One-Pan Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken

This Garlic Butter Chicken is a fast, 15-minute dinner ideal for busy weeknights or meal prep. Bite-size chicken cooks in butter and garlic, and a small sprinkle of baking soda helps the meat stay tender and brown beautifully.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This recipe is my reliable go-to when I need a quick, flavorful meal. It comes together in about 15 minutes, makes a great leftover for lunches, and scales easily for meal prep. The sauce is a simple, buttery garlic coating that pairs well with rice, pasta, potatoes, or roasted vegetables. Because the chicken is cut into bite-size pieces, it browns quickly and soaks up the garlic butter sauce for maximum flavor.

One technique that makes a big difference: a tiny pinch of baking soda sprinkled on the chicken while it cooks. It raises the surface pH, helping the meat retain moisture and encouraging faster browning. The result is juicy, tender chicken with a beautiful golden color.

Ingredients

• Chicken breasts — sliced into cutlets or bite-size pieces (about 1½ lbs)
• Unsalted butter — 4 tablespoons, divided
• Olive oil — 1 tablespoon (or grapeseed oil)
• Garlic — 4 cloves, minced or sliced
• Baking soda — 1/8 teaspoon (a small pinch to tenderize)
• Paprika — 1/4 teaspoon for color and mild flavor
• Chicken stock — 1/4 cup to deglaze and form the sauce
• Salt and black pepper to taste

How to make garlic butter chicken

• Cut chicken into cutlets or bite-size pieces. Season evenly with salt, pepper, and paprika.
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of oil. When the butter melts and the pan is hot, add the chicken in a single layer.
• Cook the chicken on one side for 3–4 minutes until it starts to brown. Flip or stir, then sprinkle the baking soda over the pieces. Stir to distribute; you may notice a slight foaming — this is normal.
• Continue cooking until the chicken is nicely browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.
• Reduce heat slightly, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the garlic to the skillet. Cook the garlic until golden and fragrant — be careful not to burn it.
• Pour in the chicken stock and use a spatula to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Those bits add deep flavor to the sauce. Stir in the last tablespoon of butter until melted, then return the chicken to the skillet.
• Toss or stir so every piece is coated in the garlic butter sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve hot.

Why add baking soda to chicken?

Baking soda briefly increases the surface pH of the meat, which helps proteins hold onto moisture during cooking. That means less juice lost and more tender results. It also encourages quicker browning, giving you more flavor in less time. Use only a very small amount — about 1/8 teaspoon for the quantities in this recipe — and distribute it evenly while the chicken is cooking.

What to serve with garlic butter chicken

This chicken is versatile and pairs with many sides. Try it with steamed or roasted vegetables, mashed or roasted potatoes, plain or flavored rice, pasta tossed with a little olive oil, or a simple green salad. For a quick vegetable side, slice zucchini, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and a pinch of paprika and Italian seasoning, then roast or air fry until tender.

Recipe FAQs

Recipe at a glance

• Prep time: 10 mins
• Cook time: 15 mins
• Total time: 25 mins
• Servings: 4
• Calories (approx.): 330 kcal per serving

Notes

• Nutrition values are estimates and will vary by ingredient brands and portion sizes. Use your preferred calorie tracker for precise info.
• Baking soda should be used sparingly — only a small pinch — to avoid any soapy taste. When used correctly, it significantly improves tenderness.
• If reheating in a pan, add a splash of chicken stock or water to revive the sauce and keep the chicken moist.

If you try this Garlic Butter Chicken, please leave a comment and let me know how it turned out. Enjoy!

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