Cowboy Butter Lemon Bowtie Chicken (Printable)

Zesty butter-lemon chicken with bowtie pasta, garlic, Dijon and fresh herbs for a lively weeknight meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein & Pasta

01 - 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 12 oz bowtie pasta (farfalle)

→ Cowboy Butter Sauce

03 - 7 tbsp unsalted butter
04 - 5 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
06 - Zest of 1 lemon
07 - 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
08 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
09 - 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
10 - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
11 - 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
12 - 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
13 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Optional Additions

14 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
15 - Lemon wedges, for serving

# How-to Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add bowtie pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, pat chicken pieces dry and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper on all sides.
03 - Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned chicken in a single layer and sauté until golden brown and cooked through, approximately 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining butter to the skillet. Once melted, stir in the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. Whisk until the sauce is smooth and well combined.
05 - Return the seared chicken to the skillet. Add chopped parsley, chives, and thyme. Toss to coat every piece evenly in the herb butter sauce.
06 - Add the drained bowtie pasta to the skillet. Toss everything together over medium heat until the pasta is thoroughly coated and heated through. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese if desired.
07 - Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh herbs and lemon wedges alongside.

# Expert Pointers:

01 -
  • The cowboy butter sauce comes together in the same pan you cook the chicken in, so every bit of flavor stays right where it belongs.
  • Bowtie pasta catches the herby butter in its little folds, making every bite surprisingly rich without any heavy cream.
  • It genuinely takes forty minutes from cutting board to plate, which means weeknights do not have to mean boring.
02 -
  • Do not walk away from the garlic in the butter because it can cross from fragrant to bitter in about thirty seconds of inattention.
  • Cooking the chicken in two batches if your skillet is crowded makes the difference between a good sear and a steamed mess.
  • The sauce will look like a lot of butter at first but the pasta absorbs much of it as it sits, so trust the process and resist adding cream.
03 -
  • Use a microplane to zest the lemon directly over the pan so the essential oils land in the sauce instead of staying on the cutting board.
  • Let the chicken rest for two minutes off the heat before adding it back, which locks in juices that otherwise run out into the butter and dilute the flavor.

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