You know the feeling. It is 6pm, everyone is hungry, you have about thirty minutes before the entire household starts losing patience, and you need something that is actually good — not just edible, not just fast, but genuinely satisfying and worth sitting down for. This is the recipe for that exact moment.
One-Pan Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken with Egg Noodles is the kind of dinner that makes everyone at the table go quiet in the best possible way. Golden seared chicken pieces that are juicy on the inside and beautifully caramelized on the outside.
Tender egg noodles that cook right in the sauce and absorb every bit of that garlic butter cream flavor as they simmer. And that sauce — rich, silky, deeply garlicky, with just enough cream to make it feel completely indulgent without being heavy. All of it made in one pan in thirty minutes.
I made this on a Wednesday night after a twelve-hour day with nothing left in the tank and it still came together beautifully. That is the real test of a weeknight recipe for me — not how good it is when you have the time and energy, but how good it is when you have neither. This one passes every time. Let me show you exactly how to make it.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One pan means one thing to wash. The chicken gets seared in it, the sauce gets built in it, the noodles cook right in it. The whole meal comes together in the same pan from start to finish and cleanup takes five minutes. On a weeknight that alone is worth the price of admission.
- Thirty minutes start to finish. Real thirty minutes — not the aspirational kind that assumes you already have everything chopped and measured. Ten minutes of prep, twenty minutes of cooking, dinner on the table.
- That garlic butter cream sauce is outstanding. Rich and silky with a deep garlic flavor that comes from cooking the garlic in butter until fragrant, then building the sauce slowly with chicken broth and cream. It coats every noodle and every piece of chicken and makes the whole dish taste like something from a real restaurant.
- The egg noodles cook right in the sauce. This is the genius of the one-pan method. The noodles absorb the garlic butter cream as they cook and give the sauce a slight starchy thickness that makes it cling perfectly to everything in the pan. No separate pot of boiling water, no draining, no extra dishes.
- Kid approved every single time. Chicken and noodles in a creamy sauce is one of the most universally loved flavor combinations on the planet. This is the dinner that empties the pot and has everyone asking if there is more.
- Easy enough for a weeknight, impressive enough for company. This dish looks and tastes like something you put real effort into. Nobody has to know it took thirty minutes and one pan.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces — thighs are the strongly preferred choice here. Chicken thighs have more fat and connective tissue which means they stay juicy and tender even at high searing heat and through the simmering step. Chicken breasts work but they are more prone to drying out — if you use them, cut them slightly larger than you think necessary and watch the searing time carefully. Either way, cut into roughly 1 to 1.5 inch bite-sized pieces for even cooking.
- 1 tsp garlic powder — for seasoning the chicken directly. This is in addition to the fresh garlic in the sauce and the two work together at different levels of flavor.
- 1 tsp onion powder — adds savory depth to the chicken seasoning without needing to actually cook onion separately.
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika — adds a subtle smokiness and contributes to that beautiful deep golden color on the seared chicken. Regular paprika works but smoked paprika adds a dimension that is worth seeking out.
- 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper — for the chicken seasoning base.
- 2 tbsp olive oil — for searing. You need an oil with a high enough smoke point to get a proper sear on the chicken. Olive oil works well here. Do not use butter alone for searing — it burns at high heat.
For the Creamy Garlic Butter Sauce and Noodles
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter — the foundation of the sauce. Real butter only — this is not the place for substitutions. The butter and garlic cook together first and create the flavor base that everything else is built on.
- 6 cloves garlic, minced — yes, six cloves. This is a garlic butter sauce and the garlic needs to be present and assertive. Mince it fresh — jarred pre-minced garlic is convenient but the flavor is noticeably flat by comparison. Fresh garlic makes a real difference here.
- 2 cups chicken broth — low sodium preferred so you can control the salt level of the finished dish. The broth is what the egg noodles cook in and it concentrates as it simmers so starting low sodium gives you more control.
- 1 cup heavy cream — full fat heavy whipping cream. Do not substitute half-and-half or milk — they do not have enough fat to create a stable, silky sauce and can break or curdle when they hit the hot pan. Heavy cream is what gives you that luxurious, restaurant-quality sauce texture.
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning — adds herby depth to the sauce that rounds out the garlic and butter beautifully.
- 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper — for the sauce. Taste and adjust at the end.
- 8 oz wide egg noodles, uncooked — egg noodles are specifically designed for this kind of dish. They cook faster than regular pasta, absorb sauce beautifully, and have a slightly richer, more tender texture that pairs perfectly with a cream sauce. Wide egg noodles are the best choice — they hold up to the chicken and sauce without getting lost.
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese — stirred in at the end to add richness, salt, and a subtle nuttiness that makes the sauce taste more complex and complete. Freshly grated from a block melts far more smoothly than pre-shredded bagged Parmesan.
- Fresh parsley, chopped — for garnish. A handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley scattered over the top adds a pop of green color and a fresh herby note that brightens the whole rich dish.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Season and Sear the Chicken
- Combine the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and toss the chicken pieces in the seasoning until every piece is evenly coated. Do not skip this step or rush it — properly seasoned chicken is the foundation of the whole dish.
- Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the oil is hot and shimmering. You need a pan large enough to eventually hold the noodles and sauce as well — a 12-inch skillet or larger is ideal.
- Add the chicken pieces in a single layer — do not crowd the pan. Crowded chicken steams rather than sears and you lose that beautiful golden caramelization that adds so much flavor. Cook in two batches if necessary. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes per side without moving the chicken — let the pan do the work and a proper sear form before you flip.
- Remove the seared chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked through at this point — it will finish cooking in the sauce. You are looking for deep golden color on the outside, not fully cooked through.
Step 2: Build the Garlic Butter Sauce
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the same pan with all those beautiful chicken drippings still in it. Let the butter melt, then add the minced garlic and cook for 60 to 90 seconds, stirring constantly, until the garlic is fragrant and just beginning to turn golden. Do not walk away during this step — garlic goes from perfectly fragrant to burnt very quickly and burnt garlic will ruin the sauce.
- Pour in the chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Those bits are concentrated flavor — getting them incorporated into the sauce is essential. Add the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper and stir to combine.
- Pour in the heavy cream and stir until fully combined with the broth. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
Step 3: Cook the Egg Noodles in the Sauce
- Add the uncooked egg noodles directly into the simmering sauce and stir to submerge them as much as possible. The liquid may not completely cover the noodles at first — that is fine. They will soften and sink as they cook.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes to prevent the noodles from sticking to the bottom and to ensure even cooking. The noodles will absorb the sauce as they cook and the sauce will thicken and become silky as the starch from the noodles releases. Add a splash of extra chicken broth if the sauce gets too thick before the noodles are tender.
- Check the noodles for doneness — they should be tender but with just a slight bite. They will continue to soften slightly once you add the chicken back so pull them just before you think they are perfectly done.
Step 4: Bring It All Together
- Return the seared chicken to the pan, nestling the pieces down into the noodles and sauce. Stir gently to combine everything and make sure the chicken is submerged in the sauce.
- Cover and cook for another 3 to 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reached your desired consistency. If the sauce is thicker than you like, add a splash of chicken broth and stir. If it is thinner than you like, let it simmer uncovered for a couple of minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese until completely melted and incorporated. Taste the sauce and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Scatter fresh chopped parsley generously over the top and serve immediately directly from the pan.
Serving Suggestions
This dish is a complete meal all on its own but here are some ways to round out the table:
- Serve with crusty bread or garlic bread for soaking up every last bit of that garlic butter cream sauce. This is honestly the most important pairing suggestion on this list — do not serve this dish without something to mop up the sauce with. You will regret it.
- Add a simple green salad on the side. A crisp romaine or arugula salad with a light lemon vinaigrette cuts through the richness of the cream sauce beautifully and gives you a complete and balanced meal.
- Roasted asparagus or green beans on the side add color and nutrition without adding any additional cooking complexity. Roast them at 425°F while you make the chicken and they will be done at the same time.
- Serve with a glass of white wine. A crisp Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc alongside this dish is an experience. The acidity of the wine cuts through the cream and garlic and makes the whole meal feel very intentionally put together.
- Steamed broccoli stirred directly into the pan at the end of cooking is a great way to get vegetables into the meal without adding any additional dishes or steps. Add it at the same time you return the chicken to the pan.
- A sprinkle of red pepper flakes over the top at serving adds a gentle heat that plays really well against the richness of the cream sauce. Completely optional but highly recommended for anyone who likes a little warmth in their dinner.
Storage Tips
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The egg noodles will absorb more of the sauce as they sit overnight and the flavors actually deepen and improve. Day two of this dish is genuinely excellent.
- Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat with a splash of chicken broth or cream to loosen the sauce back up — it will have thickened considerably in the refrigerator. Stir frequently and heat until just warmed through. The microwave works in a pinch — add a splash of broth, cover loosely, and heat in 60-second intervals stirring between each.
- Freezer: This dish can be frozen but cream-based sauces do not always thaw beautifully — they can separate and become grainy. If you want to freeze it, let it cool completely and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat very slowly over low heat, stirring constantly and adding a splash of cream to help bring the sauce back together.
- Make-Ahead Option: The chicken can be seasoned and seared up to 24 hours ahead and stored in the refrigerator. When you are ready to make dinner, pick up from Step 2 — the sauce and noodles come together in about 15 minutes from that point. Genuinely the fastest weeknight dinner you can have when half the work is already done.
Some Dinners Just Earn Their Place in the Regular Rotation
Not every dinner recipe needs to be a project. Not every weeknight calls for something complicated or impressive. Sometimes the best thing you can make is something simple, done really well, that fills the kitchen with a smell that makes everyone wander in from the other room asking when it will be ready.
This One-Pan Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken with Egg Noodles is that dinner. Thirty minutes, one pan, and a result that feels genuinely special even on a completely ordinary Tuesday. The kind of recipe that goes into the rotation and stays there indefinitely because it never lets you down.
Make it this week and let me know in the comments what you thought. And if you make any additions or swaps that work really well — I always want to hear about those too. Tag me on Pinterest or Instagram if you make it. Happy cooking.
— Kip
One-Pan Creamy Garlic Butter Chicken with Egg Noodles (30 Minutes, One Pan, Zero Complaints)
Description
Bite-sized chicken pieces seasoned and seared until deeply golden, then simmered with egg noodles in a rich and creamy garlic butter sauce that comes together all in one pan. This is the weeknight dinner that feels indulgent, tastes like something you spent hours on, and takes exactly 30 minutes from start to finish.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
For the Sauce and Noodles:
Instructions
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Season chicken pieces with garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
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Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken in a single layer for 3 to 4 minutes per side until deeply golden. Remove and set aside.
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Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same pan. Once melted add minced garlic and cook 60 to 90 seconds until fragrant.
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Pour in chicken broth and scrape up all browned bits from the bottom. Add Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Pour in heavy cream and stir to combine. Bring to a gentle simmer.
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Add uncooked egg noodles directly into the sauce. Cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes, until noodles are just tender.
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Return seared chicken to the pan. Cover and cook another 3 to 5 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
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Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
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