Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

5 from 7 votes
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Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta is an easy dish that involves pasta tossed in an insanely good garlic butter sauce served with seared juicy chicken breasts. This recipe only takes 20 minutes to make and it’s perfect for weeknights or special occasions like date nights or Mother’s Day.

Garlic butter pasta and cooked chicken breasts in a bowl.

For a garlicky, buttery, pasta dish cooked to the right texture, make this Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta. The pasta and chicken are both loaded with flavor! Serve it alongside some Sautéed Vegetables, Italian Chopped Salad, or Lettuce Salad.

If you love easy family friendly pasta recipes, also check out this Quick Chicken Noodle Soup, Steak and Pasta, Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta, and One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta.

Butter Garlic Pasta With Chicken

One of the easiest and most flavorful ways to make pasta is to cook the pasta, drain it, and toss it in a garlic and butter sauce. Add some Thin Sliced Chicken Breasts or Pan Seared Chicken Tenders for some good protein. It is simple but mind-blowing delicious, and it just works!

A skillet of garlic butter spaghetti topped with chicken.

This recipe pleases both the young and old. I was thrilled to see my dad clear his plate when I served him this. And my kids absolutely loved it too! My hubby asked for seconds (and he’s not even a pasta lover!).

So if you would love a family-friendly pasta recipe that you can make over and over again, save this Butter Garlic Pasta With Chicken recipe and come back to it again and again!

Garlic Butter Pasta in a pasta bowl.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Say goodbye to boring lackluster pasta! This Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta is the recipe you need when you want to satisfy your taste palette with pasta cooked just right and loaded with flavor. You’ll love this recipe for several reasons including:

  • Its ease: Life is hard enough, cooking time doesn’t have to be. This recipe is easy and it can be executed in less than 30 minutes.
  • Its flavor profile: Garlic lightly toasted in butter, some salt and freshly cracked black pepper, good quality parmesan cheese and more take the flavor profile of this pasta to the next nevel. It is not bland one bit!
  • Its adaptability: This recipe can be adapted to suit your needs. Use any pasta you like or have on hand, add other kinds of seasoning you like, and it can even be made low carb by swapping the pasta for zucchini noodles!

Ingredients

Simple ingredients, extraordinary dish. Here is everything you need for garlic butter chicken pasta:

Pasta, chicken, and other ingredients with labels on them.
  • Chicken: I used thin sliced or butterflied chicken breasts but you could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
  • Pasta: Spaghetti, Linguine, or any pasta you have on hand would work. Whip out that fancy pasta and use it!
  • Butter: Please use good quality butter if you can. That really makes a difference in the taste of the finished dish. I love using Kerrygold butter in meals like this where butter is a main ingredient.

For the full list of ingredients with measurements, check out the recipe card below.

How To Make Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

Here is how to make garlic butter chicken pasta in 4 easy steps!

  1. Boil pasta to be al dente and strain.
Cooked and strained spaghetti in a colander.

2. Season chicken and pan sear.

Seasoned thinly sliced chicken breasts.
Pan seared chicken breasts in a skillet.

3. Saute garlic and other aromatics in melted butter.

Butter melting in a cast iron skillet.
Melted butter with garlic.

4. Add pasta, pasta water as needed, parmesan cheese, and toss.

Spaghetti in cast iron pan with garlic sauce.
Tossed spaghetti in garlic butter sauce.

To cook the pasta to be al dente, cook it for less than one minute than the cooking time recommended on the package. Then taste the pasta. It should be cooked but have a firm bite to it.

Variations

Here are ways you can vary this Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta:

  • Different protein: Consider using Pan Grilled Salmon or Pan Seared Shrimp instead of chicken.
  • Make it creamy: Add heavy cream to the garlic butter sauce and let it simmer before adding the pasta to make creamy garlic butter chicken pasta.
  • Different seasoning: Consider adding seasoning blends like Italian seasoning or Cajun seasoning. Or add herbs like oregano and basil.

Check out these recipes for Lemon Garlic Butter Pasta and Cajun Pasta With Salmon.

Garlic butter chicken pasta in pasta bowl.

Expert Tips For Garlic Butter Pasta

  • Cook the pasta in salted water in a large pot. A large pot gives the pasta enough room to cook.
  • Be sure to reserve a cup of pasta water before draining the pasta. The pasta water helps to deglaze the pan when when making the garlic butter sauce. It also adds just enough moisture to prevent the finished dish from being dry.
  • When sauteeing the garlic in the butter be careful not to burn the garlic. Saute the garlic on medium to medium low heat and keep an eye on it.
  • Use a tong to easilyy coat the pasta with the sauce.
  • Be sure to taste as you cook to ensure the best flavor. Don’t just assume the pasta tastes good, taste it then adjust the seasoning as needed.
  • Follow the recipe below to the letter first then you can subsequently make changes if you will. But first master the recipe first as a base.

For a one-pot pasta recipe, check out this family-friendly One Pot Creamy Chicken Pasta.

Recipe FAQs

Can you use garlic powder instead of garlic for pasta.

You can use garlic powder in place of fresh garlic. Use less garlic powder as it has a more concentrated flavor.

Should you rinse pasta?

It is not necessary to rinse pasta after cooking. Just strain and the pasta is ready for use.

What goes best with pasta?

Pasta pairs well with many dishes including salads, sauteed or steamed vegetables, bread rolls, and and various kinds of protein like chicken, fish, or beef.

More Pasta Dinner Recipes

If you love this recipe for Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta, also check out these easy pasta recipes:

If you make this recipe please leave a star rating below. Your rating helps others find the recipe plus I love hearing from you! Thank you!

Garlic butter pasta and chicken breast in a bowl.

Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

5 from 7 votes
This Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta is family-friendly, loaded with flavor and so easy to make. When you make a recipe your whole family loves, then you know it is one for the books. Just add a green salad and you have a complete dinner!
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Total: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients  

For The Chicken

  • 1 pound thinly sliced chicken breasts about 2 medium breasts cut horizontally in half
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • ½ teaspoon thyme
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil

For The Pasta and Garlic Butter Sauce

  • 16 ounces spaghetti
  • 5 Tablespoons butter
  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
  • ½ teaspoon crushed pepper flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • cup freshly grated parmesan, plus more for serving
  • Salt as needed
  • Fresh minced parsley for garnish optional

Instructions 

Pasta

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions until al dente (done but with a firm bite). It takes about 8 minutes to cook to be al dente. Remove one cup of the pasta cooking water and set aside for later use, then use a colander to drain the pasta over a sink.

Chicken

  • Bring the chicken to room temperature for about an hour before cooking. This will promote even cooking.
  • Pat dry the thinly sliced chicken breasts with paper towels. Season both sides of the chicken with the salt, black pepper, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, thyme and paprika. Drizzle and rub one tablespoon of the olive oil on both sides of each chicken slice.
  • Place a large skillet on medium-high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 3 minutes per side, or until it registers an internal temperature of 165℉ on an instant-read meat thermometer.
  • Transfer the chicken from the pan to a large plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep it warm.

Garlic Butter Pasta

  • Add the butter to the same skillet in which the chicken was cooked on medium heat and let it melt. Add the minced garlic and crushed pepper flakes and stir for 30 seconds. Do not burn the garlic. Add the black pepper and half of the reserved pasta water. Stir well and bring to a light simmer.
  • Add the cooked spaghetti and toss well to combine with the garlic butter sauce. Add the shredded parmesan and toss well to ensure that it is evenly distributed in the pasta. Add more water if it needs some thinning out. Also, taste and add salt as needed.
  • Slice the chicken and serve over the spaghetti, topped with more shredded parmesan, and garnished with fresh minced parsley if desired.

Notes

1. Thinly sliced chicken breasts are sold in grocery stores and they are ideal for this recipe as it is easier to cook and serve. If you can’t find precut chicken breasts, get regular boneless chicken breasts and cut them in half.
2. Omit the crushed pepper flakes if you do not want the pasta to be spicy.
3. Consider adding seasoning blends like Italian seasoning or Cajun seasoning. Or add herbs like oregano and basil.

Nutrition

Calories: 565kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 546mg | Potassium: 494mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 542IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 164mg | Iron: 2mg

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Western
Calories: 565
Tried this recipe?Mention @preciouscore or tag #PreciousCore!

About Precious

Welcome to my core! I am Precious Nkeih, the recipe developer and writer right here on my blog, Precious Core. My goal is to show you insanely delicious recipes you can replicate in your kitchen. And I love to tell stories too. Hope you find recipes here that will make cooking easier for you! Check me out on YouTube at YouTube.com/PreciousKitchen.


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16 Comments

  1. This was delicious. My picky boyfriend even like it! I made it with gluten free noodles . Put the recipe in my dinner ideas notebook! Thanks for the recipe

  2. My kids are super picky but this was a HUGE hit with them! They werenโ€™t a fan of the sauce, but they said the chicken was the best chicken Iโ€™ve ever made! Definitely keeping this recipe for future!

  3. My husband and I loved this one! Easy to prep and really flavorful. We already added it it to our meal rotation!

  4. My family really enjoyed this tonight for dinnerโ€ฆand I had all I needed so there wasnโ€™t even a trip to the grocery store for meโ€ฆbonus!! I will definitely be making this again

  5. This was sooo good! I loved the seasonings on the chicken and the “sauce for the noodles was so easy! I was a bit skeptical at first when reading the recipe, but the butter and pasta water made it come together. this gets a ” yes” in my recipe book.