This 4-Ingredient Chicken Got Me Out of My Dinner Rut
Dear Dinner Therapist: At the end of the day I am tired from working full time. I love recipes that can be customized easily but don’t love flavor. I need ideas that I can use time and time again that don’t require expensive ingredients that eat up my limited budget. — Matt
Matt: I’ve found that having one or two really solid go-to easy weeknight recipes in my back pocket make the lift of getting dinner on the table feel more doable. I think the best bet to get you going is a spring-y garlic butter chicken and asparagus skillet. At the core, it’s a one-pan chicken dinner that comes together with four basic ingredients (not counting oil, salt, and pepper, which we’ll assume you have in the pantry already), and gets finished with a rich garlic butter sauce to keep things interesting and delicious. While the garlic butter adds plenty of flavor, it’s certainly not assertive or overpowering.
And because there’s lots of flexibility to customize this skillet dinner, think of this more as a template than a recipe that’s set in stone. Try some edits to make it just the way you like it, and you’ll see that after coming back and cooking this a few times, you won’t need more than a glance at the recipe.
Why You’ll Love It
Flavorful but not overpowering. The richness of garlic butter takes mild-mannered chicken up a notch, so it’s extra delicious but not bogged down with any overpowering flavors.
Perfect for weeknights. This dinner checks all the boxes for weeknight cooking: four main ingredients, one skillet, about 10 minutes of easy up-front prep, and a 20-minute cook time. Plus it comes together with all basic ingredients, nothing fancy or pricey.
Customize just the way you like it. Start by choosing the boneless cut of chicken you prefer, and feel free to use more or less garlic depending on your taste. Add spicy heat with some red pepper flakes, sprinkle in your favorite seasoning blend, or try adding a squeeze of lemon at the end.
Key Ingredients in Garlic Butter Chicken and Asparagus
Boneless chicken: Both chicken breast and chicken thighs (a great budget-friendly option) work well here and require about the same cooking time, so use what you prefer or already have on hand.
Asparagus: You’ll use the whole bunch of asparagus here. The thickness of the asparagus will determine its cook time, with thick spears taking a minute or two more.
Butter: Stick with unsalted butter so you can adjust the level of seasoning to your liking.
Garlic: Use fresh garlic, as it will give the skillet the best flavor.
How to Make Garlic Butter Chicken and Asparagus
Sear the chicken. Working in two batches, sear the chicken until browned on two sides, then transfer onto a plate.
Par-cook the asparagus. Add the trimmed asparagus in an even layer. Cover and cook until not quite crisp-tender. If the asparagus doesn’t fit in a single layer, rotate them halfway through.
Finish in garlic-butter sauce. Melt the butter in the skillet, then return the chicken and add the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the asparagus is bright green and crisp-tender.
Helpful Swaps
If you want even more flavor, try low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth instead of water.
Vegetables like green beans, snap peas, and broccolini have a similar cook time, and would also work really nicely here.
Dinner Therapist is my column dedicated to solving your dilemmas around the most important — but let’s be honest, sometimes most dreaded — meal of the day. Prepping dinner night after night can be so hard. Here, I deliver practical and hopefully fun advice to make cooking less complicated and more enjoyable. Follow along for all the recipes. Got your own dinner struggles? We want to hear from you! Fill out this super-quick form for your chance to be featured in an upcoming column.
Garlic Butter Chicken and Asparagus Recipe
One pan, four ingredients, cooks in 20 minutes — it checks all the boxes.
Prep time 10 minutes to 15 minutes
Cook time 20 minutes to 25 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or a combination, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1/4 cup water
1 bunch asparagus (about 1 pound), trimmed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Finely chopped fresh parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Pat 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Season all over with 3/4 teaspoon of the kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a 12-inch or larger cast-iron or stainless steel skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add half of the chicken in a single layer. Cook until golden-brown on the bottom and the chicken easily releases from the pan, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the second side, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate (it may not be cooked through).
Heat the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil in the skillet and repeat browning the remaining chicken. Transfer to the plate.
Add 1/4 cup water and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt to the skillet and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Add 1 bunch trimmed asparagus in an even layer. Cover and cook until almost crisp-tender, stirring halfway through, 1 to 3 minutes total.
Add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter. When melted, return the chicken and any accumulated juices on the plate to the skillet. Stir in 4 minced garlic cloves and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes if using. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the asparagus is bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes more. Garish with chopped fresh parsley leaves if desired.
Recipe Notes
Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Further Reading
The “Beautiful” $3 Flower Tumblers at Walmart People Are Buying 2 at a Time
The One Cookware Brand That Gordon Ramsay Can’t Stop Talking About
