Description
This Creamy Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine recipe offers a bold, buttery, and satisfying comfort dish. Tender chicken is tossed in a rich, spiced cowboy butter sauce with linguine, creating a velvety layer of flavor with garlic, paprika, chili flakes, lemon, and herbs for a signature cowboy kick. It’s a quick yet indulgent meal that tastes like it simmered for hours.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 pound (450g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried parsley
- 12 ounces linguine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the cowboy butter: In a small bowl, combine softened butter, minced garlic, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, onion powder, dried thyme, and dried parsley. Mix well.
- Cook the linguine according to package directions in well-salted boiling water. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the prepared cowboy butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken pieces to the skillet in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until browned on all sides and mostly cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the remaining cowboy butter mixture to the skillet. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant, stirring constantly.
- Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Add the drained linguine to the sauce.
- Toss everything together until the pasta and chicken are well coated in the creamy cowboy butter sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley.
Notes
- For a milder dish, reduce or omit the red pepper flakes.
- Ensure chicken is cut into uniform bite-sized pieces for even cooking.
- Don’t skip reserving the pasta water; it’s key to achieving the perfect sauce consistency.
- Using room-temperature ingredients for the cowboy butter helps in combining them smoothly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 35g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 1g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 150mg
Keywords: Creamy Cowboy Butter Chicken, cowboy butter chicken recipe, cowboy butter chicken linguine, easy cowboy butter chicken, buttery cowboy chicken dish, chicken in creamy cowboy sauce, homemade cowboy butter chicken, quick cowboy butter chicken, cowboy chicken with cream sauce, simple cowboy butter chicken recipe