Description
Cowboy Butter Chicken Bites are juicy, seared chicken pieces tossed in a spicy, buttery herb sauce. This skillet-ready recipe packs bold flavor with minimal effort—perfect as a weeknight dinner, game day appetizer, or protein-packed snack.
Ingredients
500g boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 garlic cloves minced
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Instructions
1. Dice the chicken into bite-sized, evenly sized cubes.
2. Toss chicken with olive oil, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper.
3. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and sear chicken in a single layer for 6–8 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Remove to a plate once cooked.
4. Lower heat and melt butter in the same skillet. Add garlic, red pepper flakes, cayenne, Dijon mustard, lemon juice and zest, and water. Whisk until smooth.
5. Return chicken to the skillet and toss in the cowboy butter sauce. Cook 1–2 minutes until well coated.
6. Garnish with chopped parsley and chives. Serve immediately with lemon wedges if desired.
Notes
For the juiciest result, chicken thighs are ideal, but breasts also work well.
Don’t skip whisking the sauce—it emulsifies the butter and mustard beautifully.
Reheat leftovers gently in a skillet to maintain flavor and texture.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizer, Dinner
- Method: Skillet
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 0.5g
- Sodium: 510mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 26g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
Keywords: cowboy butter, chicken bites, garlic butter chicken