Cowboy Butter Lemon Bowtie Chicken (Printable)

Bowtie pasta and chicken in lemony cowboy butter with garlic, fresh herbs, and smoked paprika—weeknight crowd-pleaser.

# 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

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the bowtie pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Drain thoroughly and set aside.
02 - While the pasta cooks, season the bite-sized chicken pieces generously with salt and 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 the chicken to a plate and set aside.
04 - Reduce the 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 the lemon juice, lemon zest, Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir until the sauce is well combined and smooth.
05 - Return the seared chicken to the skillet. Add the chopped parsley, chives, and thyme. Toss to coat the chicken evenly in the cowboy butter sauce.
06 - Add the drained bowtie pasta to the skillet and toss everything together until the pasta is thoroughly coated. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan if desired.
07 - Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper as needed. Transfer to serving plates and garnish with extra fresh herbs and lemon wedges. Serve immediately.

# Helpful Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in the same pan you cook the chicken in, so cleanup is almost embarrassingly easy.
  • That smoked paprika and Dijon combo makes people think you spent way longer than forty minutes on dinner.
  • It reheats beautifully for lunch the next day, if you even have leftovers.
02 -
  • Do not walk away from the garlic step, because thirty seconds of distraction turns fragrant into bitter and the whole sauce suffers.
  • Reserving a quarter cup of pasta water before draining gives you a safety net if the sauce seems too thick when you toss everything.
03 -
  • Let the chicken sit undisturbed for the first three minutes in the pan, because that patience is what builds the crust that holds onto the sauce.
  • Warm your serving bowls in a low oven while you cook so the pasta stays saucy and luscious from kitchen to table.

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