Tuesday evening hit different last month when I realized I had exactly 30 minutes before oliver's piano lesson and absolutely nothing planned for dinner. I opened the fridge and found chicken breasts, butter, and a bag of egg noodles in the pantry. My mind went straight to chicken with buttered noodles - that simple, comforting meal my mom used to make when life got hectic.
oliver was doing homework at the kitchen table when the smell of garlic butter hit him. He looked up and said, "Mom, that smells like Grandma's house!" Twenty-five minutes later, we were twirling forks through tender noodles coated in golden butter with perfectly seasoned chicken on top. He cleaned his entire plate without me asking once.
Why This Chicken with Buttered Noodles Works
This easy chicken with buttered noodles has become our rescue meal for crazy evenings. It uses basic ingredients you probably have on hand, comes together in one pan, and tastes like you put in way more effort than you did. oliver loves the buttery noodles (what kid doesn't?), and I love that I can get a hot, homemade dinner on the table faster than ordering takeout. The combination of tender chicken and rich, garlicky noodles feels like a warm hug after a long day.
Jump to:
- Why This Chicken with Buttered Noodles Works
- Chicken with Buttered Noodles Ingredients
- How To Make Chicken with Buttered Noodles
- Substitutions
- Chicken with Buttered Noodles Variations
- Equipment For Chicken with Buttered Noodles
- Storing Your Chicken with Buttered Noodles
- Top Tip
- FAQ
- Weeknight Winner!
- Related
- Pairing
- Chicken with Buttered Noodles
Chicken with Buttered Noodles Ingredients
The Chicken:
- 1½ pounds boneless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
The Noodles:
- 12 ounces egg noodles
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
For Finishing:
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
How To Make Chicken with Buttered Noodles
Season and Cook the Chicken
- Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels
- Season both sides generously with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika
- Heat olive oil in large deep skillet over medium-high heat
- Add chicken breasts when oil shimmers
- Cook for 6 to 7 minutes on first side without moving
- Flip and cook another 6 to 7 minutes until golden
- Check internal temperature reaches 165°F
- Remove chicken to plate and tent with foil to keep warm
Build the Butter Sauce
- Reduce heat to medium and add butter to same skillet
- Let butter melt and bubble gently
- Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant
- Don't let garlic brown or it turns bitter
- Scrape up any browned bits from chicken for extra flavor
Cook the Noodles
- Pour chicken broth into skillet with garlic butter
- Bring to a boil over medium-high heat
- Add egg noodles and stir to coat with butter
- Reduce heat to medium and cover with lid
- Cook for 8 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally
- Noodles will absorb liquid as they cook
- Add splash more broth if mixture looks too dry
Finish and Serve
- Noodles should be tender and coated in buttery sauce
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper
- Slice cooked chicken into strips
- Arrange chicken over buttery noodles
- Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese
- Add chopped fresh parsley for color
- Serve immediately while hot
Substitutions
Through feeding different preferences, these substitutions work great:
Protein Options:
- Chicken thighs → Chicken breasts
- Pork chops → Chicken
- Shrimp → Chicken
- Tofu → Chicken (for vegetarian version)
Noodle Choices:
- Fettuccine → Egg noodles
- Linguine → Egg noodles
- Penne → Egg noodles
- Gluten-free pasta → Regular noodles
Butter Alternatives:
- Ghee → Regular butter
- Plant-based butter → Dairy butter
- Olive oil → Half the butter (less rich)
- Coconut oil → Butter (different flavor)
Broth Options:
- Vegetable broth → Chicken broth
- Bone broth → Regular broth
- White wine + water → All broth
- Water with bouillon → Boxed broth
Chicken with Buttered Noodles Variations
Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Noodles
- Double the garlic for garlic lovers
- Stir in heavy cream for creamy sauce
- Add extra Parmesan cheese throughout
- Top with crispy garlic breadcrumbs
- This creamy chicken and noodles version is restaurant-quality
- oliver requests this for his birthday dinner
Lemon Herb Chicken with Buttered Noodles
- Add lemon zest and juice to butter sauce
- Toss in fresh herbs like basil and thyme
- Use white wine instead of some broth
- Lighter and brighter for spring dinners
- Feels fancy but stays simple
Mushroom Garlic Butter Noodles with Chicken
- Sauté sliced mushrooms after cooking chicken
- Add to garlic butter before noodles
- Use mixture of cremini and shiitake
- Earthy and deeply satisfying
- Perfect comfort food for cold nights
One-Pan Chicken with Creamy Buttered Noodles
- Stir in cream cheese at the end
- Add frozen peas during last 2 minutes
- Top with crispy fried onions
- Complete meal in one skillet
- Even easier cleanup than the original
Equipment For Chicken with Buttered Noodles
- Large 12-inch deep skillet with lid
- Kitchen tongs for chicken
- Wooden spoon for stirring
- Instant-read thermometer
- Cheese grater
Storing Your Chicken with Buttered Noodles
Based on handling leftovers (when there are any), here's what works:
Best Fresh
- Serve chicken and noodles immediately for best texture
- Fresh made noodles are silkiest and most buttery
- Chicken stays juiciest when just cooked
- Butter sauce coats noodles perfectly when hot
Refrigerator Storage
- Cool completely before storing in airtight container
- Keep up to 3 days in refrigerator
- Store chicken and noodles together or separately
- Noodles will absorb butter as they sit
- Reheat gently on stovetop with splash of broth
- Add pat of butter when reheating to refresh
Not Freezer Friendly
- Buttered noodles don't freeze well
- Texture becomes gummy and separates when thawed
- Chicken can get rubbery after freezing
- Best to make only what you'll eat fresh
Quick Reheat Method
- Add leftovers to skillet with 2 tablespoons butter
- Heat over medium-low stirring gently
- Add splash of chicken broth to loosen noodles
- Takes just 5 minutes to refresh
- Tastes nearly as good as fresh made
Top Tip
- For months, getting oliver to eat dinner without complaining felt like an Olympic sport. He'd push food around his plate, take tiny bites, and announce he wasn't hungry (until bedtime snack requests started). I was running out of ideas and patience.
- One particularly rough evening, I decided to make the plainest thing I could think of - chicken with buttered noodles. No fancy seasonings, no vegetables hiding in the dish, just simple comfort food. I set his plate down expecting the usual protests.
- Instead, he picked up his fork and started eating. And kept eating. He finished his entire portion without a single complaint. "Mom, why don't we have this more?" he asked, actually asking for seconds. I nearly cried.
- Turns out, sometimes kids just want simple food that tastes good. Now when dinner feels like a battle, I remember that night. We've branched out since then - he'll try vegetables if they're on the side, and he's more adventurous with flavors. But this dish? It's still his "favorite dinner that's not pizza," and that's a win I'll take any day.
FAQ
What is chicken with buttered noodles?
Chicken with buttered noodles is a simple comfort food dish featuring seasoned chicken breast served over egg noodles tossed in garlic butter sauce. It's a classic family-friendly meal that combines tender, juicy chicken with rich, buttery pasta. The dish typically includes Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs for extra flavor, creating an easy weeknight dinner that tastes homemade.
What kind of chicken works best for this recipe?
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best for this buttery chicken pasta because they cook quickly and slice beautifully. Chicken thighs are also excellent if you prefer darker meat - they stay juicier and have more flavor. For the easiest version, use rotisserie chicken and skip the cooking step entirely. Just shred it and warm it in the butter sauce.
How can I make buttered noodles more flavorful?
Make buttered noodles more flavorful by cooking them in chicken broth instead of water, adding plenty of fresh garlic to the butter, and finishing with Parmesan cheese. Try adding lemon zest, fresh herbs like parsley or basil, or a pinch of red pepper flakes. The key is using real butter (not margarine) and seasoning generously with salt and pepper.
What side dishes go well with chicken and buttered noodles?
This chicken and egg noodles dish pairs well with simple sides like roasted broccoli, green beans, or a crisp garden salad. Garlic bread or crusty rolls are perfect for soaking up extra butter sauce. For a complete meal, add steamed asparagus or sautéed spinach. Since the main dish is rich, keep sides light and vegetable-focused for balance.
Weeknight Winner!
Now you've got everything you need to make the easiest chicken with buttered noodles - from proper chicken cooking to our one-pan method. This chicken and noodles comfort food proves that simple ingredients can create something truly satisfying.
Craving more easy dinner winners? Try our Healthy Amish Hamburger Steak Bake Recipe for a hearty meal the whole family loves. Looking for something lighter? Our Healthy Korean Ground Beef Bowl is packed with flavor and ready in 20 minutes. Need a fun twist on dinner? Check out our Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Pitas Recipe that makes weeknight cooking a breeze!
Share your Chicken with Buttered Noodles success! Tag @SarahAndoliverKitchen and #ComfortDinner. We love seeing your family meals!
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Related
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Pairing
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chicken with Buttered Noodles
Chicken with Buttered Noodles
Equipment
- 1 12-inch deep skillet with lid (Large enough to hold noodles and sauce)
- 1 Kitchen tongs (For turning chicken)
- 1 Wooden spoon (For stirring)
- 1 Instant-read thermometer (To check internal temperature)
- 1 Cheese grater (For fresh Parmesan)
Ingredients
The Chicken
- 1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil - For cooking chicken
The Noodles
- 12 ounces egg noodles
- 4 tablespoons butter - Use real butter for best flavor
- 4 cloves fresh garlic - Minced
- 2 cups chicken broth - Can substitute with vegetable broth
- 0.5 teaspoon salt - To taste
For Finishing
- 0.5 cup grated Parmesan cheese - Freshly grated
- 0.25 cup fresh parsley - Chopped
- 0.25 teaspoon red pepper flakes - Optional, for heat
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest - Adds freshness
Instructions
- Season and cook chicken breasts until golden and fully cooked.
- Melt butter, sauté garlic, and scrape browned bits to build flavor.
- Simmer egg noodles in broth until tender and coated in sauce.
- Slice chicken, combine with noodles, and garnish with Parmesan and herbs.
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