Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe
Let Me Tell You About Garlic Butter Chicken…
Alright, so picture this: it’s raining cats and dogs outside, you’ve got exactly four questionable Chicken breasts in the fridge (no judgment), and just enough energy to cook something without also wanting to hide in the pantry snacking on stale crackers. That’s usually when I make this Garlic Butter Chicken recipe. No joke, the first time I made it was after a miserable workday, and by some kitchen miracle, it turned out amazing—plus it sort of made my entire apartment smell like I lived inside an Italian bistro. Not a bad thing, unless you hate garlic. Or happiness, I suppose.
Why You’ll Really Like This One
I whip this chicken up whenever I want actual tasty food, but don’t have the patience for “chef-y” recipes with too many steps (you know? those ones where you need three different pans and the patience of a saint.) My family just about inhales it, especially my brother who claims not to like chicken. Well, he goes for seconds. Plus, the sauce—you could put that garlicky, buttery glory on a flip flop and it’d still taste fantastic. Oh, and here’s a confession: half the time I burn the first garlic batch, so if you do too… welcome to the club.
What You’ll Need (Substitutions Welcome)
- 3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 600g—honestly, I never weigh it, just eyeball it. Thighs work too, and in a pinch, I use frozen fillets—not really authentic, but who cares?)
- Salt and pepper, to taste (my cousin swears by smoked salt, but table salt hasn’t let me down)
- 1 cup (or a generous handful) all-purpose flour—sometimes I use gluten-free, which actually works better than I’d expected
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (or just splash it in—I’ve used vegetable oil too, though it’s not as posh)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (I sometimes “accidentally” use more)
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced (if you’re feeling lazy, pre-minced is fine, though don’t tell my mother)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (stock cube in hot water works in a pinch; I won’t tell…)
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan (or whatever grated cheese happens to be lurking in the fridge—it’ll get the job done)
- Juice from half a lemon (or a splash of bottled, though the fresh zing is nicer)
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnishing. Dried is fine but not as green, ‘course
Here’s How I Cook It (Most Days, Anyway)
- Pat your chicken dry with paper towels—seriously, it matters. Season liberally with salt and pepper. (Once I skipped this, and, meh, lesson learned.)
- Dunk each piece in the flour so it’s lightly coated. Shake off the extra—unless you’re the type who likes a thick crust, in which case, live a little.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet (I use my old cast iron but genuinely any big pan will do). Once it’s hot but not smoking—kind of hard to describe, just watch for little shimmery ripples—lay the chicken in. Sizzle is good. Cook for about 5ish minutes per side, until golden. Don’t squish it around too much; let it get that lovely color. This is where I usually sneak a taste of the crispy edge. Quality control and all.
- Remove the chicken to a plate and cover ‘em, foil works if you’re feeling fancy. Now, drop the butter in that same pan. Let it melt, then toss in all your garlic. Breathe it in. Trust me. Stir until it softens, but for the love of taste buds, don’t let it burn—only takes about a minute. If you do burn it (like I sometimes do), honestly just start over with the garlic. Not worth ruining the whole dish.
- Pour in the chicken broth, scrape up those tasty browned bits from the pan (use a wooden spoon—metal kind of makes that horrible scratching sound, you know the one), and bring it all to a quick bubble. Reduce the heat, add in lemon juice and parmesan, stir until it’s all glossy and just ever so slightly thickened. If it looks odd at this stage, it’ll all come together—promise.
- Pop the chicken back in, spoon over the sauce, and simmer for another 2–3 minutes so it heats through and soaks up the flavor. Flip the chicken once or twice if you fancy. Scatter with parsley. Stand back and admire, or just dig right in depending on how impatient you are.
Things I Figured Out The Hard Way
- Don’t rush the browning part or the chicken’ll taste like school lunches—pretty bland.
- If the garlic burns, start again. Sorry, but it really does affect everything—it goes from yum to yuck fast.
- I used to leave out the lemon thinking it wasn’t necessary; turns out that little bit of acid makes the sauce sing. Just saying.
Variations I’ve Actually Tried
- I swapped parmesan for a random sharp cheddar once, which was… interesting. Not bad, just different. My dad loved it. Not my favorite though.
- Added a few chopped sundried tomatoes on a whim—now that’s a keeper! Adds a little zing.
- One time, I used coconut oil (ran out of olive oil). Don’t recommend it for this one. Just tasted kind of odd.
- Sprinkled chili flakes in the sauce for a subtle kick—yep, that works for spice-lovers.
What You’ll Need To Make Garlic Butter Chicken (And Workarounds)
- Large skillet or frying pan—if you’ve only got a basic nonstick, that’s fine. Just don’t use a tiny saucepan, not fun.
- Wooden spoon or spatula. Or honestly, even a regular spoon, just maybe skip that metal-on-metal business unless you’re living for danger (and bad scraping sounds).
- Sharp knife and a chopping board. Gran used to chop garlic with the side of an old mug, so—get creative!
Keeping & Storing (But Honestly—Not For Long)
Leftovers? Sure, keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth to loosen. But, um, in my house it never actually lasts past lunchtime the next day. So, fair warning.
How I Like To Serve It Up
My favorite way—over buttery mashed potatoes, with all that sauce spooned on top, and a side of peas (because, yes, I stand by peas as the world’s best side dish). Or sometimes I’ll slice the chicken up and toss with cooked pasta—bit random, but my niece always asks for that with extra parmesan. Oh, and a hunk of crusty bread for plate-mopping, naturally.
Lessons Learned: Do These For Happier Eating
- Once I rushed the sauce and added cold broth—do not recommend; it just clumps up!
- Cooking the chicken on too high heat dries it out. Learned this the hard way—better to wait for the pan to heat right than try to race the clock.
- Actually, I find it works better if you keep the lid off at the end. The sauce thickens just right. With the lid on, it gets kind of runny and not in a good way.
FAQs From—Well, Mostly My Sister (and Some Readers)
- Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?
- Absolutely! Thighs stay juicy and have a bit more flavor, actually. Just cook a tiny bit longer.
- Is there a way to make it dairy free?
- Erm, probably. Use vegan butter and leave out the parmesan, or try a dairy-free cheese—though the texture will shift a bit.
- What if I only have garlic powder?
- So, I’ve done this in a pinch. It’s not quite the same as fresh, but sprinkle about a teaspoon into the melted butter. Won’t knock your socks off, but better than skipping the garlic entirely.
- Can I freeze leftovers?
- Technically yes, but I find the sauce goes a bit odd when reheated from frozen. If you do it, defrost slowly. But again, I never seem to have anything left to freeze!
- How do I prevent dry chicken?
- Cook it just until it hits 165°F/74°C inside. Or, if you’re like me and don’t have a thermometer handy, just check the thickest bit and see if it’s white through. Pull it off the heat as soon as it’s done; resting helps too!
Last little story—made this for my neighbor once as a thank you for feeding my cat while I was away. She now asks for the “secret chicken” every time she needs a hand with something. So lock the recipe up, or you might be everyone’s on-call dinner hero!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth (optional)
Instructions
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1Season the chicken breasts with salt, black pepper, paprika, and dried Italian herbs on both sides.
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2Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
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3Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet. Once melted, add minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant.
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4Pour in chicken broth (if using) and simmer for 2 minutes, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
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5Return the chicken breasts to the skillet and spoon the garlic butter sauce over them. Simmer for 2-3 more minutes until heated through.
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6Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
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