Description
Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Creamy Parmesan Pasta is a quick and easy one-pan recipe featuring tender garlic butter chicken bites and creamy Parmesan pasta. Ready in just 30 minutes, this dish is perfect for weeknight dinners, indulgent date nights, or comforting family meals.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chicken:
- 1 pound chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
For the Garlic Butter Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
For the Creamy Parmesan Pasta:
- 12 ounces pasta (fettuccine, penne, or preferred type)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Optional Toppings:
- Lemon zest
- Cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken:
- Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and toss with salt, pepper, paprika, and garlic powder.
- Heat olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 2–3 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- Make the Garlic Butter Sauce:
- In the same skillet, melt butter over low heat. Add minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using) and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Return cooked chicken to the skillet and toss in the garlic butter sauce. Remove chicken again, leaving sauce in the pan.
- Cook the Pasta:
- Boil pasta in salted water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Make the Creamy Parmesan Sauce:
- In the skillet with the remaining sauce, add chicken broth and heavy cream. Simmer for 2–3 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese until smooth.
- If the sauce is too thick, thin it with reserved pasta water as needed.
- Combine:
- Toss cooked pasta with the creamy sauce. Return chicken bites to the skillet, mixing them into the pasta.
- Garnish with parsley and additional Parmesan cheese if desired.
Notes
- Use fresh ingredients like minced garlic and freshly grated Parmesan for optimal flavor.
- Avoid overcooking the chicken to maintain juiciness.
- Reserved pasta water can help achieve the perfect sauce consistency.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: ~550 kcal
- Sugar: ~2 g
- Sodium: ~450 mg
- Fat: ~28 g
- Saturated Fat: ~15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ~10 g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: ~45 g
- Fiber: ~2 g
- Protein: ~30 g
- Cholesterol: ~90 mg