Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta
The internet broke over this recipe and for once, the internet was right. Cowboy butter chicken pasta is one of those viral recipes that actually delivers. The first time I made it, I understood the hype within one bite — garlic, lemon, herbs, Dijon, chilli, all melted into butter and cream, clinging to every noodle, with juicy chicken on top. It's bold, unapologetic flavour that makes you wonder why all pasta isn't like this.
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta penne, fettuccine, or linguine
- 2 large chicken breasts, sliced into strips
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt, pepper, olive oil
Method
Cook the Pasta
- Boil pasta in salted water until 1-2 minutes short of al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining. If I've said it once in these recipes, I've said it a hundred times: save your pasta water. The starch is the secret to every good cream sauce.
Cook the Chicken
- Season chicken strips with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook 5-6 minutes, turning once, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
Make the Cowboy Butter Sauce
- Same skillet, reduce heat to medium. Add butter. When it melts and foams, add garlic — 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in Dijon, lemon juice, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes. Let it sizzle 1 minute. The kitchen will smell so good that your family will start wandering in asking "what's for dinner" even though they can clearly see what's for dinner.
- Pour in the cream. Stir to combine. Add parmesan, stir until melted and smooth. The sauce should be golden, silky, and thick enough to coat a spoon. If it's too thick, add pasta water. If it's too thin, simmer another minute.
Combine
- Add pasta and chicken to the skillet. Toss everything until coated. Add pasta water as needed for glossy consistency. Stir in parsley and chives. Serve immediately with extra parmesan.