Cozy Garlic Butter Chicken Bowls, For Two (20 Minutes!)
This dinner? It’s everything.
Cozy, obviously, because I put it in the freakin’ title. Plus it’s fast (20 minutes!), healthy (there’s spinach!) and totally, crazy easy!
So let’s eat the whole thing right now.
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Like everyone else on earth, I love a good old-fashioned comfort meal. What I don’t particularly care for, however, is the labor intensive cooking these meals typically require. Sure, pumpkin mac & cheese and cider braised pork chops are insanely delicious (#shamelesslinks), but sometimes I only have 20 minutes. And for those days when I need as cozy AF fix in a pinch, I now make this.
You start by cubing boneless, skinless chicken breasts, then tossing them in salt, pepper, and a touch of cornstarch. Next, melt salted butter in a skillet, then add sliced garlic + herbs and sauté until fragrant. The smells here are unsurprisingly enticing — savory, earthy, nutty… it’s a dream. And best of all, it takes like 12 seconds to get to.
Once the garlic is caramelized but not crispy, transfer most of the garlic butter to a clean bowl, leaving about 2 tablespoons left in the skillet. Next add in the chicken, arranging in a single layer for even cooking. Cook for 1-2 minutes on either side until no pink parts remain. And then?
Then you eat.
For my bowls I used a combination of baby spinach, corn, tomatoes, Israeli couscous, and a soft-boiled egg, because YES. Throw a damn egg on everything. What I like about this mix is that it’s comforting, yet still fresh. It isn’t day-light savings yet (the worst!), so I still need my meals with a bit of pep. The tomatoes and corn add necessary brightness while still keeping this cozy, so to me, it’s perfect. Not to mention, it all tastes great slathered with the garlic butter. Plus, the chicken cooks up lightly crisp thanks to the cornstarch, but not overly so.
It’s a little splurgey, but one you can really get away with.
Best of all, this meal is completely customizable to meet your needs. The chicken + garlic butter sauce are a must (duh), but from there? Feel free to experiment. So if you prefer a bowl with roasted sweet potato, butternut squash, farro, or brussels sprouts, DO YOU!
I won’t complain, I promise 🙂 Xo
Cozy Garlic Butter Chicken Bowls, For Two
Ingredients:
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- a few pinches of salt & pepper
- 2 tbsps cornstarch, sifted
- 1/3 cup salted butter
- 5 – 7 cloves of garlic, sliced thin
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1 tsp basil
- 4 oz baby spinach
- 1 1/2 cups corn
- 6 oz cherry tomatoes, halved
- 6 oz Israeli couscous, cooked
Directions:
- On a cutting board cut the chicken into 1/4″ cubes before transferring to a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then combine with the cornstarch, tossing until evenly coated.
- Heat a large skillet over a medium-high flame. Melt the butter, then add the garlic, oregano, and basil to the skillet. Sauté for about 3 minutes until fragrant, then transfer almost all of the garlic butter to a clean bowl, leaving about 1 – 2 tbsps in the skillet. Next, arrange the chicken inside the skillet in a single layer, then sear for 1-2 minutes on either side until cooked through.
- Divide the baby spinach between four bowls, then spoon the chicken on top of each. Add corn, tomatoes, and couscous to each bowl, then drizzle evenly with the leftover garlic butter sauce. Immediately eat!
* this recipe yields leftovers — store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
