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Homemade Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe

Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta is a creamy, bold, restaurant-quality dinner made with tender seasoned chicken, rich buttery sauce, fresh lemon, garlic, and perfectly cooked pasta—all ready in just 30 minutes.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 700
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 500 g boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼ cup fresh parsley chopped
  • Juice of ½ lemon
  • 340 g linguine or fettuccine pasta
  • 2 teaspoons salt for pasta water

Method
 

  1. Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.
  2. Heat olive oil in a skillet and sear chicken until golden, then remove and set aside.
  3. Add butter and garlic to the skillet and sauté until fragrant.
  4. Pour in chicken broth and scrape up browned bits, then simmer.
  5. Stir in heavy cream and gradually add Parmesan cheese until smooth.
  6. Return chicken to the sauce and stir in lemon juice and parsley.
  7. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente and reserve pasta water.
  8. Add pasta to the sauce, tossing to coat and thinning with pasta water if needed.
  9. Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and parsley.

Notes

Use freshly grated Parmesan for best texture. Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency.