Garlic Butter Chicken Skillet
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This garlic butter chicken skillet is an everyday, 15-minute solution for those chicken breasts that always seem to be in the fridge. The spice mix featuring paprika and thyme is so, so good and magically goes with everything! It coats tender cutlets, which are then seared to create a beautiful golden crust and finished with an ultra-quick sauce of butter, garlic, and honey.
With the right method and seasoning, even the humble chicken breast can have amazing flavor and be a dinnertime star. What makes this simple skillet shine bright? It’s the combo of an extra-special spice mix plus the most delicious honey-butter sauce, which dresses up the chicken itself and conveniently seasons everything else on your plate.
Serve this for a casual weeknight meal when you’re short on time. It takes just 15-20 minutes, start to finish! I love it best with egg noodles or al dente orzo, plus either a quick steamed veggie—French beans are everyone’s favorite here—or fresh salad greens with balsamic vinaigrette.
Why You’ll Love This Garlic Butter Chicken
- Tackles those “what to make!?” evenings with a delicious yet low-effort main
- The rich pan sauce will truly have you swirling for every last drop
- Thin-sliced chicken cooks quickly and evenly—this is done in about 15 minutes
- Kid-friendly but not at all boring or basic
- Everyday ingredients and pantry staples
Ingredient Notes
Season, Sear, Sauce
This quick recipe can be broken down into three basic steps: season the chicken, sear it, then make the sauce.
The spice mixture for the chicken is so delicious, and I highly recommend trying it as-written. You can always adjust the balance of spices on subsequent rounds to make it more sweet, spicy, or smoky—notes for each are in the full recipe card below. Sprinkle the chicken with the spices on both sides.
Next, sear the chicken in a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat. Once browned on one side, flip and cook until done through.
To make the sauce, melt butter while the chicken is cooking, then stir in honey, garlic, Italian seasoning, and dried parsley.
After removing the chicken to a clean plate, add the butter mixture to the skillet and simmer to bring out all those great flavors.
Return chicken to the pan, spoon sauce on top, and reduce heat to low or medium-low until your sides are ready to go. Dinner is served!
Pro Tip
Get creative with any leftover chicken. This chicken has a lot of flavor and is extra popular in my house as a topping for lunch salads. We slice or dice any extra chicken breasts, store in the fridge, and eat cold over mixed greens and veggies—or warmed with any extra pasta or rice, of course. Sometimes I make an extra chicken breast or two on purpose because it’s so good!
More Easy Chicken Skillets
- Lemon Thyme Chicken with No Cream
- Chicken Marinara Pasta
- Oregano Chicken
- Creamy Balsamic Chicken with Spinach
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken
Garlic Butter Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika sweet or smoked
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
For the Sauce:
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
Instructions
- Slice each chicken breast lengthwise through the middle, so you have four thinner cutlets.2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Combine salt, paprika, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, and black pepper in a small bowl. Sprinkle this spice mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken.1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/4 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drizzle in the olive oil. When it starts to shimmer, add the chicken breasts and sear on one side for 2-3 minutes. Flip and saute until each piece is cooked through (165°F on an instant-read thermometer). Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- While the chicken is cooking, place the butter in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup and melt in the microwave. Stir in the garlic, honey, Italian seasoning, and parsley.2 Tablespoons butter, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- After removing the chicken to a plate, reduce heat to medium-low and pour the butter-garlic mixture into the skillet. Quickly scrape the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits, then return all chicken breasts to the pan together with any juices from the plate.
- Let the pan rest over medium-low heat for a couple of minutes, spooning a bit of sauce over each piece of chicken once or twice. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken Breasts: You can purchase these already thin-sliced to save time, if you like, or purchase regular chicken breasts and butterfly them yourself down the middle, cutting all the way through to make two breasts into four cutlets. For the most tender chicken, you also can lay each cutlet flat on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap, and pound a few times with the flat side of a meat mallet or a heavy-bottomed skillet.
- Spice Mixture: I recommend using this spice mixture the first time you try this recipe, and make yourself a few notes on whether you found it perfect, want it to be sweeter, smokier, spicier, etc. You can obviously keep it the same or add 1-2 teaspoons brown sugar (sweetier), use smoked paprika or more of it (smokier), or a pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes (more heat) the next time.
- Make-Ahead: Prepare chicken fully, ideally in a lidded skillet, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. When ready to serve, warm over low heat with the lid still on, frequently spooning a bit of the butter sauce over each chicken breast.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in a tightly-covered lid. They will keep for at least 3-4 days. Reheat as needed in the microwave on 50% power (to reduce odds of drying out) or in a small saucepan.
- Recipe: Adapted from Little Spice Jar.
