This garlic butter chicken pasta combines rich butter and roasted garlic flavors in a savory sauce poured over browned chicken and your favorite pasta. It’s an easy, restaurant-quality dinner made from everyday ingredients.
Quick to prepare and full of flavor, this dish features tender chicken seared at high heat, then finished with a silky garlic-butter sauce. It pairs nicely with simple sides like sautéed broccoli, carrot-rasin salad, creamed peas, or a cucumber salad.
To keep the chicken juicy, sear the breasts in a very hot pan until golden on each side, then lower the heat before adding the garlic and butter. Lightly browning the garlic releases a roasted, aromatic flavor—just watch carefully to avoid burning it. The sauce comes together with a touch of flour, milk, and a splash of water and lemon, creating a luscious, pourable finish for the chicken and pasta.
I used linguini, but spaghetti, angel hair, penne, rotini, or macaroni all work well—choose whatever you prefer.
What You’ll Need
¼ cup butter
1 tablespoon oil
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
3 tablespoons garlic, minced (about 6 large cloves)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
8 ounces uncooked pasta (linguini or pasta of choice)
½ teaspoon lemon juice
¼ cup water
½ cup milk
How to Make
1. Preheat a Dutch oven or heavy skillet over medium heat (about 5–6) for 5 minutes. Add the butter and oil.
2. Add the chicken breasts and sear in the hot pan for 5–8 minutes on the first side until well browned. Flip and sear the second side for 5–8 minutes until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate.
3. Reduce heat to low–medium (3–4). Add minced garlic and oregano to the pan and cook 5–8 minutes, stirring, until the garlic is lightly browned and fragrant. Be careful not to burn it.
4. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions and drain.
5. Turn heat to low (1–2). Whisk in the flour, then add the water, milk, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Stir or whisk in the pan for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes smooth.
6. Return the chicken to the pan or slice and serve the chicken with the sauce poured over it alongside or on top of the cooked pasta.
Tips
Use a mix of oil and butter when searing at high heat: the oil raises the smoke point and reduces burning while the butter adds flavor. Keep the garlic on lower heat once you add it; properly browned garlic should be golden and aromatic, not bitter or blackened.
Other Chicken Recipes to Love
Chicken Divan (slow cooker)
Panda Express–style Mushroom Chicken
Chicken Tater Tot Casserole
📋 Recipe
Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta (browned & full of flavor)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound)
- 3 tablespoons minced garlic (about 6 large cloves)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup water
- ½ cup milk
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 8 ounces pasta of choice (linguini recommended)
Instructions
- Preheat a Dutch oven or heavy skillet over medium heat (5–6) for 5 minutes. Add butter and oil.
- Sear the chicken in the hot pan for 5–8 minutes on the first side until browned. Turn and sear the second side 5–8 minutes. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Lower heat to low–medium (3–4). Add garlic and oregano and cook 5–8 minutes until garlic is lightly browned and fragrant.
- Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
- Reduce heat to low (1–2). Stir in flour, then add water, milk, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Whisk in the pan for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Serve the chicken with the sauce poured over it, alongside or on top of the cooked pasta.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 8 g |
Protein: 26 g |
Fat: 19 g |
Saturated Fat: 9 g |
Cholesterol: 106 mg |
Sodium: 835 mg |
Potassium: 670 mg |
Fiber: 1 g |
Sugar: 4 g
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