Easy Brown Butter Chicken Bites Recipe

Name: Easy Brown Butter Chicken Bites Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 3 chicken breasts; 1 tsp Kosher salt; ½ tsp ground black pepper; 2 tbsp flour; 6 tbsp butter; 1 tbsp garlic (minced); 2 tbsp fresh sage (minced)

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This easy Brown Butter Chicken Bites Recipe is a super simple one pan dinner recipe that will be done in just 20 minutes! Start with chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces, then cook them in a skillet with butter to soak up all that nutty flavor. Add fresh sage and garlic for a delicious burst of flavor that both kids and adults alike will love!

This meal is an excellent option to keep in your back pocket for those nights when you forgot to plan dinner. Plus we include lots of side dish ideas to this meal complete.

An overhead view of half of a white plate full of rice and seared chicken pieces with forks in the top corner of the photo and sage leaves in the bottom right corner.

If you're looking for an easy main course, pan seared chicken bites is the answer! Variations of this are made on repeat in our family, and in my experience it just takes a few specific tips to go from average to truly delicious. The star of this recipe is brown butter- an ingredient we love so much that we made a full collection of Brown Butter Recipes to enjoy.

This chicken chunks recipe was inspired by our very own Skillet Sage Brown Butter Chicken. I also highly recommend this Skillet Apricot Chicken if you need more dinner recipes!

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Why this recipe is great
Ingredients for brown butter chicken bites
Helpful tools
How to make chicken bites
Variations
Serving ideas
Storage and reheating tips
FAQs
Tips & Tricks
More chicken dinner recipes
Recipe
Comments

Why this recipe is great

It's on the table in 20 minutes! Perfect for busy weeknights.
It's flavorful and made with very simple ingredients.
The bite-sized pieces are easy to eat (no extra cutting required).
It goes with so many different side dishes!
It's healthy and packed with protein.

Ingredients for brown butter chicken bites

You will only need 7 ingredients (including salt and pepper).... so this will be a breeze! You probably have everything on hand, but here are a few quick suggestions.

Cut chicken breast, flour, salt, pepper, minced garlic, butter, and sage leaves on a white counter top.

Boneless skinless chicken breast: The higher quality your meat, the better this dish will turn out. I try to avoid really large breasts because the texture is never as good, in my opinion. You can cut up chicken tenders instead, if that's what you have.
Kosher salt: This is our everyday salt. Iodized table salt doesn't have the same flavor or saltiness.
Ground black pepper: You can use a pepper grinder or buy it ground.
All purpose flour: Just the tiniest layer helps create a golden brown sear and gives the sauce something to stick to.
Butter: I highly suggest salted butter because that is where most of the flavor is coming from. Olive oil and avocado oil are not good substitutes because they won't develop the same flavor.
Fresh minced garlic: I buy it minced, but if you have whole cloves you can use a garlic press.
Fresh sage: Dried sage is really not as impactful in this case, and it won't crisp up (which is my favorite part!). I suggest buying it fresh, washing it, and patting it dry before mincing.

Helpful tools

How to make chicken bites

Start by cutting the chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. It's important for them to be as even as possible so that they cook at the same speed. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper and let it sit for about 5 minutes (this is like a shortcut dry brine, which can help keep it juicy and flavorful).

Raw pieces of chicken on a white cutting board dusted with flour and pepper.

After 5 minutes, sprinkle the flour on top of the chicken pieces and toss it well, until all the pieces are lightly coated. You can do this on a large plate, in a large bowl, or right on the cutting board.

Raw chunks of chicken cooking in a black skillet with melted butter.

In a 12 inch non-stick skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Once it is melted, add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes. Resist the urge to stir because the key to getting it golden brown is to leave it completely untouched while it cooks.

Chunks of lightly seared chicken cooking in a black skillet with minced garlic and herbs sprinkled on top.

Flip the pieces over, then immediately sprinkle the garlic and sage around the skillet. Swirl everything around to evenly disribute it, then continue to cook for 2-3 minutes wihtout touching the chicken. Once the meat is cooked through and the butter is a deep color with lots of browned bits, remove the pan from the heat and serve immediately.

Variations

Use different fresh herbs! Sage is especially flavorful, but you could also try thyme, rosemary, or a combo of all three.
Sprinkle the top with freshly grated parmesan cheese right before serving.
Increase the garlic for garlic lovers!
Try boneless skinless chicken thighs instead. You'll want to trim off the extra fat, and you'll need to slightly increase the cooking time.

Serving ideas

This chicken bites recipe can be served with any of your favorite sides for a perfect dinner! Here are some of my go to ideas.

White rice or brown butter rice pilaf (follow this guide for how to freeze rice to make it ahead!)
Crispy Oven Roasted Potatoes
Easy Maple Brussels Sprouts
Garlic Parmesan Roasted Carrots
Pull Apart Bread (with frozen dough)
Simple green salad (leftovers would be great on top of a salad too!)

Storage and reheating tips

This meal is the most tender and juicy when served fresh. However, if you have leftovers you can store them in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for 3-5 days.

I suggest reheating them in a hot skillet with a little extra butter to restore some of the original goodness! You can also use the microwave. Either way, the key is to avoid overheating them so that they don't completely dry out.

FAQs

Can I prep this recipe ahead?

This one really is ideal to serve fresh right out of the pan. But the good news is you can cut and freeze the raw chicken in a freezer-safe bag ahead of time. Then simply thaw at room temperature and cook as directed. This will get dinner on the table extra quick!

How do I keep the chicken tender and juicy?

My first tip to avoid dry chicken is to salt the meat and allow it to sit for a few minutes before you coat it in flour. The salt helps with juiciness! Second, be very careful not to overcook it. Use a digital thermometer and remove it from the heat as soon as the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.

Should I pound my chicken breast?

In this case you do not need to pound the meat since you are cutting it into small pieces. However, if your chicken breasts are very uneven and you feel that pounding them slightly would help you cut evenly sized pieces, then you can. Just be careful not to over do it, since you want to keep the final pieces in 1in x 1in cubes.

Can I use a cast iron pan?

Yes, you can make this in a large cast iron skillet. However, since cast iron retains heat more than a non-stick pan, you will want to keep the heat a bit lower to avoid burning it. I would start on medium heat and turn it up slightly if the meat isn't browning after 3-4 minutes.

An overhead shot of a black skillet with browned, glossy chicken with white plates, silver forks, a green towel, and sage leaves on the right side of the pan.

Tips & Tricks

Use paper towels to pat the chicken breast dry before cutting and adding the seasonings.
Allow the salt to sit for a full 5 minutes before you start cooking.
Move the chicken as little as possible while it is cooking. This is the trick to getting it nice and golden!
Use salted butter for extra tasty flavor.

More chicken dinner recipes

Looking for more like this? Try these:

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