Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta - Creamy 30-Minute Dinner

Cowboy butter is melted butter with garlic, lemon, smoked paprika, chili and fresh herbs stirred in. Spoon it over seared chicken and pasta and you get a sauce that tastes like a steakhouse side dish turned into dinner.

This version uses chicken thighs, penne and one skillet. Start to finish it's about 50 minutes, and the sauce comes together from the same pan the chicken cooked in.

One skillet, one pot for the pasta, one cutting board. That's the cleanup.

About the Ingredients

12 oz (340 g) penne or rigatoni

Short shapes with ridges hold the butter sauce best. Fusilli or cavatappi work just as well.

1.5 lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Thighs stay tender where breasts dry out. If you only have breasts, pound them to an even 3/4 inch and pull them at 160F.

1.5 tsp kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water

Kosher salt seasons more evenly than table salt. Use half the amount if you only have fine table salt.

1 tsp smoked paprika

Smoked paprika is what makes this taste like cowboy butter. Sweet paprika works but loses the smoke.

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Cut it to 1/4 tsp if you're feeding kids. A pinch of red pepper flakes is a fine stand-in.

6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter

Unsalted lets you control the salt. Salted butter is fine, just skip the extra salt at the end.

5 garlic cloves, minced

Fresh garlic, not the jarred stuff. The jarred kind burns faster and tastes flatter.

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Bottled lemon juice is acceptable here. About half a lemon gets you there.

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more to finish

Flat-leaf parsley. Dried parsley won't give you the same fresh bite.

1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream

Half-and-half works but the sauce will be thinner. Add 1 tsp cornstarch if you go that route.

1/2 cup (50 g) grated Parmesan

Grate it yourself off a block. Pre-shredded Parmesan doesn't melt smoothly.

1/2 cup (120 ml) reserved pasta water

Starchy water is the trick to a sauce that clings. Don't drain the pasta straight into a colander without saving some.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Boil the pasta

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add about 1 tbsp kosher salt. Cook the penne 1 minute short of the package time so it finishes in the sauce. Scoop out 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.

2. Season the chicken

Pat the thighs dry and season both sides with the 1.5 tsp salt, smoked paprika and cayenne. Let them sit while the pan heats so the seasoning sticks.

3. Sear the chicken

Heat 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high, about 375F (190C). Add the chicken and cook 5 to 6 minutes per side, until the outside is deep golden brown and the thickest part reads 175F (79C). Move it to a plate.

4. Build the cowboy butter

Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining 4 tbsp butter and the garlic. Stir constantly for 30 seconds, just until it smells nutty. Don't let it brown.

5. Finish the sauce

Pour in the cream and lemon juice and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of the spoon. Pull the pan off the heat.

6. Melt in the cheese

Stir the Parmesan into the warm sauce off the heat until it disappears. Add pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce pours slowly, like warm honey.

7. Combine and rest

Slice the chicken against the grain and return it to the pan with the pasta. Toss to coat, then let it sit 3 minutes. The sauce will tighten around the noodles.

8. Finish and serve

Taste and add salt only if it needs it. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve straight from the skillet.

Tips & Tricks

• Don't crowd the pan. If the chicken pieces touch, they steam instead of sear and you lose the browned bits that flavor the sauce. Cook in two batches if your skillet is small.
• Watch the garlic. It goes in for 30 seconds only. Garlic that turns brown turns bitter, and there's no fixing it once it's in the butter.
• Add the Parmesan off the heat. Cheese added to a boiling sauce seizes into strings. Pull the pan off the burner, then stir it in.
• Salt the pasta water like you mean it. About 1 tbsp per gallon. This is the only chance the pasta itself gets to be seasoned.

Delicious Variations

Swap the Chicken

Use 1 lb of peeled shrimp instead. Sear them 90 seconds per side and pull them before they curl tight.

Add a Vegetable

Toss in 2 cups of halved cherry tomatoes or 3 cups of baby spinach with the cream. Spinach wilts in about a minute.

Make It Spicier

Double the cayenne and add 1/2 tsp of chipotle powder with the paprika. The smoke gets deeper and the heat lingers.

How to Store Best Quick and Easy Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta – First Home

Frequently Asked Questions

Dinner's done. Go put your feet up.

Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta – Creamy 30-Minute Dinner

Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta is a creamy one-pan dinner with smoky butter, tender chicken and pasta ready in about 50 minutes flat.

15 minPrep time35 minCook time6Servings612 kcalCalories

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🧂 Ingredients

• 12 oz (340 g) penne or rigatoni
• 1.5 lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 6 tbsp (85 g) unsalted butter
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley, plus more to finish
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• 1/2 cup (50 g) grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) reserved pasta water

📋 Instructions

1. 1Boil the pasta — Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add about 1 tbsp kosher salt. Cook the penne 1 minute short of the package time so it finishes in the sauce. Scoop out 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
2. 2Season the chicken — Pat the thighs dry and season both sides with the 1.5 tsp salt, smoked paprika and cayenne. Let them sit while the pan heats so the seasoning sticks.
3. 3Sear the chicken — Heat 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high, about 375F (190C). Add the chicken and cook 5 to 6 minutes per side, until the outside is deep golden brown and the thickest part reads 175F (79C). Move it to a plate.
4. 4Build the cowboy butter — Lower the heat to medium. Add the remaining 4 tbsp butter and the garlic. Stir constantly for 30 seconds, just until it smells nutty. Don't let it brown.
5. 5Finish the sauce — Pour in the cream and lemon juice and scrape up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes, until the sauce coats the back of the spoon. Pull the pan off the heat.
6. 6Melt in the cheese — Stir the Parmesan into the warm sauce off the heat until it disappears. Add pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce pours slowly, like warm honey.
7. 7Combine and rest — Slice the chicken against the grain and return it to the pan with the pasta. Toss to coat, then let it sit 3 minutes. The sauce will tighten around the noodles.
8. 8Finish and serve — Taste and add salt only if it needs it. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve straight from the skillet.

👨🍳 Chef's Note: If your skillet runs dry between batches, add 1 tbsp of butter rather than oil. Butter keeps the sauce tasting like cowboy butter instead of a generic pan sauce.

Servings: 6

Cuisine: American

Course: Main Course

Easy Recipes for Everyday Cooking15 minutes35 minutes53 minutes

Nutrition (per serving): 612 kcal · 38g protein · 46g carbs · 31g fat