Lemon Butter Garlic Chicken Pasta – 🍋🧄🍗 Buttery pasta with juicy chicken, flavored with lemon butter and garlic, and finished with Parmesan cheese! A family-friendly dinner recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes and it’s so EASY!
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Easiest Chicken Pasta Dish
This family-friendly comfort food recipe is easy, ready in no time, and the penne pasta is perfectly al dente and wonderfully buttery.
The chicken is tender, juicy, and has so much flavor from the garlic and fresh parsley. Lemon adds a wonderful brightness to the dish and we all know anything tossed in butter, especially lemony butter, automatically tastes great.
I finished the lemon garlic chicken pasta recipe with a handful of freshly shaved Parmesan cheese because obviously there wasn’t enough fat going on after the lemon butter. Kidding.
This garlic butter chicken pasta recipe is the chicken spinoff to my Lemon Butter Garlic Shrimp with Angel Hair Pasta, which has been a reader favorite since 2014. They’re both equally delicious!
What Readers Are Saying
With over 100 reviews and a nearly five-star rating, this recipe is a hit with everyone who tries it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I’ve made this numerous times since finding the recipe and I’m making it again tonight! My family loves it, my 16 year old son even said it’s his favorite meal so it’s a winner for sure 😄
Shannon
This was soooooo delish! So easy to put together and really fast! Hubby and son gobbled it up in no time! Thank you another scrumptious recipe, Averie! Five stars!
Rose
Lemon butter garlic chicken, you’re my next best friend. Thank you for all your recipes!
Tammy
What’s in Lemon Butter Chicken Pasta?
To make this quick and easy lemon garlic chicken pasta, you only need a handful of simple ingredients, including:
- Penne pasta – Substitute any small pasta shape you like best such as bowtie, ziti, or small shells)
- Olive oil
- Chicken – I use boneless skinless chicken breast, but boneless skinless chicken thighs will also work
- Garlic – Use fresh cloves instead of pre-minced garlic
- Lemon juice – Freshly squeezed is best
- Unsalted butter
- Salt and pepper
- Parsley
- Parmesan cheese – Buy a block of parmesan, and great it yourself
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions.
- While the pasta cooks, add the olive oil and chicken to a skillet, and sauté until the chicken is about halfway cooked through.
- Add the garlic, butter, and lemon juice, and allow the chicken to finish cooking through in what becomes a wonderfully fragrant garlic-infused creamy sauce.
- Toss the cooked pasta in, and stir well to combine and coat.
- Add the fresh parsley and Parmesan, and voila, you’ve got yourself an easy and hearty meal.
What to Serve with Buttery Garlic Chicken Pasta
Recipe FAQs
Yes, I kept this recipe super simple, but you’re welcome to add your choice of veggies to it. Spinach would wilt down beautifully at the very end of the cooking time. Or, you can add finely diced zucchini, broccoli, or green beans near the beginning.
Leftovers store well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Yes! This dish freezes well for up to 4 months and is the perfect make-ahead option for busy days.
Feel free to include additional herbs and spices like extra salt or black pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, or fresh parsley.
You can also add a splash of heavy cream for a richer taste. Or, include sausage or bacon with the chicken or on in place of it for a slightly different taste.
Lemon Butter Garlic Chicken Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound penne pasta, cooked according to package directions (another small-shaped pasta such as ziti, rotini, small elbow, etc. may be substituted)
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 + teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
- 1 + teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 3 to 5 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temp if possible
- ⅓ cup lemon juice, or to taste
- ¼ to ⅓ cup fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely minced
- ½ cup freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, or to taste
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions, drain, and set aside. While pasta is cooking, being cooking the chicken.
- To a large, high-sided skillet, add the olive oil, chicken, evenly and generously season with salt and pepper to taste, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, flipping and stirring frequently so the chicken cooks evenly.
- When chicken has cooked through about halfway, add the garlic, and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant, stir nearly consistently.
- Add the butter, lemon juice, and stir nearly continuously until butter melts and chicken is cooked through, another 5 minutes, or as necessary.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the chicken and stir well to combine and coat evenly.
- Add the parsley and stir to combine.
- Evenly sprinkle the Parmesan and stir to combine if desired (or keep it on top without stirring it in as shown in my photos). Taste and check for seasoning balance and if necessary add more salt and/or pepper before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Chicken Pasta Recipes:
Parmesan Chicken and Spinach Pasta – EASY and ready in 20 minutes with comforting pasta, juicy chicken, a hint of lemon, and the PERFECT amount of Parmesan! Great for busy weeknights and the extra is good for meal prepping!
Pesto Parmesan Chicken and Pasta – EASY, ready in 20 minutes, and every piece of tender chicken and pasta is coated in fresh pesto sauce and parmesan cheese! Great for easy weeknight dinners, planned leftovers, or for parties because it feeds a crowd!
Lemon Pepper Chicken Pasta — EASY and ready in 15 minutes with comforting pasta, juicy chicken, and there is so much ZESTY flavor from the lemon, basil, and spinach! A family favorite that’s perfect for busy weeknights!
Made this recipe for dinner, first time. I rate it a 4 star because I couldn’t taste the lemon… so, next time I’ll add a little more n maybe add lemon zest. Otherwise, it’s very good n my husband went back for seconds 👍👍
Definitely then add some lemon zest. Not sure how with 1/3 cup of lemon juice you couldn’t taste it but that’s an easy fix – lemon zest to the rescue as you mentioned. Thanks for trying the recipe.
I actually just made this for breakfast!
Downsized the recipe since this was for a party of one.
I did not have any lemon, so I added a splash of orange/tangerine juice instead.
Also took your advice and added the green beans.
Turned out very tasty, and much healthier than a pop tart breakfast.
I actually just made this for breakfast!
Downsized the recipe since this was for a party of one.
I did not have any lemon, so I added a splash of orange/tangerine juice instead.
Also took your advice and added the green beans.
Turned out very tasty, and much healthier than a pop tart breakfast.
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that you were able to tweak this for your needs – and for breakfast, no less! That’s impressive!
great
great
I’ve made this numerous times since finding the recipe and I’m making it again tonight! My family loves it, my 16 year old son even said it’s his favorite meal so it’s a winner for sure 😄
I’ve made this numerous times since finding the recipe and I’m making it again tonight! My family loves it, my 16 year old son even said it’s his favorite meal so it’s a winner for sure 😄
Thank you for the 5 star review and glad that this is a new favorite and your 16 yr old said it’s his favorite meal!
This was great I used this as a base recipe to make shredded chicken and used it with rice casserole it was amazing. I will make this a staple chicken recipe!!
This was great I used this as a base recipe to make shredded chicken and used it with rice casserole it was amazing. I will make this a staple chicken recipe!!
Love well balanced meals rhat are quick and easy, andnyoy don’t have to go to the store for special ingredients.
This was soooooo delish! So easy to put together and really fast! Hubby and son gobbled it up in no time! Thank you another scrumptious recipe, Averie! Five stars!
Lemon butter garlic chicken, you’re my next best friend. Thank you for all your recipes! Tammy
Lemon butter garlic chicken, you’re my next best friend. Thank you for all your recipes! Tammy
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it is a new best friend!
great