Garlic Butter Chicken

This delicious garlic butter chicken is made with juicy pan-seared chicken and simmered in a simple garlic herb butter sauce. It’s a one-pan meal that cooks up in under 20 minutes. Perfect for busy weeknights when you want something quick and easy!

If there’s one thing you should know about me, it’s that I will find a way to put garlic and butter on just about anything. My garlic butter steak bites and potatoes are one of my favorite easy dinners, and my garlic butter broccoli proves that even vegetables are better when garlic and butter get involved.

So naturally, garlic butter chicken needed to happen. This recipe takes everything I love about that combo and turns it into a simple one-pan dinner with juicy, golden chicken breasts and plenty of garlic herb butter sauce. It cooks in under 20 minutes and uses basic ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Pro tip: Spoon the extra garlic butter sauce over your sides, too. I love serving it with rice, potatoes, or a simple veggie!

Key Ingredients

• Chicken: Look for boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are fairly similar in size. It’s OK if you use a little more than 1 ½ pounds. Pound the chicken to an even ½-inch thickness so it cooks quickly and evenly without drying out.
• Butter: This is the base of the garlic butter sauce, so use a good quality grass-fed butter you love. Salted or unsalted both work—if using salted butter, you may want to slightly reduce the added salt.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic gives the sauce the best flavor, but garlic powder works in a pinch. Substitute the 3 cloves with about ¾ teaspoon garlic powder.
• Chicken broth: Regular or low-sodium chicken broth both work well. You can also use bone broth for a little extra protein and richness.
• Sea salt: I use an unrefined sea salt for the best flavor and added minerals.

Variations

• Use chicken thighs: Swap the chicken breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They typically take a little longer to cook, so adjust the cooking time as needed until they reach 165°F.
• Lemon garlic butter chicken: Add 1–2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice to the sauce for a bright, fresh flavor.
• Add vegetables: Sauté mushrooms with the garlic, or stir in spinach at the end for an easy one-pan meal.

How to Make Garlic Butter Chicken

1. Pound the chicken: Place the chicken breasts in a zip-top bag or between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, gently pound them to an even ½-inch thickness. 
2. Season: In a small bowl, combine the sea salt, thyme, oregano, and black pepper. Season both sides of the chicken evenly.
3. Cook the chicken: Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and the pan is hot, add the chicken. Cook for 4–6 minutes per side, flipping once, until golden brown and cooked through. Do not disturb the chicken while it sears. Transfer to a clean plate and loosely cover with foil to keep warm.
4. Make the sauce: Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly until fragrant. Be careful not to let the garlic burn. Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and whisk until melted and combined. Simmer gently for 1 minute.
5. Finish and serve: Return the chicken to the skillet. Spoon the garlic butter sauce over the chicken. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

FAQs

Recipe Tips

• Pound the chicken to an even thickness. This is the key to juicy chicken that cooks evenly. Aim for about ½-inch thick throughout.
• Let the chicken sear undisturbed. Let the pan get hot. Once it hits the pan, leave it alone until it’s ready to flip. This helps create that beautiful golden brown crust and keeps the chicken from sticking.
• Don’t overcrowd the skillet. The chicken needs a little breathing room to brown properly. If your skillet isn’t large enough, cook the chicken in batches.
• Keep an eye on the garlic. Garlic can go from golden to burnt in a flash. Reduce the heat before adding it and cook for only about 30 seconds before adding the broth.
• Don’t overcook the chicken. Because the breasts are pounded thin, they cook quickly. Use an instant-read thermometer and remove the chicken once the thickest part reaches 165°F.
• Scrape up the browned bits. When you add the chicken broth, use a wooden spoon to loosen everything stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Those little browned bits add a ton of flavor to the garlic butter sauce.

How to Serve

This garlic butter chicken is juicy, flavorful, and goes with just about anything! Here are my favorite ways to serve it:

• Over jasmine rice or quinoa
• With crispy roasted sweet potatoes or smashed fingerling potatoes
• With a side of vegetables like rainbow roasted vegetables
• Alongside a simple salad like my classic house salad

We often just eat it as is or with a salad. You really can’t go wrong with this one. For an easy weeknight dinner, I love pairing it with rice or potatoes—anything that can soak up the extra garlic butter sauce!

Storage

Store: Because of the sauce, this recipe stores well and makes great leftovers! Store any extra chicken with the garlic butter sauce in an airtight storage container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Freeze: Place the chicken and sauce in an airtight storage container or freezer-safe storage bag. It will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Reheat: For the best results, reheat the chicken with the sauce in a covered skillet over low heat until warm. Add a splash of chicken broth if needed to loosen the sauce and keep the chicken juicy.

More Chicken Recipes

• Slow Cooker Greek Chicken
• Greek Chicken Meatballs
• Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps
• Greek Chicken Quinoa Bowl
• Oven Baked Chicken Bites

Recipe by: Noelle Tarr and Kelsey Hite / Coconuts and Kettlebells | Photography by: Sasha Hooper / Sasha Hooper