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Get It Now- Why You’ll Love My Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Garlic Butter Chicken
- My Recipe Tips
- Storage Instructions
- Serving Suggestions
- More Easy Chicken Recipes In One Pan
- My Tools For This Recipe
- Garlic Butter Chicken (Easy 20-Minute Dinner) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
This garlic butter chicken recipe is a twist on my classic pan seared chicken breast. Both dishes coat a juicy chicken breast in a savory pan sauce with butter and garlic, but as you might expect from the name, this one has more butter and more garlic. It’s three of my favorite things all brought together. My garlic lovers, this one’s for you!
Why You’ll Love My Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe
- Savory garlic butter sauce – The sauce makes this dish! Instead of being thick or creamy like the sauces in my chicken Florentine or marry me chicken, this one is light, buttery, and herby… and of course, oh-so-garlicky. It’s perfect for drizzling.
- Juicy, tender chicken – You know I wouldn’t make it any other way. The sauce already helps with this, but see my tips below for extra juicy results.
- Quick and easy – This garlic butter chicken breast takes me just 20 minutes, and there are no extra steps for dredging or breading. Plus, I can make the sauce in the same pan, so cleanup is a cinch. It’s the ultimate chicken dinner for your busy weeknights!
- Simple ingredients – Just some basic staples from your fridge or pantry. This meal is also naturally low carb and gluten-free.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for my garlic butter chicken recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card below.
- Chicken – I usually use boneless skinless chicken breasts, but you can make my recipe with boneless chicken thighs as well. Choose pieces that are similar in thickness, so they cook at the same rate.
- Oil – I use olive oil to sear the chicken at first, as butter would burn during that step. Avocado oil also works. Don’t you worry, we’re definitely adding butter, too… 😉
- Butter – There it is! I almost always prefer unsalted butter so that I can control the salt content, but you can use salted and just use less salt in the recipe.
- Garlic – The star of the show in my garlic butter sauce for chicken! I’ll admit I use jarred minced garlic for many dishes to save time, but for this one I always use fresh. It tastes so much better, plus I actually prefer the texture of a coarser mince here. Since this is a main ingredient, I don’t recommend substituting garlic powder, either.
- Chicken Broth – Adds volume to the sauce and makes it more savory. I recommend reduced-sodium broth, because it cooks down and regular broth will make your sauce too salty. I like this brand when I’m in a rush, but my homemade chicken broth or bone broth makes the chicken taste even better. You can also substitute white wine for a different flavor.
- Dried Herbs – I usually use a mix of dried herbs for variety and to make it easy: dried thyme, dried oregano, dried rosemary, and dried parsley. Triple the amount if you want to substitute fresh herbs (I actually used fresh rosemary for these pictures). I’ve also made this butter garlic chicken with just Italian seasoning mix, a.k.a. my go-to herb blend. If you want some heat, throw in some crushed red pepper flakes, too.
- Sea Salt & Black Pepper
How To Make Garlic Butter Chicken
This section shows step-by-step photos together with the instructions, to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
- Dry and season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. (This helps to lock in moisture and gets you that golden sear.) Season both sides with the salt, pepper, and dried herbs.
- Sear until golden. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer, and sear on both sides until golden and just barely cooked through (see my tips below). Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- Deglaze the pan. Time to make this sauce I can’t stop talking about! Add the butter and chicken broth to the skillet. Use a wooden spoon to scrape all those flavorful bits from the bottom.
- Add the garlic. Reduce heat to low. Add the garlic and saute until… your kitchen smells like garlic. 😉
VARIATION: Make lemon garlic butter chicken!
If you like a lemony flavor, add 1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice and/or a teaspoon of lemon zest to the sauce at the end, before you return the chicken to the pan. This tastes a lot like my lemon garlic chicken, but with a buttery pan sauce that reminds me of my lemon butter sauce.
- Combine the chicken and sauce. Return the chicken to the pan, and flip to coat all sides in sauce. If you need to, heat for a minute or two until warm. Don’t forget to spoon the sauce over your garlic butter chicken breast when serving — it’s the best part!
My Recipe Tips
- Let the pan and oil get hot before searing. Otherwise, the chicken will just soak up the oil and stick to the pan. The oil is hot enough when it slides around the pan easily, but my easy way to test is to add a drop of water — if it sizzles, you’re good to go.
- Sear the chicken until just barely done. The main trick to juicy chicken breast is always the cook time, so I test for doneness using my trusty meat thermometer. After searing, I usually remove the chicken from the pan when it hits 160-163 degrees F. Then, it comes up to 165 degrees F while it rests covered in foil as I cook the sauce. Worst case, if it doesn’t reach that internal temperature, I finish cooking it in the sauce for a couple of minutes at the end. Much better this way than drying it out upfront!
- If the chicken is golden but not cooked through, reduce the heat. I start at medium-high to get that browned exterior, but sometimes need to turn it down so it doesn’t burn. You may or may not need to do this depending on your pan, your stove, and the thickness of your chicken.
- For extra juicy chicken, you can brine it. This is totally optional, as garlic butter chicken already comes out juicy (as long as you don’t overcook it). But when I’m planning ahead, I brine it just like I do for my baked chicken breast — read the post for how to do it.
- For even faster cooking, cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. This cuts the searing time by about half. I don’t usually bother since I’d have to spend the time dicing the chicken instead, but it can be worthwhile if you do it ahead of time.
- Double or triple the sauce to use for your side. My garlic butter chicken recipe makes the perfect amount of sauce for the chicken itself, but if you double or triple it, you can toss your side dishes with it. See ideas below!
Storage Instructions
- Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat: My preferred method for reheating this garlic butter chicken is baking at 350 degrees F, covered in foil so it stays juicy. You can use a skillet on the stovetop, but it’s tricky to get the chicken warm before it dries out or the sauce burns. You can also use the microwave, but it’s drying.
- Freeze: Place portions in zip lock bags together with the sauce, and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
Serving Suggestions
Garlic butter chicken pairs with many different sides, but especially ones that soak up the irresistible sauce! Here are a few of my favorites:
- Mash – Nothing beats mash to soak up that garlic butter sauce! You can make regular mashed potatoes, but I actually love it with mashed cauliflower or even mashed sweet potatoes.
- Rice Or Noodles – These work particularly well if you double or triple the sauce like I suggested above. Toss your favorite rice, cauliflower rice, pasta, spaghetti squash (my personal favorite), or zucchini noodles with the sauce, and serve the chicken on top.
- Roasted Veggies – I like to pop these in the oven before I start the garlic butter chicken recipe, so my main dish and side are done at the same time. This chicken pairs well with my smashed brussels sprouts, roasted broccoli, roasted green beans, or roasted asparagus.
- Simple Salads – If you want a lighter side to balance out the rich main, go with a fresh salad, like my spring mix salad or avocado Caprese salad.
More Easy Chicken Recipes In One Pan
I love my one-pan chicken recipes, and there are so many flavors they can take on. Try some of my others:
My Tools For This Recipe
- Stainless Skillet – I prefer this material for garlic butter chicken for 2 reasons. Unlike dark nonstick pans, it lets me see the color of the sauce (to avoid burning it), and I don’t have to risk scratching. (I still recommend a wooden spoon just in case, though.)
- Meat Thermometer – For perfectly cooked chicken every time. Mine is available at Amazon or Target.
Garlic Butter Chicken (Easy 20-Minute Dinner)
This easy garlic butter chicken recipe is a weeknight favorite! Make juicy chicken breast with butter, garlic, and herbs in just 20 minutes.
Instructions
Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.
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Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season with salt, pepper, and dried herbs.
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Heat olive oil in a large skillet (preferably stainless like this one) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and sear for 4-8 minutes per side, until golden and just barely cooked through. (Reduce heat to medium if it starts to brown too much.) Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
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Add the butter and chicken broth to the pan. As the butter melts, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze.
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Reduce heat to low. Add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
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Return the chicken to the pan. Flip once or twice to coat in sauce. If needed, heat for 1-2 minutes, until warm.
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Serve garlic butter chicken with the pan juices spooned over it.
Did You Like It?
Leave a rating to help other readers, or get the recipe sent to your inbox.
Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.
© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂
37 Comments
Adrienne
1This was so delicious. I will partially slice the chicken before cooking next time to shorten cooking time but would not change a thing. Tastes and smells wonderful and the sauce could be drizzled over a variety of side dishes. I chose brussel sprouts and it was a huge hit. YUM!!
A.S
1This chicken was DELICIOUS!! Four kids and they all raved with their first few bites, while also commenting on it again after supper was done. Will absolutely make it again. (I used homemade chicken broth)
Jeannette
0Thus is sooo good and juicy! It was very easy to make and spices were definitely not overwhelming but added great flavor especially with the sauce.
Mary
0Lots of flavor. My family really enjoyed this especially the sauce. I did add a couple tablespoons of flour slurry to thicken it up and give it a lighter color.
Pat
0Sorry, but this came out just boring. The stars, it would be nice to know what the various star ratings meant. Thanks.
Gerlie
0This was the easiest and tastiest recipe so far. Thank you for sharing!
Sun Tzu
0Hi. This was very good. I suggest cooking the sauce for 5 more minutes so it will thicken. Also the sauce needs a touch of something sweet. Honey?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Sun, I have never tried that but it sounds great!
Julie
0So good! I added butter and garlic for a minute, then added chicken broth. Definitely a go-to recipe. Thanks!!
Debra
0I made this recipe for dinner tonight. I was skeptical at first but once I was done and served it, I was 💯 happy. My husband loved it and I did too. He’s already wanting me to make it again. Thanks so much for this recipe.
Larren Truitt Vihnanek
0I got up at 10 pm and threw this together for my husband’s lunch the next day. I had everything and had this done and divided up with brown rice and steamed broccoli for a total of four meals. I packaged and froze the other three. It smelled amazing as I cooked and I will make it again.
Donna
0I made this for Sunday lunch it’s delicious. My family loved it.
Kari
0Can you substitute the pan for baked or air fryer?
Wholesome Yum D
0Hi Kari, I have never done that since the purpose here is a one-pan recipe. You could cook the chicken using a different method, but you’d still need the stovetop for the sauce, so at that point the most convenient way is to cook the chicken in the same pan right before.
Deborah
0Really loved this! I used herbs de Provence because I was lazy, but every other ingredient I used as is. Let the sauce simmer for probably closer to 5 minutes so it thickened. I really needed a great, quick chicken dinner and this hit the spot.
Minacannibal@gmail.com
0Family loved it (especially the picky 10 y/o) the second time I made it, when I did a few different things: adding in more butter (I’d say probably a cup, since I use 3 large chicken breasts), half a bulb of garlic(garlic lovers here!), & I added in a cornstarch slurry to thicken up the sauce. Served over white rice.
sahara
0So tasty! Really didn’t expect so much flavor. The sauce was perfect with it. I used bone broth which I think tastes even better personally.
Karen
0Delicious chicken…super easy and tasty…I did use boneless skinless chicken thighs since that’s what I had on hand and it was wonderful, this one is going in my rotation!!
Laura
0Easy recipe. Very tasty. I overcooked the chicken a bit. The thicker bits were perfect. I used shredded fresh basil leaves in the sauce and just a tad too much lemon. Will play a little with the recipe next time. Thank you.
Patricia Ann Knox
0I loved this recipe..easy..quick and delicious..will keep it and serve it lots more!!
Leah
0I made that tonite and it was excellent super moist and the flavourful was so amazing this is on my rotation. I can never make chicken so moist. I just love it!. There where no left overs!.
Leta Partlow
0Yummy. I added bit of cornstarch to broth and bam . Delicious!!
Alicia
0This simple but so flavorful recipe was delicious! I added some white wine about 1/8 cup but oh so good.
Dawn
0So delicious!!! I added some white wine as well. Easy dinner with so much flavor!
Nancy
0Came out great! I used chicken tenderloins because I accidentally purchased them instead of breasts but it turned out so tender and moist. I used half white wine and half chicken broth for the sauce. I served it with asparagus, brown basmati rice with peas and pearl onions and some Parmesan cheese. Nice dinner. 🙂 My husband said it was delish!
Rhonda
0This garlic butter chicken was delicious! It will definitely be in our regular rotation going forward. Thank you for such a yummy recipe.
LA
0Easy & very delicious & moist!!
April Kane
0Delicious!!!!!!! Thank you
Johna
0This was so easy, and had so much flavor! I will double the sauce next time as I served it with long grain white rice, and the sauce just made everything so flavorful! I used chicken tenderloins which made the dish even easier.
Katina Pirkey
0I wanted a different chicken recipe to try. I had this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. My family liked it also.
Michelle
0We have chicken a lot and I wanted to do something different for dinner. I came across your recipe and it looked so good and like something I could make.My family of 7 absolutely loves it! I will be adding this to my rotation. Thank you!
Ebony
0This is so simple I made it during my lunch break and it slaps like a dinnertime comfort meal. This will be my go-to when I need to make a meal in a pinch.
Dottie Bacon
0We had this for a quick dinner last night, and it is FANTASTIC! It has a rich garlic herb flavor. Absolutely delicious! I loved how quick it was to make, and its easy cleanup. This will be a new favorite! Thanks for so many tasty and quick recipes!
Lona
0We made the Garlic Butter Chicken and it was absolutely delicious, will make it again sometime. It was a hit with everyone and an easy recipe to make! ❤️
Samantha
0I’m always looking for new ways to cook chicken and this recipe was a huge hit with my family! I couldn’t believe how quick and easy it was to make. Thanks for a new dinner favorite!
Kristyn
0Your pictures are making me hungry!! Love everything in this dish!! It has tons of flavor & goes great with anything!!
Kara
0Easy and tasty! The leftover chicken also works great to shred and use in other recipes!