Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta – Bold 30-Min Dinner

The best Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta starts before the cream ever reaches the skillet. Browning the chicken first gives you those golden edges and leaves plenty of flavor behind for the garlic butter sauce.

Then comes the good stuff: six cloves of garlic, butter, chicken broth, cream, Parmesan, rosemary, paprika, and a little crushed red pepper. The finished pasta is creamy and garlicky with enough peppery warmth to keep it from tasting like another basic chicken cream sauce.

Even better, dinner is ready in about 30 minutes.

Why Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta Works

This isn’t simply Alfredo with seasoned chicken added on top.

For Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta, the chicken cooks first so the sauce can pick up everything left behind in the skillet. Garlic and butter go into that same pan, followed by chicken broth to loosen those browned bits.

Heavy cream and Parmesan make the sauce silky, while rosemary, paprika, black pepper, and red pepper give this Texas-style chicken pasta a little more bite.

A small splash of lemon goes in last. You shouldn’t taste obvious lemon, it simply cuts through some of the richness from the butter and cream.

Ingredients for Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

For the Chicken

• 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For the Pasta and Garlic Butter Sauce

• 12 ounces penne pasta
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
• ½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup reserved pasta water
• Chopped parsley, optional

How to Make Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

Cook the Penne and Save Some Pasta Water

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the penne until al dente.

Before draining, scoop out about ½ cup pasta water.

Don’t skip this step. The starchy water gives you an easy way to loosen Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta later without watering down the flavor.

Drain the pasta without rinsing it.

Brown the Chicken Well

Pat the chicken dry and season it with paprika, salt, and black pepper.

Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the chicken in a single layer.

Give it time to brown before turning the pieces. Continue cooking until golden on the outside and 165°F in the center.

Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.

Those browned bits stuck to the skillet are exactly what you want. They’ll become part of the garlic butter sauce.

Build the Texas Garlic Butter Sauce

Reduce the heat to medium.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter, followed by the garlic, rosemary, and crushed red pepper.

Cook just until the garlic becomes fragrant. Don’t wait for it to turn dark brown; burned garlic can make the entire sauce bitter.

Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the skillet.

Let it simmer briefly, then stir in the heavy cream. Reduce the heat and allow the sauce to gently thicken.

This buttery, garlicky base is what separates Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta from a plain creamy chicken pasta.

Finish the Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

Lower the heat before gradually stirring in the Parmesan.

Once the cheese has melted, return the chicken and its juices to the skillet.

Add the penne and toss until the creamy garlic butter sauce coats the pasta inside and out.

Now check the consistency.

If your Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta looks too thick, add about 2 tablespoons reserved pasta water and toss again. Continue a tablespoon at a time only if needed.

Finish with the lemon juice and chopped parsley.

That tiny amount of lemon isn’t there to make lemon pasta. It brightens the garlic, butter, and Parmesan without taking over.

How Spicy Is Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta?

With ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta has a noticeable warmth rather than intense heat.

For a milder version, use ¼ teaspoon.

Want it hotter? Add more crushed red pepper at the table. It’s easier to adjust individual servings than make the entire skillet too spicy.

You can also increase the black pepper for more bite without dramatically increasing the chile heat.

Easy Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta Variations

The basic skillet method is easy to adjust:

• Use linguine: Long noodles work especially well with creamy garlic butter sauce.
• Try chicken thighs: Boneless skinless thighs stay juicy and work well with the same seasonings.
• Add spinach: Stir it into the sauce and let it wilt before adding the pasta.
• Add tomatoes: Halved cherry tomatoes give the rich sauce some fresh acidity.
• Turn up the heat: Add extra red pepper flakes gradually.
• Try half-and-half: It makes a lighter sauce, although it won’t be quite as rich as heavy cream.

These changes give you some flexibility without losing the character of Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta.

Tips for Better Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

• Dry the chicken first. Moisture makes browning more difficult.
• Don’t crowd the skillet. Give those chicken pieces room to develop color.
• Turn down the heat before adding garlic. The skillet will still be very hot.
• Save pasta water before draining. It’s much harder to fix an overly thick sauce once it’s gone.
• Add Parmesan gradually. Gentle heat helps it melt smoothly.
• Add lemon at the end. Taste first before deciding whether you want any more.

The biggest mistake with Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta is rushing the first few steps. Properly browned chicken and garlic that hasn’t burned make a noticeable difference.

What to Serve with Texas Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta

Because Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta already has chicken, penne, butter, cream, and Parmesan, keep the side simple.

Roasted broccoli, asparagus, or green beans all work well. A crisp salad with a tart vinaigrette is another good option when you want something fresh against the creamy pasta.

Garlic bread works too, although this recipe already uses six cloves of garlic. A simple toasted baguette is enough for soaking up extra sauce.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Store leftover Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

The pasta will absorb some sauce while it sits, so leftovers will look thicker than the freshly cooked dish.

Add a splash of milk or cream before reheating. Warm it gently on the stovetop over low to medium-low heat, or microwave individual portions in short intervals and stir between each one.

Avoid high heat. You’re trying to loosen the cream sauce without overcooking the chicken.

Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta FAQs

Can I make Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta with linguine?

Yes. Linguine is a great match for creamy garlic butter sauce. Fettuccine or spaghetti would also work if you don’t have penne.

Can I use chicken thighs?

Yes. Boneless skinless chicken thighs are an easy substitute. Cut them into similar-size pieces and cook them completely before starting the sauce.

Why isn’t my garlic butter sauce thick enough?

Give the heavy cream time to reduce gently before adding the pasta. Parmesan and the pasta itself will also help thicken the sauce once everything is tossed together.

Why did my Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta get too thick?

Pasta keeps absorbing liquid as it sits. Add reserved pasta water a tablespoon or two at a time and toss over low heat until the sauce becomes creamy again.

Can I make this Texas-style chicken pasta less spicy?

Yes. Reduce the crushed red pepper to ¼ teaspoon or leave it out. Garlic, rosemary, paprika, butter, Parmesan, and black pepper still give the sauce plenty of flavor.

Can I cook the chicken ahead?

You can, but cooking it immediately before making Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta has one advantage: the browned bits left in the skillet become part of the sauce.

A Creamy Texas-Style Pasta with Plenty of Garlic

What makes Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta worth pulling out the skillet for is the way each step builds on the last. Browned chicken leaves flavor behind, butter and garlic pick it up, and broth, cream, and Parmesan turn everything into a sauce that grabs onto the penne.

Save that pasta water, don’t burn the garlic, and keep the heat gentle once the Parmesan goes in. You’ll end up with Texas Style Garlic Butter Chicken Pasta that’s creamy and rich but still has enough rosemary, pepper, garlic, and lemon to keep the next bite interesting.

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