Creamy Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta

Cowboy butter started as a compound spread for grilled steak, a bold combination of garlic, Dijon, lemon, fresh herbs, and red pepper flakes blended into softened butter. It’s punchy, herbaceous, and intensely savory all at once. This recipe takes that same compound and uses it as the foundation for a 30-minute pasta dinner that delivers every one of those flavors in every bite.

The method is straightforward. Chicken pieces get seasoned and seared in a hot skillet, shallots and bell peppers cook down alongside them, and then the cowboy butter goes in and melts into a sauce that gets finished with heavy cream and Parmesan. Pasta tosses through the whole thing with a splash of starchy cooking water to bring it all together. The result is a dinner that hits bold, herby, slightly spicy, and creamy at the same time without any of those notes overpowering the others.

This cowboy butter chicken pasta recipe is built for a weeknight when you want something more interesting than a standard pasta but don’t have the time or energy for anything complicated. Thirty minutes, one skillet after the pasta pot, and dinner is on the table.

Why You’ll Love This Creamy Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta

The compound butter does the work of building a complex sauce base in one step. Everything that makes cowboy butter distinctive, the Dijon, the lemon, the herbs, the gentle heat, goes into the pan at once and melts into the cream to create a sauce with more layers of flavor than a typical cream pasta.

The sliced garlic in the skillet is a detail worth paying attention to. Sliced rather than minced, it cooks into soft, mellowed chips that distribute through the pasta and give you distinct pockets of garlic flavor in every forkful rather than the uniform background heat of minced.

The recipe also gives you leftover compound butter, which is genuinely useful beyond this dish. Kept in the refrigerator or freezer, it’s ready to finish a steak, melt over corn, or spread onto bread for garlic toast whenever you need it.

The 30-minute total time is achievable without rushing. The pasta water comes to a boil while you prep the butter and season the chicken, so everything flows in sequence without overlap.

Ingredients for Creamy Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta

The ingredient list divides cleanly into the compound butter, the pasta and protein, and the sauce finish.

For the cowboy butter compound:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

For the pasta and protein:

• 12 oz linguine or your preferred pasta shape
• 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon each paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper
• 1 large shallot, finely diced
• 1 cup mixed bell peppers, red, yellow, and orange, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

For the sauce finish:

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley for garnish

For the butter, unsalted is the right call here since the compound already includes salt plus the inherent saltiness of the Dijon. Salted butter pushes the finished sauce into an over-salted range that’s difficult to correct. Room temperature butter is essential for incorporating the herbs and mustard smoothly. Cold butter won’t blend properly and leaves the compound lumpy and uneven.

For the chicken, I prefer thighs in this recipe. They stay juicier during the sear and don’t dry out when the cream sauce goes in at the end of cooking. Breasts work fine but need a more attentive eye on the skillet temperature to avoid becoming tough before the sauce is added.

On the Parmesan, freshly grated from a block produces a cleaner, creamier sauce integration than pre-shredded. Pre-shredded Parmesan contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly into the cream, which can leave the sauce slightly grainy rather than silky.

How to Make Creamy Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta

The compound butter comes together in about 2 minutes and drives everything else in the recipe from there.

1. Combine all the compound butter ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork until the herbs, mustard, lemon juice and zest, and seasonings are fully incorporated into the softened butter. Taste it at this point. It should be boldly flavored, bright from the lemon, sharp from the Dijon, and fragrant with herbs. Set aside. You’ll use about 4 tablespoons of it for the pasta sauce. The remainder keeps in the refrigerator for up to two weeks wrapped tightly, or in the freezer for up to three months.
2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine according to package instructions until al dente. Before draining, scoop out at least 1/2 cup of pasta water and set it aside in a heatproof cup. Drain and set the pasta aside.
3. While the pasta cooks, toss the bite-sized chicken pieces with the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer and sear for about 4 minutes without moving it. You want a golden crust on the outside before stirring. The chicken doesn’t need to be fully cooked through at this stage since it finishes cooking with the vegetables.
4. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced shallot, sliced peppers, and sliced garlic to the skillet alongside the chicken. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened and the chicken is cooked through to 165°F. In my experience, keeping the garlic slices moving during this stage prevents them from burning against the hot pan before the butter goes in.
5. Add 4 tablespoons of the prepared cowboy butter to the skillet. Let it melt fully, stirring to coat the chicken and vegetables evenly. Pour in the heavy cream and stir in the grated Parmesan. Let the sauce come to a gentle simmer for about 60 seconds until the cream has absorbed the butter and reduced very slightly.
6. Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet and toss thoroughly until every strand is coated in the sauce. If the sauce looks too thick or is clinging rather than flowing, add the reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time, tossing between additions, until the consistency is smooth and glossy. The starch in the pasta water loosens the sauce without diluting the flavor.
7. Taste for seasoning before serving. The lemon zest in the compound butter should provide enough brightness, but a fresh squeeze of lemon over the finished dish lifts everything noticeably. Serve immediately, garnished with extra fresh parsley.

What to Serve with Creamy Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta

This is a complete, satisfying dinner on its own, but a light side or some good bread rounds it out well.

Crusty Garlic Bread: The remaining cowboy butter compound makes genuinely excellent garlic bread. Spread it generously over a halved baguette or thick-cut Italian bread and broil for 3 to 4 minutes until golden. You’ve already made the best possible spread for this purpose, so using it here is the obvious choice.

Simple Arugula Salad: Peppery arugula dressed with lemon juice, olive oil, and a little shaved Parmesan adds bitterness and acidity that cuts through the richness of the butter cream sauce. It’s a fast, no-cook side that takes about 3 minutes to put together.

Roasted Cherry Tomatoes: A sheet pan of cherry tomatoes roasted at 425°F until blistered and jammy adds sweetness and acidity. They can go into the oven while you’re building the sauce on the stovetop and come out right as the pasta is ready to serve.

Steamed Asparagus: Lightly steamed asparagus with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt adds a fresh, slightly grassy element that pairs well with the herb-forward cowboy butter sauce without competing with it.

Caesar Salad: A classic Caesar alongside a creamy pasta is a pairing that works because the sharp, anchovy-forward dressing provides real contrast to the richness of the butter and cream.

Pro Tips & Variations

Make the compound butter ahead. The cowboy butter can be made up to two weeks in advance and kept in the refrigerator. Rolling it into a log in plastic wrap and slicing off tablespoon-sized rounds as needed makes it easy to use beyond just this recipe. It’s excellent over grilled steak, corn on the cob, or spread onto bread.

Use sliced garlic, not minced, in the skillet. The recipe calls for sliced garlic for a reason. Sliced garlic cooks into soft, golden chips that distribute through the pasta and create distinct pockets of mellowed garlic flavor in every bite. Minced garlic would either burn during the sear or disappear entirely into the sauce. The slices are the version worth using here.

Add cherry tomatoes or spinach. A handful of halved cherry tomatoes stirred in with the vegetables adds juicy sweetness and a pop of color. Baby spinach stirred in at the very end, off the heat, wilts in the residual warmth and adds a fresh, slightly earthy element without any additional cooking time.

Double the red pepper flakes for heat. The recipe as written produces a mild, background warmth from the red pepper flakes. For a genuinely spicy version, double the flakes in the compound and add another pinch directly to the cream sauce as it simmers.

Swap linguine for a shorter pasta. Rigatoni or penne rigate both work well with this sauce since the ridges and tubes trap the creamy butter sauce effectively. The dish has a slightly different character with short pasta but is equally good.

Storage & Reheating Tips

Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The butter and cream sauce thickens considerably as it chills since the fat solidifies. This is normal and reverses easily on reheating.

To reheat, I find a small saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of water or milk stirred in before the pasta goes in is the most reliable method. The liquid loosens the sauce as it warms and the gentle heat prevents the cream from separating. Stir frequently during reheating. Microwave reheating at medium power in 45-second intervals with a tablespoon of liquid added also works for individual portions.

The compound butter itself keeps in the refrigerator for up to two weeks wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, or rolled into a log and frozen for up to three months.

Common Questions

Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh in the compound butter? Dried herbs work but the flavor profile shifts. Fresh parsley, chives, and thyme contribute brightness and a green, herbaceous freshness that dried versions don’t fully replicate. If substituting dried, use about a third of the amount since dried herbs are more concentrated. The finished butter will be more earthy and less vibrant than the fresh version.

My sauce is breaking or looks greasy. What happened? This usually means the heat was too high when the cream was added, or the cream was added to a pan that was too hot. Heavy cream needs a gentle simmer to stay emulsified with the butter. If the sauce looks separated, remove the pan from heat, add a small splash of pasta water, and stir vigorously. The starch in the pasta water typically brings a broken butter-cream sauce back together.

Can I make this without heavy cream for a lighter version? Half-and-half works as a substitute and produces a thinner sauce with less richness. Whole milk can be used but the sauce will be noticeably thinner and the butter flavor will be more prominent without the cream to carry it. If using a lighter dairy, allow a few extra minutes of gentle simmering to reduce the sauce before adding the pasta.

Creamy cowboy butter chicken pasta is the kind of 30-minute dinner that punches well above its time investment. The compound butter does all the flavor work in one step, and the method from there is simple enough to execute on a weeknight without any planning. Make the butter once and it’s ready to go into this recipe again or onto a grilled steak the following weekend.

Creamy Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta

A bold 30-minute pasta dinner with seared chicken, colorful bell peppers, and linguine tossed in a creamy sauce built from a garlic Dijon herb compound butter and finished with Parmesan.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian-American

Calories: 720

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 0.5 cup unsalted butter 1 stick, softened to room temperature
• 2 cloves garlic finely minced, for compound butter
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh chives chopped
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp sweet paprika for compound butter
• 0.5 tsp salt for compound butter
• pinch of red pepper flakes for compound butter; double for more heat
• 0.5 lemon, juiced and zested for compound butter
• 12 oz linguine or preferred pasta shape
• 1.5 lb chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-sized pieces; thighs preferred for juiciness
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp paprika for chicken seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder for chicken seasoning
• 1 tsp salt for chicken seasoning
• 1 tsp black pepper for chicken seasoning
• 1 large shallot finely diced
• 1 cup mixed bell peppers red, yellow, and orange, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced, not minced
• 0.5 cup heavy cream
• 4 tbsp Parmesan cheese freshly grated
• fresh parsley extra, for garnish

Equipment

• Large pot for pasta
• large skillet
• small mixing bowl
• Fine grater or microplane
• Instant-read meat thermometer

Method

 

1. Combine all compound butter ingredients in a small bowl and mix with a fork until fully incorporated. Set aside. You will use 4 tablespoons for this recipe; refrigerate or freeze the remainder.
2. Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine to al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
3. Toss the chicken pieces with paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until evenly coated. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the chicken undisturbed for about 4 minutes until golden on the outside.
4. Reduce heat to medium. Add the diced shallot, sliced bell peppers, and sliced garlic to the skillet. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften and the chicken reaches 165°F internally.
5. Add 4 tablespoons of the prepared cowboy butter to the skillet. Stir until fully melted and coating the chicken and vegetables. Pour in the heavy cream and stir in the grated Parmesan. Simmer gently for about 60 seconds.
6. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss thoroughly until coated. Add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time if the sauce is too thick, tossing between additions.
7. Taste for seasoning. Serve immediately garnished with extra fresh parsley and a squeeze of fresh lemon.

Notes

Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of water or milk to loosen the sauce, stirring frequently. Remaining compound butter keeps refrigerated for up to 2 weeks or frozen for up to 3 months. Substitutions: Add halved cherry tomatoes or baby spinach at the end for extra color and nutrition. Double the red pepper flakes in the compound for more heat. Half-and-half can replace heavy cream for a lighter sauce. Pro tip: Use sliced garlic rather than minced in the skillet for distinct garlic chips throughout the pasta.