garlic butter chicken
This garlic butter chicken recipe is a lifesaver for busy weeknights. It's easy to make in about 30 minutes and delivers restaurant-worthy flavor. It yields enough for 4 people with leftovers for lunch.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (around 1.5 lbs)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Chicken Boot Camp: First things first, pat those chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Treat them like they're about to enter a bodybuilding competition – nice and lean! Then, season them generously with salt and pepper. Don't be shy – we want bold flavor.
- Searing the Sear: Heat up your olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once it's nice and hot, add those seasoned chicken breasts and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. You're looking for a beautiful golden brown color – that's the mark of a perfectly cooked chicken. Once they're done, take them out of the pan and set them aside on a plate.
- Garlic Butter Glory: Now comes the fun part – the garlic butter sauce! Reduce the heat to medium and melt that butter in the same pan you used for the chicken. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until your kitchen is filled with that glorious garlicky aroma. Be careful not to burn the garlic; nobody likes bitter garlic.
- Flavor Explosion: Here's where the magic happens. Throw in the thyme, oregano, paprika, and black pepper. Let them cook for another 30 seconds to really release all their wonderful flavors.
- Deglazing for the Win: Pour in the chicken broth and use a spatula to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Those bits are like flavor gold, so don't let them go to waste! Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it cook for 2 minutes, or until it thickens up slightly.
- The Chicken Returns: Now, add those beautiful cooked chicken breasts back to the pan and spoon that luscious garlic butter sauce all over them. Let everything simmer together for another minute or two, just to let the flavors meld and become one.
- Presentation Time: Finally, the moment you've been waiting for! Plate that gorgeous garlic butter chicken, garnish it with some fresh parsley (because we love a pop of color!), and serve it with your favorite sides. Mashed potatoes, rice, roasted veggies – you name it, it'll be delicious.