In 20 minutes you can have dinner on the table with this Skillet Garlic butter chicken recipe. Rich in flavors, while being super easy and quick to make this skillet chicken recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner. Add a few simple side dishes and dinner is done.

Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe

On our busy nights dinner time lately has been rough. I have been limited on time to cook and the kids are not fans of me tossing a frozen pizza in the oven. I have been working on making east healthy dinners that are done in about 20 minutes so I have enough time. This easy skillet chicken recipe takes all of 20 minutes from start to finish making it a perfect meal to make when you are short on time.

This easy chicken recipe is pan cooked in a skillet and the tasty butter garlic sauce is cooked with it. Once the garlic butter chicken is cooked, spoon they delicious sauce on top of the chicken when serving.

There are so many side dishes that pair with buttery garlic chicken as a main dish, that you can easily make this butter and garlic chicken to go with any veggies you have in the fridge to use up.

Easy Chicken Recipes

Skillet garlic butter chicken served over rice on a grey plate with a fork

Side Dishes to Serve with Garlic Butter Chicken

There are many side dishes to serve with Garlic Butter Chicken. I like to make recipes that have a short cook time for the sides since the main dish is quick and easy to make.

Veggies. Sauteed veggies or baked vegetables are a great options that you can make while the chicken cooks. Garlic Green beans, honey roasted carrots, lemon garlic asparagus and oven roasted broccoli, Parmesan Asparagus are all easy to prep and easy to make recipe that pair well.

Rice. Serve plain rice or add extra flavor by making a rice like garlic rice, garlic parmesan rice or baked rice. My whole family loves to pour the garlic butter sauce on top of the rice as well as the chicken.

Potatoes. Mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, smashed potatoes, and hassleback potatoes are all great side dishes for during the chilly months. If you are making this recipe during the warmer months, potato salad is a great option.

A plate with sliced seasoned chicken breast served on a bed of rice. A fork is placed beside the chicken. Fresh herbs are sprinkled on top.

Variations of this Recipe

Use chicken thighs. You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs, or boneless skinless chicken tenders when making this recipe.

Chicken Broth. You can use homemade or store-bought chicken broth. Bone broth will also work with this recipe. You can also use reduced sodium chicken broth with this recipe. You can also use white wine instead of chicken broth for this recipe.

Use jarred minced garlic. If you do not have fresh garlic you can use jarred minced garlic but I much prefer to use fresh garlic and have it chopped in larger pieces for this recipe.

Garlic butter chicken bites. If you want to have chicken bites, cut the chicken breast up into 1 inch pieces before cooking.

Use Ghee. If you have ghee on hand then you can use that in place of the butter. If you are using salted butter then you will want to omit the salt from this recipe.

Add more spices and herbs. I use garlic powder, thyme, salt and pepper for the seasoning but you can also add some onion powder, or fresh herbs including rosemary and parsley for additional flavor. Be sure to mix all of the spices and herbs together in a small bowl before coating the chicken with it.

A cast iron skillet containing three seasoned chicken breasts.

Tips for Making this Recipe

Do not move the chicken. When you first put the chicken into the skillet do not touch it. Let it cook for the first cook time undisturbed.

Deglaze the pan. Deglazing involves adding a liquid to a hot pan to loosen and dissolve the browned bits of food stuck to the bottom this is an important step in making the garlic butter sauce for the chicken.

How to Store Leftovers

Allow the chicken to cool down to room temperature. Place the chicken in a zip close bag or an airtight container and store in the fridge. This chicken recipe will keep for up to 3 days when stored in the fridge.

Garlic Butter Chicken Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can also use chicken thighs.
Seasonings and spices. You will need salt, black pepper, thyme and garlic powder.
Chicken broth. You can use store bought or homemade.
Unsalted butter. If you are using salted butter then omit the salt.
Garlic cloves. Fresh is best but you can use jarred.

How to Make Garlic Butter Chicken

Pound the chicken so it is all an even thickness.

In a mixing bowl add the salt, pepper, thyme and garlic powder and mix well.

Coat both sides of the chicken breasts with the spice mixture.

Three raw chicken breasts seasoned with spices are placed on a white cutting board. A glass bowl, a measuring spoon, and a salt shaker are also visible on the board.

Chop the garlic cloves and set aside.

Add a drizzle of olive oil, about 2 tablespoons to the skillet and turn the heat up to medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot add the seasoned chicken breasts and cook for 4 minutes on the first side without moving them.

Then flip the chicken breasts over and cook for 3-7 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the chicken is fully cooked.

A cast iron skillet containing three seasoned and cooked pork chops, surrounded by a bowl of rice, parsley, garlic bulbs, and a cloth on a marble surface.

After cooking your chicken in the skillet, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.

Keep the pan over medium-high heat. Leave the browned bits and drippings in the pan.

A wooden spoon stirring a dark brown sauce with minced garlic in a black skillet. A plate with cooked chicken breasts is partially visible in the background.

Add the chicken broth and the butter to the skillet. Use a rubber utensil, wooden spoon or spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan releasing the chicken bits off the bottom of the pan.

Once the butter has melted add in the chopped garlic cloves. Sautee for 1-2 minutes and then add the chicken breast back into the pan. Flip the chicken breasts over to cover the other side in the garlic butter sauce.

A cooked chicken breast covered in a brown sauce with seasoning and herbs, with a spoon placed on top of it, in a dark pan.

Serve the chicken by spooning the remaining garlic and butter sauce on top.

Recipe FAQ

Do I need to pound the chicken?

You can pound the chicken breasts so they are even thickness if you want to. I personally skip this when I have a really busy night and the chicken cooks just fine, so feel free to pick if you want to pound the chicken before cooking it.

Do I need to Deglaze the pan?

Yes. Deglazing involves adding a liquid, in this recipe chicken broth, to a hot pan to loosen and dissolve the browned bits of food stuck to the bottom. These bits are full of concentrated flavor and are a key component to the flavor in the sauce. The broth will sizzle and steam as it hits the hot pan and release the chicken bits that are stuck on the bottom of the pan.

What type of White Wine do I want to use?

If you are using white wine instead of chicken broth, any dry wine will work for this recipe You do not want to use a sweet wine, and cooking wines so not have a great flavor so use a white wine that you enjoy the flavor of.

Can I use chicken Thighs for this recipe?

Yes. You can use chicken thighs or chicken tenders for this recipe instead of chicken breasts.