Cowboy Butter Lemon Chicken (Printable)
Tender chicken and bowtie pasta coated in a zesty lemon cowboy butter sauce with garlic and herbs.
# What You'll Need:
→ Proteins
01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
→ Pasta
02 - 10 oz bowtie (farfalle) pasta
→ Cowboy Butter Sauce
03 - 7 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
06 - 1 tsp hot sauce (e.g., Tabasco)
07 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
08 - 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped (optional)
09 - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
10 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
12 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste
→ Additional
14 - 2 tbsp olive oil
15 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
# How To Make:
01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the bowtie pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain through a colander and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken, season generously with salt and black pepper, and cook for 7–8 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
03 - Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the butter. Once the butter has melted, stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir in the Dijon mustard, hot sauce, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, chopped parsley, chives, and thyme leaves. Mix thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined.
05 - Add the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice to the skillet, stirring well to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed.
06 - Return the seared chicken to the skillet, then add the drained bowtie pasta. Toss everything together vigorously until the pasta and chicken are evenly coated in the cowboy butter lemon sauce.
07 - Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the top and toss once more. Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh parsley if desired.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in one pan while the pasta cooks, so everything finishes at almost the same time.
- That lemon zing mixed with smoky butter creates a flavor profile that tastes far more complicated than the twenty minutes of active effort it actually requires.
02 -
- Do not walk away from the garlic in the butter because it goes from golden perfection to bitter and burnt in the span of about fifteen seconds.
- Cooking the chicken in a single layer without crowding the pan is the difference between a proper sear and sad steamed chunks.
03 -
- Grate your Parmesan from a block rather than using the shelf stable pre grated kind because it melts dramatically better and tastes noticeably richer.
- Reserve a half cup of pasta water before draining because that starchy liquid can loosen the sauce if it tightens up when you mix everything together.