Description
Creamy Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta is a bold, buttery skillet dish that coats juicy chicken and al dente pasta in a rich garlic butter cream sauce. This one-pan weeknight winner delivers restaurant-quality flavor with minimal cleanup. Tender chicken thighs, Parmesan, lemon, and parsley come together in about 35 minutes for a comforting, crowd-pleasing family dinner. Perfect for busy nights, customizable heat, and a side of crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp chili flakes
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz pasta (penne or rotini)
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add chicken, salt, pepper, paprika, and chili flakes. Cook until chicken is browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, melt butter and add garlic. Cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in chicken broth and heavy cream, stirring to combine.
- Add pasta and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until pasta is al dente and sauce thickens.
- Stir in Parmesan cheese and lemon juice until creamy.
- Return chicken to the skillet and toss to coat in the sauce.
- Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Notes
- For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half or milk with a teaspoon of cornstarch slurry to 1 tablespoon to thicken the sauce.
- Rotini or penne works best; adjust cooking time if using a different pasta shape.
- Adjust heat by adding or reducing chili flakes to suit tastes.
- Parmesan adds salt—you can omit extra salt if your cheese is very salty.
- Leftovers store 3 days in the refrigerator; reheat gently on the stove or in the microwave.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Skillet, One-Pan
- Cuisine: Italian-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 600
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 38 g
- Saturated Fat: 19 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 40 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg
Keywords: Creamy Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta, one-pan pasta, chicken pasta, garlic butter sauce, weeknight dinner, easy chicken pasta, Parmesan pasta, lemon parsley pasta