There are days when plain chicken breast just will not cut it. This Cowboy Butter Chicken is for those nights. Thin chicken cutlets are seasoned with thyme, garlic, salt, and pepper, then seared until golden and basted with a rich cowboy butter made from garlic, lemon, Dijon, smoked paprika, Worcestershire, red pepper flakes, and fresh parsley.
The result is tender, flavorful chicken with a buttery sauce that begs to be spooned over potatoes, rice, zoodles, or roasted veggies, and the whole recipe uses simple ingredients you probably already have.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Big flavor, simple steps: cowboy butter does the heavy lifting with garlic, lemon, herbs, and spices.
- Weeknight-friendly: thin chicken cooks fast, and the butter sauce comes together in one small pan.
- Versatile: serve it with potatoes, veggies, pasta, zoodles, or salad, and it works great for meal prep.
Ingredients
Cowboy Butter
- 6 tbsp grass-fed butter or ghee
- 6 fresh garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small lemon, zest and juice
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tbsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp freshly minced parsley
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Chicken
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise into thin cutlets
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
Step-by-step instructions
1. Make the cowboy butter
Melt the butter or ghee in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, whisking, until fragrant but not browned.
Stir in lemon zest and juice, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for a couple of minutes, then remove from heat and blend until smooth and emulsified. Stir in minced parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Season the chicken
Using a sharp knife, carefully slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create thin cutlets. Pat dry with paper towels.
Season lightly on both sides with sea salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and garlic powder. Drizzle a little over half of the cowboy butter over the chicken and rub to coat all sides, keeping the remaining butter clean to baste the cooked chicken.
3. Cook and baste
Preheat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side for thin cutlets, or until a thermometer reads 165°F.
Once cooked, remove from the heat and immediately spoon or brush the reserved cowboy butter over the hot chicken so it melts and coats each piece. Serve right away.
Tips, serving ideas, and storage
- Flavor control: adjust red pepper flakes for more or less heat; add extra lemon juice if you like a brighter sauce.
- Serving ideas: pair with garlic Parmesan green beans, crispy smashed potatoes, corn salsa, roasted carrots, asparagus salad, or Brussels sprouts hash.
- Make-ahead: cowboy butter can be made in advance and stored in the fridge up to 5 days.
- Storage: cooked Cowboy Butter Chicken keeps in the refrigerator up to 5 days and in the freezer up to about 3 months in an airtight container.
Cowboy Butter Chicken
- Total Time: PT30M
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Cowboy Butter Chicken is juicy skillet chicken smothered in a bold lemon garlic herb butter made with Dijon, smoked paprika, and fresh parsley. It cooks in under 30 minutes and feels like a steakhouse meal at home.
Ingredients
6 tbsp grass-fed butter or ghee
6 fresh garlic cloves, minced
1 small lemon, zest and juice
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp freshly minced parsley
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise into thin cutlets
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp garlic powder
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste (for chicken)
Instructions
1. Melt the butter or ghee in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté while whisking for about 1 minute, until fragrant but not browned.
2. Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, onion powder, red pepper flakes, and Worcestershire sauce. Simmer for a couple of minutes, then remove from heat.
3. Transfer the mixture to a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth and emulsified. Stir in the minced parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper. This is your cowboy butter.
4. Slice chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create thin cutlets. Pat dry with paper towels, then season lightly with sea salt, black pepper, dried thyme, and garlic powder.
5. Drizzle a little over half of the cowboy butter over the chicken and rub to coat all sides. Keep the remaining cowboy butter separate for basting after cooking.
6. Preheat a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add the seasoned chicken and cook until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side, or until a thermometer reads 165°F.
7. Remove the skillet from heat and immediately baste the hot chicken with the reserved cowboy butter, spooning it over each piece so it melts and coats the surface.
8. Serve the Cowboy Butter Chicken hot, with extra sauce spooned over the top and your favorite sides.
Notes
Adjust red pepper flakes for more or less heat in the cowboy butter.
Cowboy butter can be made ahead and stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Serve with potatoes, rice, roasted vegetables, or a simple salad to soak up the extra butter sauce.
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Prep Time: PT10M
- Cook Time: PT20M
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast
