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Garlic Butter Chicken

When you need a hearty, budget-friendly supper without a lot of fuss, this Garlic Butter Chicken has you covered. Tender, juicy chicken is cooked in a rich, buttery garlic sauce that’s full of flavor but easy on the grocery budget. Pair it with your family favorite side dishes like mashed potatoes, rice, green beans, or a simple garden salad, and you’ll have a comforting homemade meal on the table in no time. It’s the kind of dependable recipe families will turn to again and again on busy weeknights.

Garlic Butter Chicken in a skillet

Easy Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe

Busy days call for easy, no-fuss suppers that don’t leave you standing over the stove after a long day. There’s certainly no shortage of ways to cook chicken, but I’m willing to bet this Garlic Butter Chicken is one recipe you’ll find yourself coming back to again and again. It’s simple, budget-friendly, and made with everyday ingredients you probably already have tucked away in your pantry and refrigerator.

One of the best things about this recipe is how quickly it comes together. With just a few minutes of prep, the chicken cooks up tender and juicy in a rich, buttery garlic sauce that’s packed with lemon garlic flavor. Serve it with mashed potatoes, fluffy rice, buttered noodles, or your favorite vegetables, and you’ve got a comforting homemade meal that’s just right for busy weeknights. It’s proof that you don’t need a long ingredient list or fancy techniques to put a delicious supper on the table.

Key ingredients you’ll need to make simple Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe: (Scroll down for full recipe card and quantities.)

  • Chicken – Boneless skinless chicken breasts.
  • Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves give this chicken its signature flavor.
  • Cheese – Parmesan cheese for a salty bite.
  • Flour – All purpose flour to lightly coat the chicken breast chunks.
  • Oil – A combination of olive oil and butter for richness.
  • Seasonings – Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper or lemon pepper. You can use table salt or kosher salt.
  • Herbs – Fresh parsley for garnishing.
ingredients-for-garlic-butter-chicken

How to Make the Best Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe

  • Prepare Chicken – Use paper towels to pat dry chicken. Place chicken pieces into a medium size bowl.
  • Season Chicken – Toss with flour, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until evenly coated.
  • Heat Oil and Butter in Skillet – In a large deep heavy bottomed skillet heat oil and melt butter over medium-high heat.
  • Transfer Chicken to Skillet – Add chicken pieces in a single layer to the skillet.
  • Saute – Cook chicken in two batches until browned. Remove with a slotted spoon to a platter and keep warm.
  • Garlic Butter Sauce -After all chicken is cooked, add remaining butter, garlic and parsley to pan. Cook over medium-high just until the garlic is fragrant, scraping any flavor from the bottom of the skillet.
  • Combine – Add chicken, stir until coated.
  • Serve – Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Kitchen Equipment to Make Garlic Butter Chicken

  • Large skillet. I highly recommend using a 12-inch skillet so the chicken can cook in a single layer.
  • Sharp knife and cutting board.
  • Large spoon and measuring spoons.
  • Cheese grater.
  • Garlic press.
how-do-you-make-garlic-butter-chicken

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

  • Chicken – I use chicken breasts for this recipe, but boneless chicken thighs work well, too. Chicken thighs may take longer to cook.
  • Adjust the Amount of Garlic – Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic cloves to your taste.
  • Butter – You can use salted butter or unsalted butter.
  • Fresh Herbs – You can garnish with fresh thyme, tarragon, chives, rosemary or green onions.
  • Don’t Walk Away – Using chicken breasts in this recipe allows this easy chicken recipe to cook quickly. Keep an eye on the pan and adjust the heat to keep the butter from burning.
  • Lemon – If preferred, you can use fresh lemon juice and black pepper in place of lemon pepper. Please note, it will change the texture of the coating.
  • Serving Options – This dish is scrumptious served over dirty rice, mashed potatoes or buttered noodles. It also complements a simple baked potato, roasted asparagus, green beans or a simple salad.

Storage and Leftovers

  • Leftovers – Store leftover garlic butter chicken in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Reheating – Reheat individual servings gently in the  microwave, air fryer or nonstick skillet to prevent drying out.
  • Freezer – You can freeze leftovers for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge and reheat just before serving.
Garlic Butter Chicken in a skillet garnished with parsley

More Easy Skillet Recipes to Make

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4.67 from 3 votes

Garlic Butter Chicken

This easy Garlic Butter Chicken recipe is a budget-friendly favorite made with simple ingredients and ready in minutes. Tender chicken cooked in a rich garlic butter sauce makes a delicious weeknight dinner the whole family will enjoy.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Course, Poultry
Cuisine: American, Southern
Keyword: easy-chicken-breast-recipes, garlic-butter-chicken, garlic-chicken-recipe
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 257kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive or vegetable oil divided
  • 4 Tbsp butter divided
  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts 3/4 inch cubes
  • 2 Tbsp all purpose flour
  • 2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 1/2 tsp dry Italian seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt adjust to taste
  • 1 tsp black pepper or lemon pepper
  • 6-8 medium garlic cloves minced
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh Italian parsely

Instructions

  • Pat dry chicken. Place chicken pieces into a medium size bowl. Toss with flour, Parmesan, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper until evenly coated.
  • In a large 2 inch heavy bottomed skillet heat 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Heat just to melt butter.
  • Add chicken pieces in a single layer, cooking in two batches until browned, then carefully turn. About 1 1/2 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon to a platter and keep warm.
  • Add 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter to cook second batch.
  • After all chicken is cooked, add remaining 2 Tbsp butter garlic and parsley to pan. Cook over medium-high for 1-2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant, scraping any flavor from the bottom of the skillet. Add chicken, stir until coated.
  • Remove from heat and serve.

Notes

  • Chicken – I use chicken breasts for this recipe, but boneless chicken thighs work well, too. Chicken thighs may take longer to cook.
  • Adjust the Amount of Garlic – Feel free to adjust the amount of garlic cloves to your taste.
  • Butter – You can use salted butter or unsalted butter.
  • Fresh Herbs – You can garnish with fresh thyme, tarragon, chives, rosemary or green onions.
  • Don’t Walk Away – Using chicken breasts in this recipe allows this easy chicken recipe to cook quickly. Keep an eye on the pan and adjust the heat to keep the butter from burning.
  • Lemon – If preferred, you can use fresh lemon juice and black pepper in place of lemon pepper. Please note, it will change the texture of the coating.
  • Serving Options – This dish is scrumptious served over dirty rice, mashed potatoes or buttered noodles. It also complements a simple baked potato, roasted asparagus, green beans or a simple salad.

Nutrition

Serving: 1(5 oz) serving | Calories: 257kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 613mg | Potassium: 577mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 143IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

7 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this last night. Oh my! The chicken was so tender and full of flavor. The entire family, including our two little grandchildren, enjoyed it and requested it to be on the dinner rotation. I served it with rice that I had cooked in chicken broth and added a little butter and cream. Thank you for sharing this recipe 😊..

  2. 5 stars
    I will halve this for my husband and me. THANKS. I just need to buy the garlic to make this!

  3. This is literally THE BEST chicken I have ever had. I’ll be making this for my family on a weekly basis. Thank you!

4.67 from 3 votes

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