Garlic Herb Butter Chicken (2024)

For the Garlic Herb Butter

• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• ▢ 3 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley
• ▢ 1 tablespoon herbs of choice
• ▢ 2 teaspoons roughly chopped garlic approximately 1 clove
• ▢ 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ 2 tablespoons roughly chopped shallots
• ▢ 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt more or less to taste, omit if using salted butter
• ▢ freshly cracked black pepper to taste

For the Chicken

• ▢ 4 medium chicken breasts or 2 large chicken breasts halved into cutlets, approximately 2 pounds
• ▢ salt to taste
• ▢ freshly cracked black pepper to taste
• ▢ 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other neutral oil
• ▢ 1 cup water if needed
• ▢ ½ cup dry white wine or chicken broth

• Add all ingredients for garlic herb butter to food processor bowl. Process until mixture is completely smooth and well-combined. Set aside.

• Thoroughly season chicken breasts on all sides with salt and fresh black pepper to taste. Set aside.

• Heat large skillet over medium heat. When skillet is hot, add avocado oil and swirl pan to coat completely. Continue warming skillet over medium heat until avocado oil is hot and shimmering.

• When oil is hot, add chicken breasts to skillet, working in batches as needed so as not to overcrowd pan. Sear chicken breasts 4 minutes, then gently check underside of chicken for burning. If any burning is occuring, flip chicken breasts over immediately, otherwise cook 1 additional minute, then flip chicken over.

• Cook chicken on other side another 4 to 5 minutes, or until chicken is firm and cooked through. Transfer cooked chicken to plate and set aside to rest. Note: if chicken breasts are particularly large/thick and not firm and cooked-through after 8-10 minutes, cover skillet with lid and reduce heat to low. Cook 2 to 3 minutes or until firm and cooked-through.

• If skillet has any burnt spots left behind, carefully pour 1 cup water into hot skillet. Let water come to boil, then pour water out and continue with recipe.

• Reduce heat under skillet to low. Carefully pour white wine (or chicken broth) into skillet and use spatula or whisk to scrape up any browned bits of chicken that may be stuck to pan. Bring liquid to low boil, then simmer, uncovered, until mixture is reduced by 50%.

• Once liquid has reduced to approximately ⅓ cup remaining, add garlic herb butter mixture to skillet. Stir or whisk until butter is completely melted, then return chicken to skillet and spoon sauce over.

• Once chicken is well-coated with sauce, immediately remove skillet from heat. Plate chicken breasts with desired sides and additional sauce from skillet if desired, then serve immediately.

• The butter must be softened (not melted) in order to blend smoothly with the other ingredients.
• If you’re using salted butter, don’t add the additional salt to the garlic herb butter.
• Food Processor: If you don’t have a food processor, chop the herbs, garlic, and shallots very finely, then stir all the garlic herb butter ingredients together in a small bowl until well-combined.
• Herbs: Tarragon, oregano, rosemary, chives, or more parsley would all work well in this recipe.
• Make it Dairy Free: Use a vegan butter.
• Make it Whole30/Paleo: Use ghee instead of butter, and chicken broth instead of white wine.
• Leftovers: Any leftover garlic herb butter chicken can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 5 days. To reheat, cut chicken into slices and add chicken with sauce to skillet. Reheat, covered, over low heat until butter sauce has melted and chicken is warmed through.
• Suggested Sides: Pasta, mashed potatoes, rice, cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, palmini noodles, green beans, spinach, roasted carrots and potatoes, fondant potatoes, sweet potato rice, broccolini, or asparagus.