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Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine

Cowboy butter chicken linguine is a bold, herb-spiced pasta dinner with seared chicken strips and a glossy cowboy butter sauce. Linguine is tossed with lemon juice, Dijon, and a mix of smoked paprika and cayenne for a vivid, aromatic bowl.
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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: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

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

Method
 

Sear the chicken
  1. Season the chicken strips with salt, black pepper, and Cajun seasoning. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat until shimmering, then sear the chicken for 4-5 minutes until charred and cooked through and remove to a plate.
Build the cowboy butter sauce
  1. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring until fragrant.
  2. Stir in Dijon mustard, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper, then cook for 30 seconds to bloom the spices.
  3. Stir in fresh lemon juice, parsley, and chives, then toss to combine and keep the sauce gently bubbling.
Toss and serve
  1. Add the cooked linguine to the skillet and toss with the cowboy butter sauce. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce so it clings to the noodles.
  2. Add the seared chicken strips on top so they’re fanned over the pasta. Serve immediately while the sauce is glossy.

Notes

Pro tip: Reserve pasta water before draining—start with a splash and toss until the sauce turns silky and coats the linguine. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because the lemony butter sauce can separate when reheated. For a lighter option, use 3 tbsp butter plus 3 tbsp olive oil for the sauce to reduce saturated fat without changing the flavor profile.