Garlic Butter Chicken Bites and Asparagus – So much flavor and so easy to throw together, this chicken and asparagus recipe is a winner for dinnertime! Chicken bites are so juicy, tender, and delicious you’ll eat them hot right off the pan! This low carb, keto-friendly one-pan chicken dinner is ready in under 30 minutes. If you’re super hungry, serve the garlic butter chicken bites on top of cauliflower rice, it makes a super healthy dinner idea everyone will love. Enjoy!
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Ingredients list for the Garlic Butter Chicken Bites and Asparagus
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 2 bunch of asparagus, rinsed and trimmed
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce, optional (we used Sriracha)
- 1/2 cup (125ml) low-sodium chicken broth
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
- Crushed red chili pepper flakes, optional
- Slices of lemon, for garnish
For the chicken seasoning:
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Directions
1. To prepare the chicken bites recipe and asparagus in garlic butter sauce: Start to slice chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks and season with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Let sit in a shallow plate while you prepare the asparagus.
2. Wash and trim the ends of the asparagus, then blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes, then soak in ice water to stop the cooking asparagus. This way, asparagus will cook faster and evenly in the skillet. You can skip this step if you have skinny asparagus. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat half butter and olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Gently stir-fry the chicken bites on all sides until golden brown. Lower the temperature, add one teaspoon minced garlic and Italian seasoning and stir and cook with chicken bites until fragrant. Remove the chicken bites from the skillet and set aside to a plate. You might have to work in batches to avoid crowding the pan and have steamed chicken bites instead of brown.
4. In the same skillet over medium-high, add minced garlic then deglaze with chicken broth (or wine). Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce to half the volume. Add remaining butter, lemon juice, hot sauce, parsley. Give a quick stir to combine.
5. Add the blanched asparagus and toss for 2 minutes to cook it up. Add the sauteed chicken bites back to the pan and stir for another minute to reheat. Garnish the chicken and asparagus with more parsley, crushed chili pepper, and lemon slices and serve your garlic butter chicken bites and asparagus immediately. Enjoy!
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Tips for the chicken and asparagus recipe
This one-pan garlic butter chicken bites and asparagus recipe is full of rich, buttery herb flavors with both chicken and asparagus all cooked in one skillet for quick, easy prep and cleanup. This healthy chicken recipe for dinner is low in carbs, gluten-free, and compatible with the Keto diet. Here are a few tips so you can make the most of this delicious chicken dinner recipe:
- Depending on the thickness of your asparagus, you might want to skip blanching.
- You can enrich the sauce by adding some white wine.
- Do not overcrowd the pan when cooking the chicken bites. Proceed by batches, so each chicken bite has this delicious crisp golden crust!
- For a variant of the chicken recipe, you can use whole chicken tenders instead. They’re delicious, and you can skip the cutting board! Check this chicken tenders recipe for inspiration.
Can I use other veggies than asparagus for this chicken recipe?
If you don’t like asparagus, or couldn’t find some, replace them with green beans, broccoli, zucchini, or even cauliflower rice!
How long should I cook the chicken bites?
While a whole chicken breast must reach an internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC), smaller bits will reach this temperature quicker – in a matter of 5 or 6 minutes, depending on how you cut the chicken pieces. Make sure to brown the chicken bites nicely. Proceed in batches if necessary, so you won’t crowd the pan and get steamed chicken bites.
What other readers say about this chicken and asparagus recipe
“Made this exactly as the recipe called for. Blanched the asparagus before throwing them in the pan. Made it with jasmine rice. Will definitely make this again. Winner, winner chicken dinner!” – Ashley
“I’ve made this chicken recipe at least 10xs. It’s one of my family’s favorites. I also add mushrooms and a little Worcestershire and low sodium soy sauce.” – Keri
“Delicious! We loved it! This is a keeper. I did only use 3/4 or the seasoning for the chicken, other than that; I did everything the same.” – Jessica
“Holy cow!!! This chicken recipe was amazing. My husband devoured it and had seconds.” – Krystal
More one-pan chicken recipes you might like
- Garlic Butter Chicken with Spinach and Bacon
- Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken and Green Beans Skillet
- Salsa Fresca Chicken Bake
- Garlic Butter Chicken and Potatoes Skillet
Photo credit: © Eatwell101.com
Leave a Reply
CJ
2021-06-09 20:08:18
Made this recipe and it’s delicious! I also paired with mashed cauliflower, will definitely make again in the future.
Tricia
2021-04-25 15:53:17
I made this with long stemmed broccoli instead of asparagus (not a fan). I also let it soak at the end for 5 minutes to cook the broccoli more. It tastes divine and I will definitely put this in my cookbook to use again.
Isabella
2021-04-18 18:16:55
This dish is so tasty, will definitely be making it again. I paired it with targets brand of a multi rice mix to have a little more of a side, it tasted absolutely amazing
Jessice
2021-03-28 17:17:24
This turned out amazing! Both my picky eaters -husband and eight year old son- gobbled it up!
Pam
2021-03-24 19:40:28
Used my big ole cast iron skillet, split production into two phases as recommended, and still found the chicken could not brown at medium low, (I wondered initially, but tried to stay faithful). Best to up that to medium or medium high - chicken should be past the point where it sticks to the pan and the sear allows it to release easily for a flip, I'm guessing because too late for me, can't go back from there, lol. Maybe the medium low is a typo? That just served to stew the chicken bites into toughness.
Ayden
2021-03-08 11:00:42
This meal is so delicious, I would definitely recommend it. It is fast and easy to make.
Susan
2021-03-07 19:13:54
I pinned this recipe a while ago and finally got around to making it. Why oh why did I wait so long?!! Made it exactly as is and it was sooo good! Used herbs de Provence (heaven on earth). 😇 Noticed a few reviews indicating that the chicken didn’t brown- possibly didn’t use a cast iron skillet?
k
2021-02-17 19:42:39
the chicken did not want to brown for me, had to put it on high for it to cook better
Margaux
2021-02-14 17:44:52
This recipe is delicious! I had fresh basil I used instead of parsely. Yummy!
Laura
2021-02-13 17:15:38
I have made this multiple times, but used green beans instead. I was unable to get organic asparagus at the time. Needless to say, this is now one of my kids and husbands favorite chicken dishes. One question. Do you have the calories calculated for the recipe?
Liv
2021-02-01 15:33:55
I don't have lemon could I still make this?
Megan
2021-01-25 13:00:52
I’m only a couple weeks into a modified keto diet and this was amazing! The flavors are so good! It’s a large meal and tastes just as great as leftovers.
melisa.masri@gmail.com
2021-01-24 20:22:09
I made 2 versions of this- one for the meat eaters in my family following the recipe above- they loved it. I also made another version with vegan butter and Lightlife Smart Chicken Tenders and that was amazing as well. Thanks for this!
Katie
2021-01-12 09:44:41
Fiancé and I loved the recipe! We used broccoli instead of asparagus because that’s what we had on hand but it worked great! I wish I had used less butter because it was a lot but it was delicious. Will definitely adjust the amount next time.
Suzanne
2021-01-06 12:54:40
Excellent recipe with loads of flavor and spice. It makes a LOT of asparagus per serving, which did not excite the children so much. Tasted great with rice.
Rhonda
2021-01-03 22:43:10
The whole family thought it was definitely a keeper. I cut back the butter to 2 Tbl. Added mushrooms sautéed in the garlic butter sauce for 2 minutes. Served with a side of quinoa and wild rice.
FP
2020-11-07 10:34:42
Delicious recipe! Cut down on the butter a lot though! Initially used only 2 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil and didn't add more butter or oil after that. Didn't really need it!
