Chicken Cowboy Butter Pasta
This Chicken Cowboy Butter Pasta is a hearty, creamy comfort food feast everyone will love. Tender chunks of seasoned white meat chicken with a creamy, buttery, zesty sauce and al-dente noodles create a feast that’s easy to make and hard to stop eating.
We love chicken recipes, and pasta dishes are always classics. So, of course, it makes sense to combine them whenever possible!
Dishes like baked chicken broccoli alfredo, easy chicken tetrazzini, and slow cooker chicken mushroom stroganoff are always in our rotation, and now we’ve added another tasty addition to our lineup.
Our cowboy butter chicken pasta is rich and buttery, with tender chicken, and a bold sauce made with Dijon, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne. Pair it with homemade garlic breadsticks and Samoa brownies for a comfort food feast.
Table of contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Basic Ingredients: This recipe uses simple ingredients found in any kitchen or grocery store. There’s nothing fancy here.
- So Easy: This is a simple recipe that even beginners can make, and it’s ready in just 20 minutes!
- HUGE Flavor: The ingredients in this dish create a buttery, zesty, spicy flavor that explodes in every bite.
- Customizable: You can easily tweak this recipe to make it your own.
- Versatile: This is the perfect recipe for an easy dinner or potluck dish.
Key Ingredients
We’ve made this list to help you save time on your next trip to the grocery store. You can find the full amounts needed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken Tenderloins: Chicken tenderloins are meaty, tender, mild, and easy to cut into chunks.
- Butter and Heavy Cream: Butter and heavy cream give the dish a rich, creamy, buttery flavor and texture.
- Seasonings: A blend of paprika, cayenne pepper, and minced garlic adds plenty of bold flavor.
- Honey Dijon and Worcestershire Sauce: The blend creates a tangy, zesty, sweet, and salty flavor that works well with the other ingredients in the dish.
Variations
- Pasta: Any short, textured noodle will work in this recipe.
- Chicken: You can use chicken breasts or thighs. Cubed pork or beef also works well. Even shrimp can be used.
- Mild: Omit the cayenne and red pepper for a mild version of this recipe.
- Extra Spicy: Add diced jalapenos for even more heat and Tex-Mex flavor.
- Add Veggies: Try adding mixed veggies and/or mushrooms for more flavor and texture.
How to Make Chicken Cowboy Butter Pasta
This is a quick overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. You can find the full instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Boil the noodles to al dente, drain, and set aside. Then, saute the chicken in olive oil with paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Set the cooked chicken aside. Then add the remaining ingredients, except the heavy cream and lemon juice.
- Add the chicken and pasta and cook until evenly coated.
- Add the cream and lemon juice, stir, and serve topped with parsley.
Expert Tips
- Cook the noodles to al dente and no further. You don’t want them breaking apart when you stir them into the pasta.
- Cook the chicken in olive or vegetable oil. They have a higher smoke point and won’t develop a rancid flavor as you saute the chicken.
- Add the cream and lemon at the end to prevent curdling.
Chicken Cowboy Butter Pasta FAQs
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Cowboy butter pasta is a rich, creamy, zesty dish made with butter, cream, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and bold seasonings.
Chicken, beef, pork, or even seafood are all excellent protein options for this pasta. You can also add diced onions, mushrooms, or even frozen mixed veggies for more flavor.
Refrigerate this pasta for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Do not freeze.
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📖Recipe
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Chicken Cowboy Butter Pasta
Equipment
- large pot
- small bowl
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 16 ounces rotini pasta or any pasta shape
- 2 pounds chicken tenderloins
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 2-3 tablespoons garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon honey Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 cup diced onions
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large pot of water, add the noodles and begin cooking them until done. Drain and set aside. Chop the chicken up and add the a small bowl, add 1 tsp of paprika and just a little bit of salt and pepper for taste. Stir and add it a large pan over medium to high heat with a drizzle of
- Vegetable oil.
- Stir and cook around until cooked through and browned. Take the chicken out on a plate and set aside. On a medium to low heat, add the stick of butter, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, 1 tsp paprika, cayenne pepper, parsley, red pepper flakes and onion and stir around until everything is mixed together and melted.
- Add the cooked pasta into the sauce and chicken, stir to get everything completely coated in the sauce. Add the lemon juice and heavy cream and stir again. Top with extra parsley and serve!
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days
- You can use regular Dijon mustard.
- Use whatever pasta shape you’d like.
- You can use frozen diced onions to make it easier.
- Use scissors to cut the chicken into chunks super easily!
- The salt and pepper is optional.
Disclaimer
Any nutritional data I provide is an approximation and actual dietary information can vary based on ingredients and proportion sizes.
