream sauce.
  • Veggies: Add some roasted or steamed Broccoli or Asparagus to this easy pasta dish to make it a complete meal.
  • Pesto: Add a scoop of pesto to the cream sauce to make a creamy pesto pasta sauce, perfect for pasta, dipping breadsticks, or adding to zoodles.
4.75 from 8 votes

Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce Recipe

Author The Carefree Kitchen
This Garlic Lemon Cream Sauce is an easy way to turn a simple meal into something absolutely delicious. It uses just a few ingredients to make the most creamy, flavorful, and super versatile lemon cream sauce recipe you can mix with pasta, use in casseroles and bakes, drizzle over chicken, and more.
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Yields8 people

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons (42 g) butter
  • 1 tablespoon (8 g) garlic, minced
  • 1 large (1 large ) lemon, zested and then juiced
  • 1 cup (235 g) chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup (119 g) heavy whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup (50 g) Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 1/2 teaspoon (1/2 teaspoon) salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon (1/8 teaspoon) ground black pepper
  • 1 pound (450 g) pasta

Instructions
 

  • In a large skillet over medium heat, add the butter and minced garlic. Cook while stirring for about 2 minutes, or until the garlic is transparent.
  • Zest the lemon, then cut in half, squeeze the lemon juice into a bowl, and set aside. Reduce heat to medium low, add the lemon zest to the garlic butter and whisk, cooking for about 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the broth, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese and continue to whisk over medium heat until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy.
  • Remove from the heat and add the fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Add immediately to cooked pasta, garnishing with fresh parsley and additional Parmesan cheese if desired. Or, allow to cool and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Enjoy!

Notes

Refrigerator: if you have leftovers or want to make this sauce ahead of time, allow to cool at room temperature and then store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat: reheat in a pot over low heat, adding a splash of heavy cream, broth, or white wine and stirring frequently. Continue to thin the sauce as needed.

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 33mg | Sodium: 251mg | Potassium: 176mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 402IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 1mg
Disclaimer: Nutritional values were calculated using a third-party tool and are provided as an estimation only.
Course Sauce
Cuisine American, Italian
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More Simple Pasta Recipes to Try

This easy Lemon Garlic Butter Cream Sauce is the perfect last minute dinner solution. It’s creamy, quick to prepare, and can be mixed with pasta, used in casseroles, drizzled over chicken, and more.

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4.75 from 8 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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2 Comments

  1. Thank you for the absolutely delicious recipe. I’ve made this with gnocchi and bucatini. Holy mackerel it’s good.

  2. The flavor of the sauce was absolutely delicious. My husband enjoyed it with the chicken roast. Even my 5 yr old tried it and gave it a thumbs up and a big YUMMY. Easy to make. My only concern was the consistency. Although it worked as needed mine was a little soupy than creamy. I used heavy cream and all other ingredients as recommended. Any suggestions?

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