Easy Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine Recipe
This Easy Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine is a creamy, flavorful pasta dish featuring tender sautéed chicken tossed in a rich butter and cream sauce with garlic and a hint of red pepper flakes. Perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner, it combines simple ingredients to create a restaurant-quality meal in under 30 minutes.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 3–4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb), diced into bite-sized pieces
Pasta
- 8 oz linguine pasta
Sauce
- 4–5 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Dice the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and mince the fresh garlic cloves thoroughly to ensure they release maximum flavor during cooking.
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add linguine and cook for 8-10 minutes until al dente. Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water to help adjust sauce consistency later.
- Sauté Chicken: Heat a skillet over medium heat and melt half of the butter (3 tbsp). Add the diced chicken, season generously with salt and pepper, and cook for 6-8 minutes until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Garlic and Red Pepper Flakes: In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for about 1 minute or until fragrant, making sure not to burn the garlic.
- Create Sauce: Lower the heat to medium-low and add the remaining butter and heavy cream to the skillet. Stir continuously until the butter is melted and the cream combines into a smooth, creamy sauce.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked linguine to the skillet with the sauce, tossing to coat evenly. If the sauce is too thick, gradually add the reserved pasta water until the desired consistency is achieved.
- Finish and Serve: Stir in the cooked chicken and chopped fresh parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve hot.
Notes
- Reserve pasta water to thin out the sauce as needed.
- Use fresh parsley for best color and flavor.
- Adjust red pepper flakes according to spice preference.
- For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream.
- Use unsalted butter to better control the saltiness of the dish.
Keywords: cowboy butter chicken, linguine pasta, creamy chicken pasta, garlic cream sauce, quick dinner, stovetop chicken linguine
