American
Garlic Butter Chicken Bites
Small pieces of chicken seared hard, then tossed in butter, garlic, and parsley. They take less than 20 minutes and work over rice or next to a salad.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Total
- 22 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Small pieces mean a fast cook and more browned edges.
- The butter goes in at the end, so it flavors the chicken instead of burning.
- You can see when they are done. No long braise.
- The same method works for meal prep if you do not drown them in sauce.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Pat the chicken dry. Toss with salt, pepper, and paprika.
- 2
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high until it shimmers.
- 3
Add the chicken in a single layer. Leave it for 2 minutes, then stir. Cook until browned and 165°F, about 6 minutes total. Work in two batches if needed.
- 4
Lower the heat to medium. Add the butter and garlic. Toss for 45 seconds, until the garlic smells sweet and the butter coats the chicken.
- 5
Take the pan off the heat. Add the lemon juice and parsley.
- 6
Taste a piece. Add a pinch of salt if the butter dulled it.
Pro tips
- Crowding the pan is the usual failure. Two batches is faster than steaming one.
- Garlic burns in about a minute over medium. Stay with it.
- Cut the pieces the same size or the small ones dry out.
Easy substitutions
- Breasts
- Thighs, cut the same size.
- Butter
- Olive oil, though you will lose the garlic-butter flavor.
- Parsley
- Chives or a little oregano.
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Reheating
Warm in a skillet over medium-low with a teaspoon of water, just until hot.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 320
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 2 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
Moderate · Stovetop · High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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