Some nights I don’t even look at the clock until my husband asks what’s for dinner, and by then I’ve got about twenty minutes to make it happen. This garlic butter chicken has saved more than a few of those evenings. It’s just chicken breasts, seared until golden, then tossed in a garlicky butter sauce with a splash of wine. Nothing complicated about it, and it comes together in one skillet, which means less to scrub later.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Why You’ll Love This Dinner
This one earns its spot in the regular rotation because it’s fast without tasting rushed. The chicken gets a nice golden crust, and that garlic butter sauce at the end pulls everything together in a way that feels a lot fancier than the effort it takes.
It’s also forgiving. If you don’t have wine on hand, chicken broth works just fine. And since it’s just chicken, butter, and garlic at its core, you’re probably not making a special grocery trip for this one. I like that it holds up well as leftovers too, which isn’t always true with chicken breast.
If you’re a fan of garlic-forward dinners, this one sits nicely alongside my garlic butter baked chicken breast, just with a stovetop twist instead of the oven.
Ingredients
You’ll need chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness, olive oil, a poultry seasoning blend, salt and pepper, white wine or chicken broth, unsalted butter, fresh garlic, and parsley if you want a bit of color on top. Freshly minced garlic makes a noticeable difference here since the sauce is so simple, there’s nowhere for flavor to hide.
If salted butter is what you’ve got, that’s fine too. Just go a little easier on the added salt.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Start by pounding your chicken breasts to an even thickness. This matters more than it seems like it should, since chicken breasts are naturally thicker on one side, and an uneven piece cooks unevenly.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season it right in the pan with the poultry seasoning, salt, and pepper, and let it sear for about 5 minutes. The key here is to leave it alone. Don’t poke it, don’t peek under it, just let it sit. After 5 minutes, flip it over. It should look golden, not pale, on that first side.
Cook the second side for another 5 minutes or so, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Chicken is safely cooked at 165°F, so a meat thermometer takes the guesswork out if you’re not sure. Once it’s done, move it to a plate to rest.
Now for the fun part. Pour the wine (or broth) into the same skillet to deglaze it. It’ll bubble up fast and let off some steam, so stand back a little. Scrape up those browned bits from the bottom of the pan as it bubbles. That’s where a lot of the flavor is hiding.
Add the butter and let it melt, stirring so it doesn’t scorch. Then stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute, just until it smells fragrant. Garlic can go from fragrant to bitter fast, so keep an eye on it.
Turn the heat off, slide the chicken back into the skillet, and spoon that garlic butter sauce over the top. Garnish with parsley if you like, and it’s ready to eat.
What to Serve With It
Rice soaks up that garlic butter sauce nicely, and my Spanish chicken and rice shares a similar cozy, garlicky flavor if you’re in the mood for something in the same family. Mashed potatoes work well too, or if you’d rather keep potatoes as the main event alongside chicken, my garlic parmesan chicken and potatoes is worth a look for another night. A simple green salad or steamed broccoli rounds things out if you want something lighter.
Variations
Chicken thighs work here too if that’s what you have thawed, though they may need a slightly different cook time, so go by how they look rather than the clock. For smaller pieces that cook even faster, dice the chicken before searing. And if your family likes a little heat, a pinch of red pepper flakes stirred into the sauce goes a long way.
Storage
Leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, and you can freeze them for up to 4 months if you want to plan ahead. Reheat gently in the microwave in short bursts so the chicken doesn’t dry out. The sauce tends to thicken a bit once it’s chilled, so a small splash of broth when reheating loosens it back up.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I skip the wine? Yes, chicken broth is a fine substitute. The wine mostly adds depth to the sauce, and the alcohol cooks off anyway.
What kind of wine should I use? Any dry white wine you’d actually drink works, like a pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc. Skip anything labeled as cooking wine.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts? Yes, just keep in mind thighs can cook a little differently, so check for doneness rather than relying on the timer alone.
Do I need fresh garlic, or will jarred work? Jarred minced garlic works in a pinch, though fresh garlic gives the sauce a brighter flavor since it’s such a central ingredient here.
Why do I need to pound the chicken first? It helps the chicken cook evenly, since breasts are naturally thicker on one side than the other.
Can I add vegetables to the same skillet? You can, but it’ll slow down the cook time and this recipe is built to be quick. I’d steam or roast vegetables separately so everything finishes around the same time.
I hope this one makes a busy evening a little easier. It’s become one of those dinners I come back to when I want something that tastes like more effort than it actually takes.
Garlic Butter Chicken
Equipment
- Large skillet
- Slotted spatula
- Meat mallet
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to an even thickness (4 average-sized breasts)
- 1 to 2 teaspoons 21 Salute Seasoning or poultry seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth or as necessary
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter or more if you want extra sauce
- 1 tablespoon garlic finely minced; or to taste
- 2 teaspoons fresh parsley optional for garnishing
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the olive oil, pounded chicken, evenly season with 21 Salute (or your favorite poultry seasoning), salt, and pepper, and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Do not touch, move, or disturb the chicken while it is searing. After 5 minutes, flip the chicken over; it should have a medium golden color. For thicker or bigger chicken breasts, sear for 6-7 minutes.
- Allow the chicken to cook on the second side for about 5 minutes, or until done and cooked through. Again, do not disturb the chicken while it’s searing.
- Remove the chicken with a slotted spatula and place it on a plate to rest.
- Using caution, deglaze your skillet by adding the wine (or broth) and allow the liquid to bubble up and steam for a few seconds.
- Add the butter and allow it to melt, about 1 minute, stirring continuously until melted.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute, stirring continuously.
- Turn the heat off, add the chicken back into the skillet, flip it around in the garlic butter sauce, and spoon the sauce over the chicken.
- Optionally garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
