Honestly, who doesn’t stare into the fridge around 5 PM wondering if they can wrangle something delicious out of thin air before everyone gets too hangry? I get it—weeknights are tough, even when you’re trying to eat clean. That’s why this Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken is my absolute go-to when I need real comfort food flavor but have zero compromises on my low-carb goals. This recipe is pure Lilya magic: taking that rich, soulful taste you crave and making it incredibly quick for tonight’s dinner. It proves that eating healthy doesn’t mean sacrificing that indulgent, buttery coating. You’re going to make this again and again, trust me!
If you want to read a bit more about how I blend that Southern upbringing with healthier eating, you can check out my story over at Top Chicken Eats.
Why This Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken Recipe Stands Out
When I say this recipe is foolproof, I mean it. It’s everything I look for in a weeknight savior: lightning fast and packed with that decadent garlic butter flavor we all love. This isn’t some fussy, low-carb attempt that tastes like cardboard. Nope! It sings, and it gets dinner on the table in barely any time at all.
- It comes together in just about 25 minutes total time. Seriously!
- The sheer intensity of the garlic and herb butter will make you forget you aren’t eating something heavy.
- It keeps your carb count happily low, making it perfect for Keto or just trying to eat cleaner.
Quick Prep for Easy High Protein Low Carb Meals
Prep time is only 10 minutes! That’s why this dish is top-tier for fitting into your busiest schedules. You can whip this up right after walking in the door. It’s one of my top secret weapons for reliable, Easy High Protein Low Carb Meals that truly feel like a treat.
Gathering Ingredients for Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken
Okay, let’s talk about what makes this Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken sing! You’ll notice the ingredient list is short, and that’s intentional. Every single item here pulls double duty to maximize flavor without adding any sneaky carbs. We need the right cut of chicken, the right fat for searing, and, of course, a hefty dose of garlic love.
When you look at the list below, pay close attention to the small prep notes—they are not suggestions, they are gospel for getting that perfect texture and making sure your chicken cooks evenly across the board. Don’t skip splitting those breasts! It sounds fussy, but trust me, it’s the secret to juicy results in under 15 minutes of cooking time.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken
Look, I want you to succeed, so let’s address the essentials. The Italian seasoning is important because it brings in those classic herbs that warm up nicely in the butter. If you don’t have it, you can mix a little dried oregano, thyme, and basil together—but try to stick close to the blend!
For the fresh herbs at the end, I usually grab parsley, but if you really love cilantro, go for it! They both bring that fresh pop needed to cut through the richness of the butter. Now, for the fat: we start with olive oil because it has a higher smoke point than butter, which we save for the sauce later. If you absolutely must swap the butter, use ghee or clarified butter for the sauce, but honestly, nothing beats real butter for that classic, creamy finish that defines great Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- 2 medium chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally (4 thin fillets total)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- To taste Salt and pepper
- Crushed red chili pepper flakes (optional, but I always use a pinch!)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3-4 garlic cloves, minced (Yes, that much! It’s garlic butter, not garlic hint!)
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, or cilantro
Step-by-Step Instructions for Perfect Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken
Alright, this is where the magic happens! Because we’re working with thin chicken fillets here—thanks to that horizontal cut we talked about—we can get incredible flavor locked in fast without overcooking the meat. If you’re looking for High Protein Dinner Ideas that taste like they came from a fancy restaurant but took, what, 20 minutes? This is it. Just keep your heat steady, and remember to have everything measured out before you even turn on the stove, because this sauce comes together in a blink!
Preparing and Searing the Chicken Fillets
First things first, make sure those chicken breasts are split horizontally into four thinner pieces. This is key! If you skip this, they take forever to cook through, and we don’t want dry chicken, ever. Once they’re sliced thin, season them up generously—Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and if you like a little kick like I do, add those chili flakes now.
Next, grab your big, sturdy pan and get that tablespoon of olive oil screaming hot over medium-high heat. We want sizzle! Lay those seasoned fillets down—don’t crowd the pan, that steams them instead of searing them. Cook them for about 3 to 4 minutes on the first side. You are looking for a beautiful, deep golden-brown crust here. Flip them over, cook for another 3 or 4 minutes, until they are mostly cooked through. Pull that beautiful chicken out and set it on a clean plate for just a minute while we make the sauce base.
Creating the Flavorful Garlic Butter Sauce
Now, this is where you have to be paying attention! Turn that heat down to low-medium. We are not trying to burn the garlic here, we’re trying to kiss it sweetly with heat. Drop your 2 tablespoons of butter straight into that pan—all those savory chicken drippings left behind are our flavor base, don’t wipe them out!
Toss in that minced garlic and the fresh herbs, plus maybe one more little pinch of chili flakes if you’re feeling brave! Stir that constantly until you can really smell that gorgeous garlic aroma—it should only take about a minute. You want it fragrant and soft, not brown and bitter. Seriously, don’t leave the stove! Once it smells amazing, nestle those seared chicken fillets right back into the pan. Spoon that incredible garlic butter sauce right over the tops one last time, let it bubble for just 1 or 2 minutes to soak in all that goodness, and you are done! Dinner is served, folks.
If you want some super easy ways to adapt this for family cooking, check out some of my tips for easy family meals—we keep the chicken flavor but sometimes swap out the sides for the little ones!
Tips for Success with Your Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken
Even though this recipe moves fast, a couple of little tricks I learned over the years from my test kitchen will make sure you nail it every single time. Remember, when you’re cooking on the lower end of the carb spectrum, you have to rely on technique to build flavor, not fillers!
Here are my must-know tips for turning this good recipe into a truly great Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken experience:
- Don’t Crowd the Pan, Ever: This is my biggest piece of advice, especially when you’re making Keto Dinner Recipes. If you stack the chicken too closely together in the pan, the temperature drops instantly. Instead of searing and getting that gorgeous light brown color, they will steam in their own juices, and you just won’t get that depth of flavor the butter relies on. If you have to cook in batches, do it! It’s worth the extra two minutes.
- Internal Temperature Matters for Safety (and Juiciness): Since we’re cutting the chicken thin, it cooks fast—watch closely! You need to ensure it hits 165°F internally. I check the thickest part of the fillet with a quick-read thermometer. If you don’t have one, check that the juices run totally clear when pierced; pale pink is a no-go, especially when aiming for Healthy High Protein Recipes.
- Butter Bloom Time: When you add the garlic and butter back into the pan, your heat needs to be low. Butter burns fast, and burnt garlic tastes bitter, which ruins the whole sauce. Let the butter melt slowly, let the garlic gently soften and release its fragrance into the fat—we aren’t trying to fry it! This slow infusion is what creates that heavenly, enveloping sauce.
- Use a Large Pan: Even if you are only making two servings, use the biggest pan you own. The space allows the heat to stay high enough to cook the chicken quickly and gives you room to swirl the sauce around at the end without splashing all that lovely garlic butter onto your stovetop.
For those days when you want to skip the stovetop altogether, I sometimes adapt this flavor profile for the air fryer! You can see my method for air fryer chicken recipes if you are looking to keep things hands-off!
Meal Planning: Serving Suggestions for Low Carb Dinner Ideas
One of the best parts about this Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken is how easily it slots into our weekly meal rotation. Since the chicken itself is so rich and decadent thanks to that heavy garlic butter, you really don’t need much else on the plate to feel satisfied. This makes it a perfect anchor for your Low Carb Dinner Ideas!
As I mention in the notes, if you are sticking strictly to Keto or very low-carb—and I know many of you lovely folks are—you need to pair this with green power. I find the rich sauce is the perfect counterpoint to something crisp and slightly bitter. This keeps the entire plate balanced and ensures you’re getting all those necessary nutrients in your Keto Dinner Recipes.
Here are some of my favorite pairings that require almost zero extra effort:
- Broccoli or Asparagus: Steam them until they are bright green and just tender-crisp. A tiny drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper is all they need. They soak up any extra garlic butter sauce from the chicken beautifully.
- Zucchini Noodles (Zoodles): This is a classic low-carb swap! You can quickly sauté your zoodles for just two minutes in a separate pan until they soften slightly. They mimic the texture of pasta perfectly without the carbs, making this feel like a full-on indulgent meal.
- Creamy Cauliflower Mash: If you’re feeling a little more ambitious on a weekend, making a simple cauliflower mash (just cauliflowers steamed and blended with cream cheese and a touch of salt) turns this into a proper comfort food plate reminiscent of steakhouse dining!
See? Easy sides! This recipe is so quick, it frees up your time to make a fantastic vegetable side, which is crucial when you are focusing on Low Carb Healthy Meals! If you’re looking for ideas for what to do with leftovers for lunch the next day, check out some of my best easy lunch ideas—maybe tossing the shredded chicken into a salad!
Storage and Reheating Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken
Even the best Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken deserves to be enjoyed twice, right? I absolutely always make sure I have leftovers because reheating this in the morning for lunch is a lifesaver when I’m busy reviewing recipes later in the day. But chicken, especially lean breast meat, can get dry fast if you reheat it wrong! We definitely don’t want that sad, tough texture when we are aiming for Low Carb Healthy Meals.
The key here is moisture retention. Since this dish is so low in carbohydrates, we can’t rely on starchy sides to soak up extra sauce; the sauce itself needs to protect that chicken!
Here is my method for handling leftovers so they taste almost as good as fresh:
- Storage: Let the chicken cool down slightly on the counter, but don’t leave it out forever! Transfer the chicken fillets and any remaining garlic butter sauce into an airtight container. I find glass containers work the best. You should be good eating these leftovers safely within 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
- The Reheat Secret: Forget the microwave if you can—it zaps moisture immediately. If you must use the microwave, use just 30-second bursts and cover the container loosely with a damp paper towel. That little bit of steam helps.
- The Best Method (Stovetop Peek): My favorite way is bringing that flavor back on the stovetop. Put the chicken in a skillet (the same one you cooked it in, if you’re washing up as you go!) over the lowest heat setting possible. Add just a teaspoon of water or broth to the pan to create steam, and cover it tightly for about 5 minutes. The gentle heat and trapped moisture rehydrates the chicken beautifully, keeping it tender.
- Serving the Reheated Dish: When you reheat those fillets, you might notice the sauce looks a little separated or thicker. No worries! Take it off the heat, stir it vigorously, and if it’s too thick, just whisk in another half teaspoon of butter or a tiny splash of heavy cream or water right at the end to bring it back to that beautiful, pourable consistency.
Follow those easy reheating steps, and you’ll have delicious leftovers ready to rock as another one of your High Protein Recipes Dinner go-tos!
Understanding Nutrition in This High Protein Recipes Dinner
I know so many of you come here not just for flavor, but because you’re counting macros or tracking your carb intake—and that’s fantastic! Transparency is everything when you’re eating consciously. Because this Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken is so simple, it naturally leans toward being a powerhouse for protein while keeping things light on the carbs.
Now, listen up: I’m a cook, not, you know, a registered dietitian! The numbers below are my best estimates based on standard ingredient amounts, assuming you are sticking strictly to two fillets per person and using standard measurements for the butter and oil. They are meant to give you a great baseline for your High Protein Recipes Dinner planning.
If you’re looking to seriously compare your macros, you should always verify with your favorite tracking app, especially if you change the amount of butter or use a different cut of chicken. But for a standard serving of this skillet chicken, here’s what you can generally expect:
- Estimated Calories: About 380–420 per serving
- Estimated Protein: A solid 45–50 grams! That’s why this is amazing for fueling your day.
- Estimated Total Fat: Roughly 20–25 grams (Hello, delicious butter!)
- Estimated Net Carbs: Less than 2 grams per serving! (This is pure joy for those on Keto or low-carb journeys.)
See? That’s why this recipe falls perfectly into the **Keto High Protein Meals** category. It delivers serious protein punch without messing up your carb goals. It’s proof that satisfying eating and healthy eating can absolutely walk hand-in-hand, especially when you focus on real ingredients like chicken and butter.
If you’re interested in seeing how I adjust flavor profiles for other nutrient goals, check out my collection of high-protein recipes for more ideas!
Frequently Asked Questions About Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken
I always get the same questions when I post this particular recipe, and honestly, that’s how I know it’s a keeper! People want to know if they can make it work for their specific dieting needs, like stricter Keto lifestyles, or if they can substitute ingredients they happen to have on hand. Don’t worry, I’ve cooked this dish a hundred ways, so let’s get these last few details sorted out for you!
Is this recipe suitable for strict Keto High Protein Meals?
Absolutely, yes! This Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken is an ideal candidate for strict Keto. We aren’t using any flour to thicken the sauce, so there are no hidden wheat carbs. The only carbs come naturally from the garlic and the tiny amount of seasoning, which works out to less than 2 net carbs per serving. That means it fits beautifully right in the middle of your Keto High Protein Meals plan. As long as you avoid serving it with rice or potatoes—stick to those green veggies we talked about—you are golden!
Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts for this Low Carb Dinner Ideas?
Oh, you certainly can use chicken thighs! In fact, some people prefer thighs because they have more fat, which means they stay even juicier. If you use thighs, you definitely need to adjust your cooking timing slightly. Thighs are generally thicker than our pre-sliced breast fillets, so they take longer to cook through.
Since they are richer in fat, they handle higher heat better too. Instead of the 3-4 minutes per side for the breasts, you’ll want to give your thighs closer to 5 to 6 minutes per side during that initial sear. They are done when they reach 165°F internally, just like the breasts. You’ll still finish them in the garlic butter sauce the same way, but that extra searing time is important to ensure everything is cooked properly in your Low Carb Dinner Ideas batch.
If you have any other questions about substitutions or techniques for making this the best Healthy Chicken Skillet ever, feel free to get in touch with me through my contact page!
Share Your Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken Creations
Now that you’ve cooked up this incredible Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken, I just have one final request! Seeing your finished dishes is truly the highlight of my day. Knowing that something I shared from my kitchen is bringing flavorful, healthy comfort to yours is what Lilya Lawson and Top Chicken Eats are all about.
Please, if this recipe hit the spot for your High Protein Dinner Ideas routine, stop by the rating section below and give it five stars! Every star helps other busy home cooks find this quick, delicious, low-carb solution.
And if you snap a picture while you’re enjoying your plate—maybe alongside some roasted asparagus or those zoodles—please tag me on social media! I absolutely love seeing your spin on it. Tagging me helps build our community of folks who believe that eating well doesn’t have to be complicated or boring. You can find me waiting to see your delicious creations!
If anything went sideways, or if you found a new trick while making it that you want to share with the rest of the family, drop a comment below. I read every single one, and I’m always happy to chat about making your favorite dishes shine. If you need to reach out directly about anything else, you can always pop over to the contact page!
Low Carb Garlic Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cut the chicken breasts in half to create 4 thin chicken fillets. Season the fillets with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until the chicken is golden and crispy. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
- Reduce the heat to low-medium. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan along with the minced garlic, fresh herbs, and a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Stir the garlic and herbs into the melted butter.
- Return the chicken to the pan and drizzle the sauce over the chicken. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, or until the garlic is golden and fragrant. Serve the chicken with a side of pasta, vegetables, or rice.