Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta (Flavorful Linguine Recipe)
Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta is a bold, buttery linguine recipe with juicy chicken, garlic, lemon, Dijon, and herbs—all tossed together in under 30 minutes. It’s creamy, zesty, and full of Southern-inspired flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Scale
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, sliced
12 oz linguine
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4–1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped chives
1/2 cup reserved pasta water
Optional: grated parmesan
Instructions
- Cook linguine in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- Heat oil in skillet. Sear chicken 4–5 mins per side until cooked. Remove and set aside.
- In same skillet, melt butter. Add garlic, mustard, lemon zest and juice, paprika, and red pepper flakes. Sauté 1–2 mins.
- Return chicken and pasta to pan. Toss to coat, adding pasta water as needed.
- Stir in herbs and parmesan if using. Adjust seasoning.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Add sautéed spinach or cherry tomatoes for extra veggies. Use shrimp or sausage as a protein swap.