Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Creamy Parmesan Pasta

This recipe saved my butt on a Tuesday night about three years ago when I had no dinner plan, hungry kids, and random ingredients in the fridge. It’s since become our family’s most requested meal! Those juicy little bites of chicken swimming in garlic butter, paired with creamy, cheesy pasta… pure comfort food that comes together in about 30 minutes. My picky teenager even asks for seconds!

I’ve made this so many times I could probably cook it blindfolded. It’s my go-to when we have impromptu dinner guests or when I need something that’ll please everyone at the table. The best part? It looks and tastes like you spent way more time on it than you actually did.

What You’ll Need

For the Garlic Butter Chicken Bites:

• 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or thighs if you prefer darker meat)
• 4 tablespoons butter (use the real stuff, not margarine!)
• 6 cloves garlic, minced (yes, 6! Don’t skimp here)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ½ teaspoon paprika (smoked paprika works amazingly too)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional, but adds a nice kick)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Juice of half a lemon
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

For the Creamy Parmesan Pasta:

• 12 ounces pasta (I like fettuccine or penne, but use whatever’s in your pantry!)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups whole milk (2% works in a pinch, but whole makes it creamier)
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (please, for the love of pasta, grate it yourself!)
• ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg (my secret ingredient – trust me!)
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional, but adds nice color)

PIN IT

Let’s Get Cooking!

Prep Work First:

1. Cut your chicken into bite-sized pieces, about 1-inch cubes. Try to keep them roughly the same size so they cook evenly. Pat them dry with paper towels – this helps them get that nice golden sear instead of steaming.
2. Get all your ingredients measured and ready to go. This recipe moves pretty quick once you start cooking, so having everything prepped makes life easier. I learned this the hard way when I burned the garlic while frantically grating cheese!

For the Pasta:

3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt it generously – it should taste like sea water. This is your only chance to flavor the pasta itself!
4. Cook the pasta according to package directions for al dente. You want it slightly firm since it’ll continue cooking a bit in the sauce. Right before draining, scoop out about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water and set aside – this is liquid gold for your sauce!
5. Drain pasta but DON’T rinse it. The starch helps the sauce stick.

For the Chicken:

6. While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
7. Season your chicken pieces with the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and paprika. Toss them around to coat evenly.
8. Add the chicken to the hot skillet in a single layer. Don’t crowd the pan – work in batches if needed. Let it sit undisturbed for 2-3 minutes to get that gorgeous golden crust. Seriously, resist the urge to stir!
9. Flip the pieces and cook for another 2-3 minutes until cooked through and golden on all sides. The chicken should register 165°F on a meat thermometer.
10. Lower the heat to medium and add the 4 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Once it’s melted, add the minced garlic and red pepper flakes if using. Cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant – be careful not to burn the garlic or it’ll taste bitter!
11. Squeeze in the lemon juice and stir to combine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Those bits are FLAVOR!
12. Turn off the heat, sprinkle with half the parsley, and set aside while you make the pasta sauce.

For the Creamy Sauce:

13. In a separate saucepan or deep skillet, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat.
14. Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
15. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly for about 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste. It’ll look like a paste (that’s your roux!).
16. SLOWLY pour in the milk and cream, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Keep whisking until smooth.
17. Let the sauce simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until it starts to thicken. If it gets too thick, add a splash of that reserved pasta water.
18. Remove from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan until melted and smooth. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.
19. Add the drained pasta directly to the sauce and toss until well coated. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little more pasta water, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.

Bringing It All Together:

20. You have two options here: either plate the pasta and top with the chicken, or fold the chicken bites directly into the pasta. I usually do the former for “fancy” presentation, but mixing it all together distributes the garlic butter throughout the pasta, which is pretty amazing too.
21. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley, and if you’re feeling indulgent, add a little more freshly grated Parmesan on top.

Pro Tips From My Kitchen Disasters

• Don’t overcook the chicken! Nothing’s sadder than dry, rubbery chicken. If you’re unsure, cut a piece open – it should be just opaque in the center.
• The sauce thickens as it cools, so make it slightly thinner than you think you want.
• If your sauce breaks or gets grainy, lower the heat immediately and whisk in a splash of cold cream. Works like magic to bring it back together.
• Real, freshly grated Parmesan is non-negotiable for the sauce. That pre-grated stuff has anti-caking agents that will make your sauce grainy. I learned this the hard way when I tried to cut corners once (never again!).
• If you forget to reserve pasta water (happens to the best of us), you can use regular warm water with a pinch of salt in a pinch. Not ideal, but it’ll work.

Serving Suggestions

This is pretty much a complete meal on its own, but I usually serve it with:

• A simple green salad with lemon vinaigrette to cut through the richness
• Garlic bread (yes, more garlic – we’re committed at this point!)
• Steamed broccoli or asparagus if I’m feeling virtuous

For date night, we sometimes open a bottle of crisp white wine – a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc pairs beautifully.

Make It Your Own

Over the years, I’ve played around with this recipe quite a bit. Here are some of my favorite variations:

Veggie Boost: Throw in some halved cherry tomatoes, spinach, or sautéed mushrooms right at the end. The heat from the pasta will wilt the spinach perfectly.

Spicy Version: Double the red pepper flakes and add a dash of cayenne to the chicken seasoning. My husband loves it this way!

Lemon Lover’s: Add lemon zest to both the chicken and the pasta sauce, and an extra squeeze of juice at the end.

Bacon Everything: Cook some chopped bacon first, then use the bacon fat instead of olive oil to cook the chicken. Crumble the bacon on top at the end. Because bacon makes everything better.

Herb Garden: Add fresh basil, thyme, or oregano along with the parsley. In summer when my herb garden is going crazy, I use whatever’s available.

Make-Ahead and Storage Tips

This recipe is best fresh, but here’s how to deal with leftovers or prep ahead:

• The chicken can be cut and seasoned up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge.
• Leftover completed dish will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. The sauce will thicken considerably, so when reheating, add a splash of milk or cream to loosen it up.
• To reheat, I prefer using a skillet over low heat rather than the microwave – it keeps the chicken more tender.
• This doesn’t freeze well once assembled (cream sauces tend to separate), but you can freeze the cooked chicken bites alone for up to 3 months.

Troubleshooting SOS

“Help! My sauce is lumpy!” Take it off the heat and whisk like your life depends on it. If that doesn’t work, strain it through a fine mesh sieve and start the sauce over, being extra careful when adding the milk.

“My chicken is sticking to the pan!” Your pan probably wasn’t hot enough before adding the chicken, or you tried to flip it too soon. The chicken will naturally release when it’s formed a proper crust.

“The sauce is way too thick!” No problem! Just thin it with more milk, cream, or pasta water, a little at a time.

“The sauce is too thin and runny!” Let it simmer a bit longer to reduce, or make a quick slurry with 1 teaspoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water. Stir this in and let it simmer for a minute to thicken.

“Can I make this healthier?” Sure! Use chicken breast, substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream, and use a bit less butter. It won’t be quite as rich, but still delicious.

PIN IT

Why I Love This Dish

This has become more than just a recipe in our house – it’s the meal I make when someone’s had a rough day and needs comfort food, when we’re celebrating good news, or when we have friends over who we really like (you know, the ones you actually make an effort for!).

My kids have started requesting it for birthday dinners, and my husband says the smell of garlic butter chicken cooking immediately improves his mood after a long workday. There’s something about the combination of tender chicken, garlic butter, and creamy pasta that just feels like a hug on a plate.

Plus, it’s one of those rare unicorn recipes that’s impressive enough for company but easy enough for a weeknight. Winner winner, chicken dinner – literally!

Print