Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta 9 Epic Weeknight Wins
Juicy seared chicken, silky linguine, and a bold cowboy butter sauce perfumed with garlic, fresh herbs, paprika, and lemon. Cream and pasta water emulsify into a glossy, weeknight friendly finish—big steakhouse flavor, minimal effort.
Equipment
- Large Skillet
- Large Pot
- Colander
- Tongs
- Microplane zester
- Instant-read thermometer
Ingredients
Cowboy Butter
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh chives finely snipped
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp fine salt
- red pepper flakes small pinch
- 1/2 lemon zest and juice
Pasta
- 12 oz linguine or other long pasta
- 2 tsp kosher salt for boiling water
Chicken and Vegetables
- 6 chicken thighs skinless and boneless, cut into strips
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp black pepper freshly ground
- 1 tbsp olive oil or as needed
- 1 large shallot finely diced
- 1 cup mixed bell peppers 150 g, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
Sauce and Finishers
- 4 tbsp cowboy butter from the batch above or to taste
- 1/2 cup heavy or double cream
- 4 tbsp Parmesan freshly grated
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
Instructions
- Mix the cowboy butter. In a small bowl mash softened butter with Dijon, minced garlic, parsley, chives, thyme, paprika, salt, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and lemon juice until smooth. Cover and chill 10 to 15 minutes to firm.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. You will drop the linguine so it finishes when the sauce is ready.
- Slice chicken thighs into strips. Toss with salt, paprika, garlic powder, and black pepper until evenly coated.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high. Sear chicken in a single layer 2 minutes, flip and cook 1 to 2 minutes more until golden at the edges. Transfer to a plate. Do not wipe the pan.
- Lower heat to medium. Add diced shallot with a pinch of salt and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in sliced bell peppers and cook until tender crisp, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sliced garlic and cook 30 to 45 seconds until fragrant.
- Add linguine to boiling water and cook to al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
- Return chicken and any juices to the skillet. Reduce heat to low and stir in 4 tbsp cowboy butter until melted and aromatic.
- Pour in cream and a splash of reserved pasta water. Stir until the sauce looks shiny and lightly thickened and coats the back of a spoon. Adjust with more pasta water as needed.
- Toss in drained linguine. Off the heat, add Parmesan and fold until smooth and glossy. Stir in parsley, then taste and adjust salt, pepper, or lemon.
- Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and lemon. Chicken should reach 165°F (75°C). Enjoy the satiny sauce while hot.
Notes
Cowboy butter keeps 5 to 7 days chilled or up to 2 months frozen. Slice coins as needed. For extra veg add spinach at the end to wilt, or halved cherry tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes. If reheating, warm gently with a splash of water or milk and a small knob of cowboy butter until glossy again.