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Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine

Cowboy butter chicken linguine with seared chicken strips and a glossy herb-spiced cowboy butter sauce. Linguine is tossed with reserved pasta water for a vivid, clinging texture with red pepper flakes, lemon zest, and fresh parsley.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 0.25 salt
  • 0.25 pepper
  • 1 Cajun seasoning use to taste
Pasta
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 oz linguine, cooked (reserve 1 cup pasta water)
Cowboy butter sauce
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 4 garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 0.25 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
  • 1 cup pasta water reserved; add as needed to loosen sauce

Equipment

  • 1 Cast iron skillet

Method
 

Season and sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken strips with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning to taste. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and sear the chicken for 4-5 minutes until charred and cooked through, then remove.
Build the cowboy butter sauce
  1. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  2. Stir in the Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 30 seconds to bloom the spices with the butter.
  3. Stir in the fresh lemon juice, chopped parsley, and chopped chives. Toss the cooked linguine in the cowboy butter sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed until glossy and evenly coated.
Finish and serve
  1. Top the pasta with the seared chicken strips so they fan over the linguine. Serve immediately while the sauce is glistening.

Notes

For the silkiest sauce, add pasta water a splash at a time while tossing until the linguine clings and looks glossy. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because the butter emulsion can break. For a lighter option, use olive-oil margarine or a plant-butter blend in the sauce while keeping the same spice mix for the same bold heat.