Garlic Butter Chicken Bites (Printable Version)

Tender chicken pieces cooked in a flavorful garlic butter sauce, ideal for busy nights or gatherings.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil

→ Garlic Butter Sauce

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

# How-To Steps:

01 - Pat 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 per side until golden and just cooked through. Remove and set aside.
03 - Lower heat to medium. Melt butter in the skillet, then add minced garlic and optional red pepper flakes. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add chicken broth and fresh lemon juice, simmering for 2 to 3 minutes while scraping up brown bits from the skillet surface.
05 - Return chicken to the skillet, tossing to coat in sauce. Cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes until heated through.
06 - Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Dinner is on the table in 25 minutes, start to finish, no complicated techniques required.
  • The sauce is so good you'll find yourself scraping the skillet and licking the spoon when nobody's looking.
  • Works for weeknight exhaustion or impressing people—it never feels thrown together.
02 -
  • Don't skip the step of drying the chicken—I learned this the hard way when my first batch steamed instead of seared, and it made all the difference in texture and color.
  • Keep the heat moderate once the butter goes in; garlic can turn bitter in seconds, and there's no recovering from that.
03 -
  • Mincing garlic by hand instead of using a press releases more of the flavor compounds and gives you a texture that actually matters in the sauce.
  • If your chicken pieces are thick, gently pound them to an even thickness before seasoning so they cook through at the same rate.
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