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Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine

Cowboy butter chicken linguine with seared chicken strips and a vivid herb-spiced cowboy butter sauce. Linguine gets glossy from butter and pasta water, finished with lemon zest and fresh parsley for bold, aromatic weeknight pasta.
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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: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and pasta
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts Cut into strips.
  • Salt To taste.
  • pepper To taste.
  • Cajun seasoning To taste.
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 oz linguine Cooked; reserve 1 cup pasta water.
  • 0.25 cup pasta water Reserved from cooking linguine; use as needed.
Cowboy butter sauce
  • 6 tbsp butter For the sauce.
  • 4 garlic Cloves, 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.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Char and cook 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 until shimmering, then cook chicken for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until charred and cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate.
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, stirring, until fragrant.
  2. Stir in Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
  3. Add fresh lemon juice, chopped parsley, and chopped chives. Toss the cooked linguine in the cowboy butter sauce, adding reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce coats every strand.
Finish and serve
  1. Top the pasta with the seared chicken strips, fanning them over the linguine. Serve immediately while the sauce is glossy.

Notes

Pro tip: Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water—adding it gradually helps the butter sauce turn silky and cling to the linguine. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; rewarm gently with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended for the best texture. For a lighter option, use half butter and half olive oil (or a plant-butter blend) to reduce saturated fat while keeping the sauce flavor.