Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta

Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta is creamy, garlicky, and packed with bold, zesty flavor that’ll make you want seconds (and maybe thirds). The rich cowboy butter sauce coats tender chicken and pasta for a dinner that is indulgent but deceptively simple to make. Perfect for busy weeknights, this recipe is hearty, simple, and downright irresistible.

Have you tried cowboy butter yet? If not, you are in for a treat! This mega-flavor-infused compound butter is one of my secret weapons in the kitchen. Keeping it on hand takes even the most simple recipes to the next level, and this easy chicken pasta dish is no exception!

Why I love this recipe

It’s not rocket science to combine pasta and diced chicken but when you add all the herbs, garlic, and lemon flavor on top of the butter and cream, you end up with a decadent pasta dish the entire family will love!

Plus, bonus points for being a one pan meal that cooks up in less than 30 minutes-you can’t beat that for busy weeknight meals!

Ingredients

• linguine
• extra virgin olive oil
• boneless skinless chicken breasts
• spices – paprika, garlic powder, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes
• cowboy butter
• heavy cream
• lemon juice
• baby spinach
• parmesan cheese for serving (optional but recommended!)

Step by step (with video)

1. Cook linguine according to package instructions. Drain pasta and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cubed chicken in a single layer. Season chicken evenly with paprika, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
3. Add 2 tablespoons cowboy butter into the skillet. Continue to cook the chicken until browned and cooked through, another 3-4 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken from the pan. Tent with aluminum foil and set aside..
5. Reduce heat to low. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of the cowboy butter, then heavy cream, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, lemon juice, and red pepper flakes. Stir and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze and release the flavor of all those brown bits.
6. Add the cooked linguine and chicken back to the pan, and use tongs to toss the pasta in the sauce to coat.
7. Serve warm with parmesan cheese if desired.

Variations

You can play with the herbs you use in the cowboy butter to change up the flavor or omit the chicken to make it a vegetarian dish. I usually double the spinach if omitting the chicken just to fill the meal out a little bit.

You can also add more red pepper flakes and a pinch of cayenne pepper to add a little more heat to the sauce.

Storage

Store leftover cowboy butter pasta in an airtight conatiner in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Add a splash of broth or a tablespoon of butter (or both!) before reheating in the microwave to keep the pasta from drying out.

If you try this recipe please comment and rate it below, I love hearing from you!