Garlic Butter Chicken (Printable Version)
Golden pan-seared chicken in a rich garlic butter sauce with fresh herbs and lemon
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lbs)
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
04 - ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
→ Garlic Butter Sauce
05 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - 6 cloves garlic, minced
08 - ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
10 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
→ Garnish
12 - Lemon wedges
13 - Extra chopped parsley
# How to Make It:
01 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika, pressing seasoning into meat.
02 - Heat 2 tablespoons butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter foams. Add chicken breasts and cook 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to plate and cover loosely with foil.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining butter to skillet. Stir in minced garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
04 - Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan. Stir in Italian seasoning and simmer 2-3 minutes until slightly reduced.
05 - Return chicken to skillet, spooning sauce over breasts. Sprinkle with fresh parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges on the side.
# Expert Insights:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like it simmered all day
- Perfect for those nights when you want something impressive but absolutely no fuss
02 -
- Crowding the pan will steam your chicken instead of searing it, work in batches if your skillet is small
- Let your chicken rest for a few minutes before cutting into it, otherwise all those juices will end up on your cutting board instead of in your meat
03 -
- Use room temperature chicken for more even cooking, take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before you start cooking
- Warm your plates in the oven while the chicken rests so your sauce stays silky and perfect