Easy Garlic Butter Chicken Skillet (20-Minute Meal) Step-by-step instructions

Before you start

Before turning on the stove, gather all your ingredients and complete the prep work. Cut the chicken breasts into uniform one-inch cubes and pat them completely dry with paper towels to ensure a proper sear. Mince the garlic cloves finely and chop the fresh parsley.

Measure out the butter and creamy orange sauce so they are ready to go, as this recipe moves very quickly once the skillet is hot. Keep the raw chicken refrigerated until the exact moment you are ready to cook it.

Instructions

Searing the Chicken

1. 1Melt the Butter
   Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, swirling to coat the bottom of the pan.
   Look for The skillet is ready when the butter is fully melted and starts to foam slightly.
   Tip Make sure the chicken is patted dry with paper towels before cooking so it sears instead of steaming.
2. 2Brown the Chicken
   Add the chicken bites to the hot skillet in a single layer. Sear without moving for 3 to 4 minutes until a deep golden crust forms, then flip and sear for another 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.
   Look for The chicken bites should be beautifully browned on the outside but not fully cooked through yet.
   Tip Do not crowd the pan; cook the chicken in batches if your skillet is not large enough to leave space.

At the end of this phase, the chicken bites should have a beautiful, deep golden-brown crust on both sides. The skillet will have savory browned bits stuck to the bottom, and the kitchen will smell incredibly savory. The chicken should not be fully cooked through yet, but it must have a distinct seared exterior. Make sure to transfer the chicken and any juices to a clean plate and keep them nearby.

Preparing the Creamy Garlic Sauce

3. 3Sauté the Garlic
   Reduce the skillet heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter. Once melted, add the minced garlic and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly to prevent burning.
   Look for The garlic is ready when it becomes highly fragrant and turns a light golden color.
   Tip If the skillet is too hot after searing, remove it from the heat for a minute before adding the garlic.
4. 4Pour the Sauce
   Pour the creamy orange sauce into the skillet with the garlic butter, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet, then bring to a gentle simmer.
   Look for The sauce should turn a uniform, rich orange color and begin to bubble gently around the edges.
   Tip Scraping the browned bits from the skillet distributes the savory chicken drippings into the sauce.

The sauce should be a beautiful, uniform orange color, bubbling gently around the edges of the skillet. The minced garlic should be soft and fragrant without any signs of burning, and the creamy orange sauce should be fully integrated with the melted butter to create a smooth, velvety consistency. The sauce will have lifted all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, darkening slightly.

Simmering and Garnish

5. 5Simmer the Chicken
   Return the seared chicken bites and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Simmer the chicken in the bubbling garlic butter sauce for 3 to 5 minutes, spooning the sauce over the meat, until the chicken is tender and reaches a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C).
   Look for The sauce will thicken slightly and cling to the chicken, which should be cooked through.
   Safe temperature 165°F (74°C) internal temperature (poultry)
   Tip Always test the largest chicken bite with an instant-read thermometer to ensure food safety.
6. 6Garnish and Serve
   Remove the skillet from the heat. Scatter the chopped fresh parsley over the hot chicken and sauce before serving immediately.
   Look for The green parsley should provide a vibrant color contrast against the rich orange sauce.
   Tip Serve this dish straight from the cast-iron skillet to keep the food hot at the table.

The chicken bites should be completely tender and coated in a thick, glossy orange sauce that clings to the meat. Gentle steam will rise from the skillet, and the fresh green parsley scattered on top will provide a vibrant color contrast against the rich sauce.

The chicken must register a safe internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest pieces before you turn off the heat.

Common mistakes

One of the most common mistakes is crowding the skillet when searing the chicken. If the chicken pieces are packed too closely together, they will steam in their own moisture instead of searing, preventing that beautiful golden crust from forming.

Cook the chicken in batches if your skillet is not large enough to leave space between the pieces. Another mistake is letting the garlic burn; garlic cooks very quickly and becomes bitter when scorched, so keep it moving and add the sauce promptly.

How to tell it’s done

The chicken is perfectly done when the bites are tender, juicy, and no longer pink in the center. To ensure food safety, always use an instant-read digital meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the largest chicken pieces.

The thermometer must read at least 165°F (74°C) before the skillet is removed from the heat. The sauce should also be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon beautifully.

• Poultry: 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part