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Garlic Butter Chicken Breast Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Garlic Butter Chicken Breast Recipe

I made this garlic butter chicken breast for dinner last week, and I'm still thinking about it. The sauce comes together with just a handful of ingredients, yet it tastes like something I'd order at a restaurant. I love that it goes from fridge to plate in about half an hour, no fancy skills required.
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Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 chicken breasts about 9oz/250g each, brought close to room temperature
  • 1/4 cup 40g plain/all-purpose flour – this creates a thin coating that helps the sauce cling to every bite
  • 1/2 cup 120ml chicken stock – forms the backbone of the sauce and lifts up all the tasty bits left in the pan
  • 6 tablespoons 90g unsalted butter, divided into small chunks – unsalted lets you control the saltiness yourself
  • 2 cloves garlic minced or finely diced – fresh cloves give a much bolder, sweeter flavor than the jarred stuff
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped – skip the dried version, since it won't infuse the sauce properly
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
  • 1 lemon cut into 4 wedges, for serving

Method
 

  1. Start by mixing the flour with garlic powder, salt, and black pepper in a shallow dish. This seasoned flour does double duty, adding flavor while also giving the sauce something to cling to later. Give it a quick stir so everything's evenly distributed before you start coating the chicken.
  2. Butterfly each chicken breast right through the center so you end up with four thinner, even-sized pieces. Thinner chicken cooks faster and more evenly, which matters a lot here. Press each piece into the flour mixture on both sides, then shake off any excess before setting it aside.
  3. Heat a tablespoon each of butter and olive oil in your pan over medium-high heat. Once it's hot, lay the chicken in and fry until golden on both sides and cooked through, roughly 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside while you build the sauce.
  4. Turn the heat down to medium and add your minced garlic to the same pan. Let it cook for a minute or two until fragrant, then pour in the chicken stock and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom. Those little bits are pure flavor, so don't skip this part.
  5. Add the remaining butter to the pan in small chunks, whisking constantly as it melts into the stock. This step, called emulsifying, is what turns the liquid into a silky, slightly thickened sauce rather than a greasy puddle. Keep whisking until everything looks smooth and glossy.
  6. Stir in the chopped parsley and season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Let it simmer gently for a few minutes so it thickens slightly and the flavors meld together. You'll notice the sauce clinging nicely to the back of a spoon when it's ready.
  7. Lower the heat and nestle the chicken back into the pan, spooning the sauce generously over each piece. Let it warm through for a minute, then serve immediately with a lemon wedge on the side. Don't let it sit too long in the pan or the chicken can overcook.

Notes

  • I always bring the chicken close to room temperature before cooking, since starting from cold makes it seize up and turn chewy.
  • I measure my butter carefully instead of eyeballing it, because heaping tablespoons can quickly make the sauce greasy instead of silky.
  • I whisk the butter in gradually rather than dumping it all in at once, which keeps the sauce from splitting.
  • I squeeze the lemon over my plated chicken rather than into the pan, since adding it directly to the sauce can cause it to break.
  • I like using a cast-iron skillet when I have one on hand, since it gives the chicken a beautiful golden sear.