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Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine

Cowboy butter chicken linguine with charred chicken strips and a bold herb-spiced cowboy butter sauce, glossy with lemon and Cajun heat. Linguine is tossed until silky using reserved pasta water for the perfect cling and aroma.
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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: 740
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and linguine
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • Cajun seasoning to taste
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 oz linguine cooked; reserve 1 cup pasta water
Cowboy butter sauce
  • 6 tbsp butter
  • 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 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Char the chicken
  1. Season chicken strips with salt, pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over high heat, add chicken, and cook 4-5 minutes until charred and cooked through, then remove.
Build the cowboy butter sauce
  1. Melt butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring until fragrant.
  2. Stir in Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne, then cook 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
  3. Add lemon juice, parsley, and chives, then toss the cooked linguine with the cowboy butter sauce. Add reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce is glossy and evenly coats the noodles.
Finish and serve
  1. Top the pasta with the seared chicken strips so they fan over the linguine. Serve immediately.

Notes

Pro tip: reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water so you can loosen the sauce to a silky, clinging texture without drying out the linguine. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of water or broth. Freezing isn’t recommended because the lemon-butter sauce can separate. For a lighter option, use half butter and half olive oil or a plant-based butter, keeping the same seasoning and lemon zest/juice balance.