Creamy Chicken Buttered Noodles Recipe
Chicken Buttered Noodles is a comforting and creamy pasta dish featuring tender, seasoned chicken breasts cooked in a rich garlic butter sauce with thyme, combined with egg noodles and a touch of heavy cream. This easy stovetop recipe is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner that’s both flavorful and satisfying.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme)
Pasta
- 8 oz (about 225g) egg noodles or your preferred pasta
Butter Sauce
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth (preferably low-sodium)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley (or fresh parsley for garnish)
Optional Toppings
- Grated parmesan cheese
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breasts generously with salt, black pepper, and dried thyme on both sides.
- Sear the Chicken: Add the chicken breasts to the hot skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and fully cooked (internal temperature reaches 165°F or 75°C). Remove chicken and let rest briefly. Slice into thin strips or bite-sized pieces once cooled slightly.
- Cook the Noodles: While the chicken cooks, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add egg noodles and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain noodles, reserving about ½ cup of pasta cooking water.
- Make the Butter Sauce: Reduce heat to medium and melt the butter in the same skillet used for chicken, scraping up browned bits. Add minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, taking care not to burn.
- Add Broth and Cream: Pour in chicken broth and bring to a simmer, cooking for 3-4 minutes to reduce slightly. Stir in heavy cream and simmer another 3-4 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.
- Toss Noodles in Sauce: Add drained noodles to skillet and gently toss to coat in the butter sauce. If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a little at a time to loosen.
- Add Chicken: Return sliced chicken to skillet and toss with noodles to combine and warm through, allowing flavors to meld.
- Season and Garnish: Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with parsley and optional red pepper flakes for heat.
- Serve: Serve hot, topped with grated parmesan cheese if desired for extra richness.
Notes
- Use fresh thyme instead of dried for a more vibrant herb flavor.
- Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency easily without diluting flavor.
- For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or milk, but sauce will be less rich.
- Leftover chicken can be substituted with rotisserie chicken to save time.
- Customize heat level by adjusting or omitting red pepper flakes.
Keywords: chicken buttered noodles, creamy chicken pasta, garlic butter sauce, egg noodles recipe, easy chicken dinner
