Chicken Scampi
Pan-seared chicken in a garlicky butter and olive oil sauce, tossed with linguine, fresh tomato, and lemon — a bright, quick scampi-style dinner for two.
- 4 ounces uncooked linguine
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 ounces each)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
- ½ cup chopped seeded tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
- Grated Parmesan cheese, for serving
- Cook the linguine according to the package directions in a large pot of salted boiling water. While the pasta cooks, get started on the chicken and sauce so everything comes together at roughly the same time.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter and olive oil, letting the butter melt into the oil. Add the sliced green onion and minced garlic and cook, stirring, until they turn soft and fragrant — keep an eye on the garlic so it doesn't scorch and turn bitter.
- Sprinkle the chicken breasts with the salt and pepper, then add them to the skillet with the onion and garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 165°F and the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside, tenting loosely with foil to keep it warm.
- In the same skillet, add the chopped tomatoes, lemon juice, and parsley, stirring to combine with the flavorful drippings left behind from the chicken and aromatics. Let the mixture heat through for a minute or two, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Drain the cooked linguine and add it directly to the skillet, tossing it well in the warm tomato and lemon mixture so every strand is coated.
- Slice the chicken breasts and arrange them over the tossed linguine, then finish with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese before serving.
Chef's Note: This is a chicken take on the classic shrimp scampi formula — garlic, butter, olive oil, and a bright hit of lemon — swapped onto quick-cooking chicken breast instead. Cooking everything in the same skillet, from the aromatics through to the pan sauce, means all those browned bits and juices left behind by the chicken get folded right back into the dish instead of going to waste.
An instant-read thermometer is the most reliable way to know your chicken is done without overcooking it — pull it the moment it hits 165°F, since it will keep cooking slightly as it rests. If you'd rather make this closer to a traditional scampi, you can swap the chicken for a pound of peeled, deveined shrimp and reduce the cook time to just a minute or two per side.
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