Description
Tender chicken bites glazed in a rich, garlicky butter sauce with a kick of heat from red pepper flakes, perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1–1½ inch bites
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
- Lemon wedges for serving
- Optional: ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (for extra heat)
Instructions
- Pat chicken dry and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken bites in a single layer and cook until golden brown, about 3–4 minutes per side. Avoid overcrowding; cook in batches if needed.
- Remove chicken to a plate and lower heat to medium-low.
- Melt butter in the skillet; add minced garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant (do not let it brown).
- Stir in Dijon mustard, fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, red pepper flakes, smoked paprika, parsley, and thyme. (If using cayenne, add it here.)
- Return chicken to skillet; toss to coat in the sauce and simmer for an additional 1–2 minutes to meld flavors.
- Serve hot with lemon wedges.
Notes
For juicier bites, swap chicken breasts for thighs. To make it dairy-free, replace butter with olive oil and vegan butter.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Pan-frying
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 500
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 400mg
- Fat: 30g
- Saturated Fat: 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 3g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 52g
- Cholesterol: 160mg