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Fork-tender garlic butter chicken bathes chicken breasts in a rich, garlicky sauce for an easy dish that’s ready in 20 minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon and serve this tender chicken with roasted or mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, or pretty much any favorite side dish – it’s so versatile!
Love this? Try Garlic Butter Pork Chops or Garlic Butter Steak Bites for different protein options!
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: American, Italian
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free option
- Skill Level: Easy
Garlic Butter Chicken, One Of My Favorite Dinner Ideas
Put the words “butter” and “garlic” together and you’ve already got my attention! This deliciously buttery garlic chicken is amazingly juicy and goes with so many dishes from instant pot mashed potatoes to parmesan polenta to a simple side of air fryer green beans! It’s a flavorful main that somehow manages to be mellow enough to appeal to kids, too. Garlic chicken can easily fit into any weekly dinner rotation, and never fails to please. Here are some highlights:
- It’s quick. Only 20 minutes from start to finish are needed to make garlic butter chicken!
- Short ingredients list. This is not a complicated recipe and less than 10 ingredients make up the ingredients list! You may already have many of them in the fridge and pantry.
- A one-pan main. Yes, just one pan is all I use to make this fragrant dish, which keeps both cooking and cleaning up afterward to a minimum.
- Goes with everything. There’s not much this chicken DOESN’T go with—we love it served with pasta, salad, veggies, and almost anything else you can think of.
What You’ll Need
I’ve included the ingredients needed to make this garlic butter chicken below, and you’ll find the full ingredient amounts in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.
- Chicken Breasts: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Salt and Pepper
- Garlic Powder: If you don’t have garlic powder, add an extra clove of fresh garlic.
- Butter: I use salted butter! If you use unsalted butter, you may need to adjust the added salt. Use vegan butter to make it dairy free.
- Garlic: I used 3 cloves of garlic, feel free to use more for a more intense flavor.
- Chicken Broth: Any brand and either low sodium or regular broth work.
- Parsley: Use chopped, fresh parsley to finish the chicken.
- Lemon: I like to serve lemon wedges alongside for a burst of bright citrus flavor.
How to Make Garlic Butter Chicken
Pounding the chicken breasts before cooking them helps the chicken turn out especially tender. Here’s a look at how to make this recipe. Find the detailed instructions in the recipe card lower down.
- Tenderize the chicken. Pound chicken with a meat mallet until it’s about ½-inch thick.
- Season the chicken. Now season the chicken on both sides.
- Melt the butter. Melt the butter in a skillet, then saute the garlic for about 2 minutes.
- Sear the chicken. Place the chicken in the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes per side.
- Mix in broth. Stir in the chicken broth and parsley, then reduce the heat and cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Serve! Give the chicken a squeeze of lemon and serve hot.
Tips and Variation Ideas
Heres are some things to keep in mind for perfect results or to modify to your personal preferences.
- Use a thermometer. While it is important to cook chicken to a high enough temperature for safety, it’s easy to overcook it and dry it out. That’s why I keep my instant read thermometer handy!
- Other cuts of chicken. This recipe calls for chicken breasts, however you can easily try chicken thighs or even legs if you prefer. If you use thighs, only tenderize meat that is boneless; for bone-in chicken, simply omit the tenderizing step and proceed with the recipe as written.
- Adjust the seasonings. For a little heat, add a pinch of red pepper flakes. Or, add 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano or thyme to the sauce.
- Other herbs. Swap the parsley for another fresh herb such as cilantro or basil.
- Add cheese! I also like giving the chicken breasts a sprinkle of parmesan cheese after they finish cooking. For even more cheesy goodness, add a layer of shredded mozzarella to the tops of the chicken breasts then place them under the broiler for a few minutes to melt the cheese.
How to Store and Reheat Extras
- Fridge – Transfer cooled leftover garlic butter chicken and its sauce to an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Be sure to place chicken and sauce in the same container because the sauce will help keep the chicken moist even when it’s reheated.
- To Reheat – Gently warm the chicken and sauce in a skillet on the stove over medium heat until warmed through. Or, place it on a microwave-safe plate and reheat it in 30-second increments until hot.
Make It a Meal
With its simple ingredients, garlic butter chicken can be enjoyed in many different dishes. The garlic butter sauce also creates a perfect drizzle to add to any of your favorite pasta, potatoes, rice, or vegetable dishes. Here are some more suggestions:
- With pasta. Try slicing and serving the chicken over my Gluten-Free Fettuccine Alfredo, or serve it with a plate of gluten free buttered noodles.
- Potatoes. Creamy Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, savory Pesto Roasted Potatoes, or Air Fryer Ranch Potatoes are nice sides to garlic chicken.
- Rice. Learn How to Make White Rice 5 Ways, or make fragrant Cilantro Lime Rice. A side of Brown Butter Cauliflower Rice is also perfect with chicken!
- Roasted veggies. I love a lighter meal of chicken and a pairing of Balsamic Roasted Vegetables or Roasted Cauliflower.
More Chicken Dinners
Garlic Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large breasts)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1 Tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Place 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts between two sheets of parchment paper. Pound chicken with a meat mallet until they are roughly ½-inch thick.
- Season chicken with 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder evenly on both sides. Set aside.
- Heat a medium skillet over medium heat. Add 6 Tablespoons salted butter to the pan. Once butter is melted add 1 Tablespoon minced garlic. Saute for 1-2 minutes until garlic is fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic.
- Add seasoned chicken breast to pan, and increase heat to high. Cook for 1-2 minutes, flip and cook another 1-2 minutes, searing both sides.
- Add ½ cup chicken broth and ¼ cup fresh parsley,chopped, to the pan, reduce heat, and cover for an additional 6-7 minutes, or the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Once cooked, remove the chicken from the heat, squeeze juice from the lemon wedges, and serve.
Did you make this?
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