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Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine

Cowboy butter chicken linguine with charred chicken strips and a bold herb-spiced cowboy butter sauce that coats every strand of linguine. Toss in a splash of reserved pasta water for a glossy finish with lemon zest, Dijon tang, and red pepper heat.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 740
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.25 Salt Use to taste.
  • 0.25 pepper Use to taste.
  • 1 Cajun seasoning Use to taste; adjust heat level.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
Linguine
  • 12 oz linguine Cooked; reserve 1 cup pasta water.
  • 1 cup pasta water Reserved from cooking the linguine.
Cowboy butter sauce
  • 6 tbsp butter For the cowboy butter sauce.
  • 4 garlic Cloves, minced.
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley Chopped.
  • 1 tbsp fresh chives Chopped.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Char the chicken
  1. Season the chicken strips with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and cook the chicken for 4-5 minutes, until charred and cooked through, then remove to a plate.
Build the cowboy butter sauce
  1. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring until fragrant.
  2. Stir in Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
  3. Add fresh lemon juice, parsley, and chives. Toss in the cooked linguine and add pasta water as needed until the sauce turns glossy and coats the noodles.
Finish and serve
  1. Top the linguine with the seared chicken strips. Serve immediately while hot and saucy.

Notes

For the glossiest cowboy butter sauce, add pasta water gradually (a splash at a time) until the coating clings to the linguine. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended since butter sauces can separate. For a lighter option, use olive-oil margarine or reduced-fat butter and chicken breast stays the same to keep it lower in saturated fat.