Garlic Butter Chicken – Crunchy Creamy Sweet

This Garlic Butter Chicken is a quick, 15-minute dinner idea for busy weekdays or meal prep. Chicken is cut into bites, and cooked in butter with the addition of baking soda that tenderizes the meat and helps it brown perfectly!

Garlic butter chicken

It’s finally time to share with you my simple go-to chicken dish that can be served in many ways! You can prepare it the day before or make a bigger batch for meal prep for a work week. Use it as a main dish or serve with pasta, rice, salads, or roasted vegetables. The garlic butter sauce is bursting with flavor! My secret ingredient is using just a sprinkle of baking soda over cooking chicken to help the meat tenderize and brown nicely. I actually think it helps the chicken brown faster too!

Ingredients:

• chicken breasts: sliced into cutlets or bite-size pieces
• butter: unsalted is better for controlling salt levels
• oil: olive or grapeseed is recommended
• garlic: fresh, sliced, or minced
• baking soda: to tenderize the meat and help it brown nicely
• paprika: for flavor
• salt and pepper: to taste

How to make garlic butter chicken?

• Start by adding half of the butter along with oil to a skillet. Heat up to melt.
• Add chicken, season with salt, pepper, and paprika, and cook on one side.
• Add baking soda. It will foam up. Stir everything together. Cook until the chicken is nicely browned.
• Remove chicken onto a plate and set aside.
• Add garlic and more butter to the skillet.

• Cook until garlic is golden brown and fragrant. Add the last tablespoon of butter, stir in to melt, and return the chicken to the skillet.
• Stir to coat every piece of chicken with the sauce.
• Serve and enjoy!

Why add baking soda to chicken?

Baking soda raises the pH level on the surface of the meat. It tenderizes the meat so it stays juicy. You will notice that less liquid will escape the meat during cooking. It also speeds up the browning process. The result: juicy, tender meat with golden brown color and lots of flavor! The pan will have cooked on bits so don’t forget to deglaze it. Once you add butter and it melts, try to scrape every flavor bit from the pan so it stays in the dish.

Storing leftovers and reheating:

Any leftovers should be stored in a container with a lid, in the fridge, for up to 4 days. To reheat, use the microwave on the reheat setting or place the chicken in a pan, add a splash of chicken stock and cook until heated through.

What to serve with garlic butter?

This chicken dish can be served with so many different sides! Try potatoes, pasta, rice, steamed broccoli, roasted brussels sprouts, air fryer asparagus, and more. I sliced zucchini in half and then in 1/4″ thick disks, tossed them with olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, and Italian seasoning, and air fried for 8 minutes.

More delicious chicken dinners:

For more recipes like this one, feel free to browse our Dinner category.

If you like this recipe and make it, snap a photo and share it on INSTAGRAM! Tag me @crunchycreamysweet so I can check it out and leave a comment!

Garlic Butter Chicken

This Garlic Butter Chicken is a quick, 15-minute dinner idea for busy weekdays or meal prep. Chicken is cut into bites, and cooked in butter with the addition of baking soda that tenderizes the meat and helps it brown perfectly!

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 330 kcal

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• 1 ½ lbs chicken breasts
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

Instructions 

• Cut the chicken into cutlets or bite-size pieces. Season with salt, pepper and paprika.

• In a skillet, heat up 1 tablespoon of butter and olive oil.

• Add chicken and cook on one side for 3 to 4 minutes. Flip or stir and sprinkle baking soda on the meat. Stir everything together. Cook until the chicken is nicely browned.

• Remove chicken onto a plate and set aside.

• To the skillet, add garlic and 2 tablespoons of butter.

• Cook until garlic is golden brown and fragrant. Add the last tablespoon of butter, stir in to melt, and return the chicken to the skillet.

• Stir to coat every piece of chicken with the sauce.

• Serve.

Notes

• Any leftovers should be stored in a container with a lid, in the fridge, for up to 4 days.
• Baking soda raises the pH level on the surface of the meat. It tenderizes the meat so it stays juicy.
• Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use a calorie counter you are familiar with.

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 139mg | Sodium: 524mg | Potassium: 649mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 463IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

Keyword garlic butter chicken