This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Garlic butter chicken bites are juicy, golden, and packed with flavor—ready in 15 minutes with one skillet and a handful of simple ingredients.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Recipe
- Quick and Easy: This one-skillet recipe comes together in just 15 minutes—perfect for busy nights when you need dinner fast.
- Big Flavor, Simple Ingredients: Just a few pantry staples and fresh garlic turn plain chicken into juicy, buttery bites.
- Versatile: Serve it with pasta, veggies, rice, or salad—great for weeknight meals or meal prep.
- Kid-Friendly: No fancy spices, just tender, flavorful chicken that’s easy for the whole family to love.
- Minimal Cleanup: All the cooking happens in one pan, so there’s less mess and more time to relax.
Ingredients Notes
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts: You can substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer dark meat. You can also use frozen chicken, just thaw it completely and pat dry before seasoning.
- Italian seasoning blend: Feel free to make your own mix of dried basil, oregano, thyme, and rosemary if you don’t have the blend on hand.
- Smoked paprika: Swap with regular paprika or chili powder for a slightly different flavor. Sweet paprika works well if you want less smokiness.
- Salt
- Black pepper: White pepper will also work or add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
- Olive oil: You can also sear your chicken in avocado oil, canola oil, or any neutral cooking oil you have on hand.
- Unsalted butter
- Minced garlic: Fresh or jarred minced garlic both work well with this quick and easy garlic butter chicken bites recipe.
- Minced fresh parsley
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Garlic Butter Chicken Bites
- Prepare The Poultry: Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Make The Spice Mixture: In a small bowl, combine the Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
- Sprinkle With Spice: Sprinkle the spice blend over the chicken pieces and toss to coat.
- Cook: In a large heavy duty or cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil and butter until the butter is melted. Add the seasoned chicken pieces in a single layer and sear for 3-4 minutes on the first side, then flip and continue to cook until golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Simmer In Sauce: Add the remaining butter and the garlic to the skillet and cook until the butter has melted and the garlic is fragrant and tender. Turn off the heat.
- Serve: Toss with tongs to coat the chicken in the garlic butter sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve warm. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Get a Perfect Golden Sear: Use both butter and olive oil when searing the chicken. The butter adds flavor, while the olive oil helps prevent burning at high temperatures, giving you that perfect golden sear.
- Don’t Overcook the Chicken: Cut the chicken into even pieces and cook just until it reaches 165°F. Overcooking can dry it out quickly, so use a meat thermometer if you have one. If you’re using chicken thighs instead of breasts, remember they need a few extra minutes to cook through.
- Create The Best Crust: Let the chicken sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes and pat it dry with a paper towel before cooking. This helps the chicken sear evenly and develop that perfect golden crust.
- Serve With Extra Sauce (and Add Cream!): Love extra sauce? Double the butter and garlic. For a creamy twist, stir in a splash of heavy cream or a handful of grated parmesan cheese to make the sauce even richer.
Serving Suggestions
These garlic butter chicken bites go with just about anything, but here are our favorite pairings to round out your meal:
- Pair these Butter Garlic Chicken Bites with classic sides like potatoes, pasta, roasted vegetables, or a fresh, simple salad for a well-rounded meal.
- Vegetables: Roasted Brussels sprouts, asparagus, garlic green beans, sautéed spinach, or steamed broccoli with a splash of lemon juice. You can also serve them over zucchini noodles or cauliflower rice for a lighter option.
- Whole Grains: Quinoa or couscous for a light, nutty side; brown rice or farro for added texture and heartiness.
- Potatoes: Creamy mashed potatoes, or go low-carb with garlic mashed cauliflower. Try crispy oven-roasted potatoes or sweet potato fries for extra crunch and flavor.
- Salads: A simple mixed green salad or a refreshing cucumber salad pairs perfectly with the richness of the garlic butter sauce.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Once fully cooled, you can freeze the chicken bites in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Be sure to thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm gently in a skillet over medium-low heat to keep the chicken tender and prevent it from drying out. Add a small splash of water or chicken broth to loosen the garlic butter sauce if needed.
- Meal Prep Tip: Leftover chicken bites reheat well, making them a great option for weekly meal prep. Serve with your favorite sides for a quick lunch or dinner.
MOre Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes
If you tried this Garlic Butter Chicken Bites Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!!!
Garlic Butter Chicken Bites
Serves — 4
Garlic butter chicken bites are juicy, tender, and tossed in a rich, buttery sauce—ready in 15 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes
Ingredients
- 3¾ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts 3 large (approximately 1 ¼ -1 ½ total pounds) cut into 1 inch bite size pieces
- ¾ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning blend
- ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- Place the boneless skinless chicken pieces onto a plate and pat them dry well with a paper towel.3¾ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Combine together, in a small bowl, the dried Italian seasoning blend, smoked paprika, salt and black pepper.¾ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning blend, ¾ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- Sprinkle the spice blend over the patted dry chicken pieces and toss to evenly coat the chicken pieces with spice mixture.
- To a large (12 inch) heavy duty skillet, over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the unsalted butter. Once the butter has melted, add the seasoned chicken pieces to the hot skillet being sure the pieces are in a single layer.1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Sear the chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes, undisturbed, on the first side then flip the chicken pieces and continue to cook for an additional 4-5 minutes or until golden brown on all sides and no pink remains. The internal temperature of the chicken should reach 165°F.
- To the skillet of seared and browned chicken pieces, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter along with the minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute or until the butter has melted and the garlic is fragrant and tender. Turn off the heat to the skillet.1 tablespoon minced garlic
- Toss the garlic butter chicken bites until all the chicken is coated in the garlic butter sauce. Sprinkle with the optional minced fresh parsley if desired for garnish.1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
Jenn’s Notes
Storage :
- Refrigerate: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Once fully cooled, you can freeze the chicken bites in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Be sure to thaw completely in the refrigerator before reheating.
- Reheat: Warm gently in a skillet over medium-low heat to keep the chicken tender and prevent it from drying out. Add a small splash of water or chicken broth to loosen the garlic butter sauce if needed.
- Meal Prep Tip: Leftover chicken bites reheat well, making them a great option for weekly meal prep. Serve with your favorite sides for a quick lunch or dinner.
- Use both butter and olive oil when searing the chicken. The butter adds flavor, while the olive oil helps prevent burning at high temperatures, giving you that perfect golden sear.
- Cut the chicken into even pieces and cook just until it reaches 165°F. Overcooking can dry it out quickly, so use a meat thermometer if you have one. If you’re using chicken thighs instead of breasts, remember they need a few extra minutes to cook through.
- Let the chicken sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes and pat it dry with a paper towel before cooking. This helps the chicken sear evenly and develop that perfect golden crust.
- Love extra sauce? Double the butter and garlic. For a creamy twist, stir in a splash of heavy cream or a handful of grated parmesan cheese to make the sauce even richer.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 597kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 91g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 295mg | Sodium: 786mg | Potassium: 1605mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 666IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg
Easy and very good!!