The viral cowboy butter trend finally meets pasta in a recipe that genuinely deserves the hype. This Cowboy Butter Lemon Bowtie Chicken with Broccoli takes that upgraded garlic butter—loaded with Dijon mustard, lemon, fresh herbs, and a hint of smokiness—and turns it into a pasta sauce that coats every bowtie, chicken chunk, and broccoli floret in glossy, flavorful goodness. The result is a one-pan dinner that tastes like effort but requires almost none.
What makes cowboy butter work so brilliantly as a pasta sauce is its balance. The Dijon adds tang and helps emulsify the butter, the lemon brings brightness that cuts through the richness, and the smoked paprika provides depth without overwhelming. Fresh herbs at the end add color and a burst of green flavor that ties the whole dish together. Unlike traditional cream-based pasta sauces, this one feels lighter while still delivering serious richness.
I reach for this recipe when I want something that feels special enough for company but easy enough for a Tuesday. The pasta and broccoli cook together in one pot, the chicken sears in one pan, and the cowboy butter comes together in that same pan in under two minutes. Everything gets tossed together at the end, creating a complete dinner in thirty-five minutes with minimal dishes to wash.
Why You’ll Love This Cowboy Butter Lemon Bowtie Chicken with Broccoli
Cooking the broccoli directly in the pasta water during the last three minutes saves time and keeps cleanup minimal. The broccoli comes out tender-crisp, perfectly cooked without requiring a separate steaming step or additional pot. This technique also means both components finish at the exact same moment.
The cowboy butter sauce is genuinely versatile and delicious enough to become a staple in your cooking beyond this recipe. The same sauce works on steak, shrimp, roasted vegetables, or spread on bread. Once you make it for this pasta, you’ll find yourself putting it on everything.
Bowtie pasta—farfalle—is the ideal shape here because the ridged surfaces and folded structure trap the butter sauce in every crevice. Each piece holds onto herbs, garlic, and that glossy butter coating, ensuring you get full flavor in every forkful. The shape also looks elegant on the plate without requiring any special effort.
Reserved pasta water is the secret weapon that brings everything together at the end. The starchy water helps loosen the butter sauce and creates a silky emulsion that clings to the pasta rather than pooling at the bottom of the bowl. A tablespoon or two transforms the dish from dry to perfectly sauced.
Ingredients for Cowboy Butter Lemon Bowtie Chicken with Broccoli
I use bowtie pasta specifically for its shape and texture, though penne or rotini work well if that’s what you have. The pasta should be cooked to proper al dente—firm to the bite—since it will continue cooking slightly when tossed with the hot butter sauce.
The Pasta & Veggies:
- 12 oz bowtie pasta (farfalle)
- 3 cups broccoli florets, cut into small bite-sized pieces
The Protein:
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
The Cowboy Butter Sauce:
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice + 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (adjust for heat)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, snipped
The Finish:
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Ingredient Notes:
Unsalted butter gives you complete control over the salt level in the finished dish. The chicken gets seasoned, the Parmesan adds salt, and the Dijon contains salt—using salted butter on top of all that can make the dish too salty. Unsalted lets you adjust to taste at the end.
Fresh lemon juice and zest are essential rather than bottled. The zest contains aromatic oils that bottled juice lacks, adding a brighter, more complex lemon flavor. One medium lemon provides about three tablespoons of juice and one to two teaspoons of zest—you only need a portion of it for this recipe.
Dijon mustard is what makes cowboy butter distinctive from regular garlic butter. It adds tang and a subtle complexity while helping to emulsify the butter into a more cohesive sauce. Use true Dijon rather than yellow mustard, which has a completely different flavor profile.
Fresh herbs at the end are the finishing touch that transforms this from good to excellent. Dried herbs won’t provide the same bright, fresh flavor. If you can’t find chives, use the green parts of scallions or double the parsley.
How to Make Cowboy Butter Lemon Bowtie Chicken with Broccoli
The key to this recipe is timing the components so everything finishes at the same moment and comes together hot. I always start the pasta water first since that’s the longest single step.
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. The water should taste like seawater—this is your only opportunity to season the pasta itself. Add the bowtie pasta and cook according to package directions, typically ten to twelve minutes for al dente.
- During the last three minutes of the pasta’s cooking time, add the broccoli florets directly to the boiling pasta water. The broccoli will cook through perfectly in this time while the pasta finishes. Before draining, use a liquid measuring cup to scoop out about half a cup of the starchy pasta water and set it aside. Drain the pasta and broccoli together in a colander.
- While the pasta cooks, cut the chicken breasts into one-inch chunks and season generously with salt and black pepper on all sides. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer and let them sear undisturbed for about three minutes until golden brown on the bottom. Flip and cook for another three to five minutes until cooked through to 165°F and golden on multiple sides. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
- Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel to remove any browned bits—this step is important because you want clean butter sauce, not bits of browned chicken in it. Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Once it’s melted and starting to foam slightly, add the minced garlic. Stir constantly for about thirty seconds until fragrant but not browned. Watch carefully—garlic burns quickly and turns bitter.
- Add the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes to the butter. Whisk everything together for about ninety seconds until the sauce is bubbly and emulsified. The mustard helps bind everything into a cohesive sauce rather than separated butter and lemon juice.
- Add the drained pasta, broccoli, and seared chicken back to the skillet with the cowboy butter sauce. Toss everything thoroughly to coat every piece in the butter. If the sauce seems too thick or dry, add the reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time, tossing between additions, until you reach a silky, clingy consistency that coats the pasta without pooling.
- Remove from heat and stir in the fresh chopped parsley and snipped chives. The herbs should maintain their bright green color and fresh flavor rather than wilting completely into the heat.
- Serve immediately in shallow bowls, topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese. The Parmesan adds salty, nutty depth and helps bind any remaining sauce to the pasta.
The most common mistake is burning the garlic by adding it to butter that’s too hot. Keep the heat at medium and stir constantly during the brief cooking time. Another issue is not reserving pasta water before draining—without it, you have no way to adjust the sauce consistency at the end.
What to Serve with Cowboy Butter Lemon Bowtie Chicken with Broccoli
This pasta is a complete meal on its own with protein, vegetables, and carbs all in one bowl, but certain sides can round out the experience.
Crusty Sourdough Bread: Warm, crusty sourdough for dipping into the extra cowboy butter sauce is genuinely essential. The tangy bread complements the lemon butter and provides a vehicle for capturing every last drop of sauce from your bowl.
Simple Arugula Salad: Peppery arugula dressed with lemon juice and olive oil provides a fresh, slightly bitter contrast to the rich butter sauce. The salad cleanses your palate between bites and adds another vegetable element.
Roasted Cherry Tomatoes: Quick-roasted cherry tomatoes with olive oil and garlic add sweet-tart bursts of flavor and bright color. Their acidity cuts through the richness while their warmth complements the hot pasta.
Garlic Bread: Traditional garlic bread isn’t redundant here—the garlic-butter combination is the entire point of the dish, and more garlic bread just leans into that theme harder. Toast thick slices and serve on the side.
Caesar Salad: A classic Caesar with crisp romaine and creamy dressing echoes the Parmesan in the pasta while providing cool, crunchy contrast to the warm, soft pasta.
Roasted Asparagus: Simple roasted asparagus with lemon and Parmesan adds another green vegetable and provides textural variety. The slight char on the asparagus complements the smoky paprika in the cowboy butter.
Pro Tips & Variations
Salt the pasta water generously—it should taste noticeably salty. This is the only chance to season the pasta itself from the inside, and properly salted pasta makes a significant difference in the final dish. Under-salted pasta tastes flat even when tossed with flavorful sauce.
Mince the garlic fresh right before using rather than using jarred pre-minced garlic. Fresh garlic has a sharper, cleaner flavor that’s essential to cowboy butter. Pre-minced garlic from a jar tastes flat and sometimes slightly off in comparison.
Cut the chicken into uniform chunks so they all cook at the same rate. Pieces that are roughly the same size finish together, preventing some from being dry while others are undercooked. Aim for one-inch cubes.
Add Sun-Dried Tomatoes: Chopped sun-dried tomatoes added with the pasta and chicken provide concentrated sweet-tangy flavor that complements the lemon butter beautifully. They add pops of intense flavor throughout the dish.
Make It Spicier: Increase the red pepper flakes or add a diced fresh jalapeño to the butter along with the garlic. Fresh ground black pepper at the end also adds pleasant heat.
Swap the Protein: Large shrimp cook in about four minutes total and work beautifully with cowboy butter. Cubed pork tenderloin is another excellent option that pairs well with the lemon and herbs.
Different Vegetables: Swap broccoli for asparagus cut into one-inch pieces, snap peas, or green beans. All cook in roughly the same time during the pasta’s final minutes and work well with the lemon butter.
Storage & Reheating Tips
Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. The butter sauce will solidify when cold, which is normal. The pasta will absorb some sauce during storage, making leftovers slightly drier than the fresh dish.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat with a tablespoon of butter or a splash of chicken broth to reconstitute the sauce. Stir frequently as it warms to prevent the pasta from sticking. The added fat helps restore the sauce’s smooth consistency.
The microwave works for individual portions. Add a tablespoon of water or butter to the cold pasta, cover loosely, and heat at medium power in ninety-second intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through. The added moisture prevents drying.
Freezing isn’t recommended for this recipe. Butter-based sauces don’t freeze and thaw well, often separating and becoming grainy. The broccoli texture also suffers after freezing. This is a make-fresh or refrigerate-for-a-few-days recipe.
Common Questions
Can I use a different pasta shape? Penne, rotini, or shells all work well because they have ridges or shapes that trap the butter sauce. Long pasta like spaghetti or linguine works too but won’t hold the sauce quite as well. Avoid very small shapes like orzo which won’t provide the same textural experience.
What if I don’t have fresh herbs? Fresh herbs are strongly preferred for the bright, fresh flavor they add at the end. If you must substitute, use one teaspoon each of dried parsley and dried chives added to the butter with the other seasonings. The flavor won’t be quite as vibrant but will still work.
Why is my sauce separating? The heat may be too high, or the butter and lemon juice didn’t emulsify properly. The Dijon mustard helps bind them together, so make sure you’re whisking vigorously when you add the lemon juice. If it does separate, remove from heat and whisk in a tablespoon of cold butter to bring it back together.
Can I make this ahead for meal prep? Cook the components separately and store them in different containers. Cook the pasta and broccoli, make the cowboy butter separately, and cook the chicken. When ready to eat, gently warm the butter sauce, add the pasta and broccoli to reheat, then add the chicken. This prevents the pasta from absorbing all the sauce during storage.
How do I keep the broccoli from getting mushy? Add it during the final three minutes of pasta cooking, not earlier. Three minutes is enough to make it tender-crisp without turning it soft. If you prefer very crisp broccoli, add it during the final two minutes instead.
This cowboy butter lemon bowtie chicken with broccoli proves that viral food trends can actually deliver on their promises. The combination of rich garlic butter, bright lemon, tender chicken, and crisp-tender broccoli creates a pasta dinner that’s genuinely exciting and satisfying—the kind of recipe that becomes a regular request rather than a one-time experiment.
Cowboy Butter Lemon Bowtie Chicken with Broccoli
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook bowtie pasta according to package directions, typically 10 to 12 minutes for al dente.
- During the last 3 minutes of pasta cooking time, add broccoli florets to the boiling pasta water. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup pasta water. Drain pasta and broccoli together.
- While pasta cooks, season chicken chunks with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and sear undisturbed for 3 minutes until golden on bottom. Flip and cook 3 to 5 minutes more until cooked through to 165°F and golden on multiple sides. Remove to a plate.
- Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel. Reduce heat to medium and melt butter. Add minced garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- Add Dijon mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes to the butter. Whisk for about 90 seconds until sauce is bubbly and emulsified.
- Add drained pasta, broccoli, and seared chicken to the skillet with cowboy butter sauce. Toss thoroughly to coat everything. Add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time if needed to reach a silky, clingy consistency.
- Remove from heat and stir in fresh chopped parsley and snipped chives.
- Serve immediately in shallow bowls topped with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
