Cowboy Butter Lemon Chicken (Printable)

Tender chicken and bowtie pasta coated in a zesty lemon cowboy butter sauce with garlic and fresh herbs.

# What You'll Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced

→ Pasta

02 - 10 oz bowtie (farfalle) pasta

→ Cowboy Butter Sauce

03 - 7 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
06 - 1 tsp hot sauce (e.g., Tabasco)
07 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
08 - 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped (optional)
09 - 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
10 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
12 - Zest and juice of 1 lemon
13 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Additional

14 - 2 tbsp olive oil
15 - 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the bowtie pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain through a colander and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken, season generously with salt and black pepper, and cook for 7–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
03 - Reduce the skillet heat to medium. Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and the butter. Once the butter has melted, stir in the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant and lightly golden.
04 - Stir in the Dijon mustard, hot sauce, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper flakes, chopped parsley, chives, and thyme leaves. Mix thoroughly until all the seasonings are evenly incorporated into the butter.
05 - Add the lemon zest and fresh lemon juice to the skillet, stirring well to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and black pepper as needed.
06 - Return the seared chicken to the skillet, then add the drained bowtie pasta. Toss everything together vigorously until the pasta and chicken are evenly coated in the cowboy butter lemon sauce.
07 - Sprinkle the grated Parmesan cheese over the top and toss once more to distribute. Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The cowboy butter sauce is one of those things that tastes like you spent hours, but it comes together in minutes with pantry staples.
  • Bowtie pasta catches the sauce in every little fold, so each bite is loaded with flavor.
02 -
  • Do not walk away from the garlic in the butter, 30 extra seconds turns fragrant into bitter and there is no coming back from that.
  • Reserve a splash of pasta water before draining, it can rescue a sauce that seems too thick or stubborn.
03 -
  • Let the chicken sit undisturbed in the skillet for the first 3 minutes, that is how you get the golden sear that locks in flavor.
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly over the pan so the essential oils land right into the sauce.

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