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Healthy Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta Recipe

Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta is a bold, creamy, and slightly spicy comfort food made with juicy chicken, garlic butter sauce, Parmesan cheese, and perfectly cooked pasta. Ready in just 25 minutes, this dish delivers restaurant-quality flavor for busy weeknights.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 740
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 12 oz fettuccine or pasta of choice

Method
 

  1. Season chicken with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook chicken until golden and cooked through.
  3. Remove chicken and set aside.
  4. In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté garlic until fragrant.
  5. Add chicken broth and simmer while scraping browned bits from the pan.
  6. Stir in heavy cream and simmer until slightly thickened.
  7. Add Parmesan cheese gradually, stirring until smooth.
  8. Return chicken to the skillet and stir in lemon juice and parsley.
  9. Cook pasta until al dente, drain, and add to the sauce.
  10. Toss everything together, adding pasta water if needed, and serve immediately.

Notes

Use freshly grated Parmesan for the smoothest sauce. Adjust cayenne pepper to control heat level.