Description
Enjoy tender and flavorful cowboy butter chicken bites in this easy dinner perfect for any weeknight meal. Simple chicken bites coated in a buttery sauce make a quick family dinner that everyone will love.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Optional ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Pat the chicken pieces dry and season them with salt and black pepper.
- Warm olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken in batches for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side until nicely browned and fully cooked.
- Reduce the heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet, then add the minced garlic and cook it briefly for 30 seconds until it smells fragrant.
- Mix in the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, parsley, and thyme, blending everything well.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet, tossing it in the sauce until coated and let it simmer gently for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Sprinkle extra parsley on top and serve hot with lemon wedges on the side.
Notes
- For extra crispiness, dredge chicken in cornstarch before searing
- Add honey or parmesan for a flavor twist
- Adjust spice to preference by changing red pepper flakes and cayenne amounts
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 28g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 120mg