Description
Creamy, garlicky, slightly spicy Cowboy Butter Garlic Chicken Tortellini with Fire-Roasted Red Peppers—a 30-minute skillet dinner that tastes restaurant-level but cooks like a weeknight hero.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
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1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
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1 tbsp olive oil
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Salt and black pepper, to taste
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1/2 tsp smoked paprika
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1/4 tsp garlic powder
For the Cowboy Butter Sauce
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4 tbsp butter
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3 cloves garlic, minced
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1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (more or less to taste)
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Juice of 1/2 lemon
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1 tbsp Dijon mustard
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1/2 tsp paprika
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1/2 tsp onion powder
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1/2 tsp dried thyme
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Salt and pepper, to taste
For the Pasta
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1 (9 oz) package cheese tortellini
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3/4 cup heavy cream
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1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
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1/2 cup chopped fire-roasted red peppers
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1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley (garnish)
Instructions
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Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook tortellini according to package directions until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving about 1/2 cup pasta water.
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Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and season with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Cook 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through. Transfer chicken to a plate.
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Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet and scrape up the browned bits. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
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Stir in red pepper flakes, lemon juice, Dijon, paprika, onion powder, thyme, plus a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook 1–2 minutes.
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Pour in heavy cream and stir until smooth. Add chopped fire-roasted red peppers and simmer 2–3 minutes, until slightly thickened.
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Return chicken to the skillet, then add tortellini. Toss to coat. Stir in Parmesan until melted and glossy. If needed, add a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
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Serve warm and garnish with parsley (and an extra squeeze of lemon if you love a bright finish).
Notes
Want it milder? Cut the red pepper flakes in half. Want it bolder? Add a pinch more and call it cowboy-approved.
If the sauce thickens too much while sitting, reheat with a splash of cream, milk, or pasta water.
Chicken thighs work great here too—extra juicy and forgiving.
Fresh-grated Parmesan melts smoother, but the pre-grated kind still gets the job done on busy nights.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet / Stovetop
- Cuisine: American-italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 730 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 900 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Saturated Fat: 22 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 16 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 45 g
- Cholesterol: 175 mg