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Creamy Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine pasta dish in a white bowl, garnished with fresh parsley.

Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine

A creamy, spicy, and savory pasta dish featuring tender chicken in a rich cowboy butter sauce, tossed with linguine for a hearty meal.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Course: main
Cuisine: American
Calories: 1200
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts chicken breasts cubed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp onion powder
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
  • to taste Salt and black pepper
  • 8 oz linguine
  • Salted water for boiling
  • ¼ cup reserved pasta water
  • ½ cup unsalted butter softened
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ¼ cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Method
 

  1. Cook the Pasta: Bring salted water to a boil, cook linguine according to package instructions until al dente, reserve ¼ cup pasta water before draining.
  2. Season and Sear the Chicken: Season chicken cubes with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Sear in olive oil and butter until golden brown, set aside.
  3. Make the Cowboy Butter Sauce: In the same pan, add softened butter, minced garlic, chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Stir until smooth and slightly thickened.
  4. Bring It All Together: Add the cooked linguine to the sauce, tossing to coat. Add reserved pasta water if needed for consistency, then stir in chopped parsley and red pepper flakes.
  5. Finish and Serve: Combine the seared chicken with the pasta and sauce. Serve immediately, garnished with extra parsley if desired.

Notes

Adjust the heat level by adding more or less cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes to suit your taste.