Garlic Butter Chicken Bites (Print Version)

Juicy chicken bites in a savory garlic butter sauce, great for easy weeknight cooking or gatherings.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
02 - 0.5 teaspoon salt
03 - 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 0.5 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

06 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 5 cloves garlic, finely minced
08 - 0.25 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
09 - 0.25 cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
11 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

# Steps to Follow:

01 - Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Season evenly with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika.
02 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange chicken in a single layer and sear for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the skillet and melt completely. Stir in minced garlic and optional red pepper flakes, sautéing for 1 minute until aromatic.
04 - Pour in chicken broth and fresh lemon juice, scraping any browned bits from the pan. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes to meld flavors.
05 - Return the seared chicken to the skillet and toss to coat thoroughly in the garlic butter sauce. Heat through for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
06 - Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately alongside preferred accompaniments.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It comes together faster than takeout and tastes like you actually tried.
  • The sauce is ridiculously forgiving and somehow makes even regular chicken taste restaurant-quality.
  • You probably have everything already, buried in your fridge somewhere.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the chicken; wet chicken steams instead of searing, and that's the difference between restaurant-quality and regrettable.
  • That brown crusty stuff on the bottom of the pan after you remove the chicken isn't burnt—it's liquid gold, so scrape it all up into your sauce.
  • Overcrowding the skillet drops the temperature and makes everything stick together instead of developing that crispy exterior.
03 -
  • Cook the chicken in batches if your skillet is crowded; properly seared chicken is worth the extra two minutes.
  • Taste the sauce before serving and adjust lemon juice or salt at the very end—these two ingredients carry the whole thing and deserve a final check.
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