One Pan Chicken with Buttered Noodles

One Pan Chicken with Buttered Noodles is pure comfort in a skillet! This easy weeknight dinner combines golden-seared chicken breasts, tender egg noodles, and a rich, creamy Parmesan sauce—all cooked together in one pan for minimal cleanup and maximum flavor.

Love More Chicken Pasta Recipes? Try My Cowboy Butter Chicken Linguine or this Cajun Chicken Pasta next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is the kind of meal that makes you look like a kitchen genius while requiring minimal effort. The magic happens when those egg noodles simmer right in the creamy sauce, absorbing all that garlicky, buttery goodness. It’s restaurant-quality comfort food that comes together in about 30 minutes, uses one skillet, and leaves everyone at the table asking for seconds.

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Ingredient List

For the Chicken:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the Buttered Noodles:

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 oz (≈ 225 g) egg noodles
• 3 tablespoons butter
• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh parsley, chopped (optional, for garnish)

Why These Ingredients Work

The chicken is obviously the main thing here and when you cook it first you get all these crispy brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan that make the sauce taste way better later. I use olive oil instead of butter because butter burns super fast when you’re trying to sear meat and I learned that lesson the hard way my first year living on my own when I set off the smoke alarm like twelve times.

Garlic is just non-negotiable in anything creamy. Like who makes cream sauce without garlic, that’s insane. The chicken broth and heavy cream together is the secret because I tried making this with just cream once and it was SO heavy I felt sick after half a plate. My sister only uses broth and it’s too thin and sad. You need both to balance it out. Egg noodles are sturdy and they don’t fall apart when you cook them in liquid which I found out the hard way when I tried using angel hair pasta and it turned into this sticky clump situation that nobody wanted to eat.

The butter and Parmesan at the end is what makes this taste like the buttered noodles my grandma used to make when I was little but better because there’s actual stuff in it. And parsley isn’t just there to look pretty – it actually tastes fresh and green and keeps everything from being too heavy even though it’s basically butter and cream.

Essential Tools and Equipment

• Large skillet with a lid (at least 12 inches wide)
• Tongs or spatula for flipping chicken
• Wooden spoon for stirring
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Grater for fresh Parmesan

How To Make One Pan Chicken with Buttered Noodles

Step 1: Season and Prep the Chicken

First thing grab some paper towels and pat your chicken completely dry because wet chicken just steams instead of getting that nice brown crust and you end up with sad grey chicken. Season both sides with salt and pepper and don’t be scared to use enough – underseasoned chicken is so disappointing and you can’t really fix it after.

If you got those giant Costco chicken breasts that are like a pound each and super thick on one side, you gotta pound them flat. I put mine between two pieces of plastic wrap and hit them with my meat mallet until they’re about the same thickness all over, maybe like three quarters of an inch. Otherwise the skinny part is basically jerky by the time the thick part is cooked through and nobody wants dry chicken.

Step 2: Sear the Chicken

Get your skillet on medium heat and pour in the olive oil. When it starts looking shimmery and moves around the pan easily that’s when you add the chicken. And then here’s the hard part – do NOT touch it. Don’t poke it, don’t flip it early, don’t peek under it to see if it’s brown yet. Just leave it alone for like 5 or 6 minutes to get that golden crust. Flip it one time, cook the other side another 5 or 6 minutes.

My stove runs cold so mine usually takes closer to 7 minutes per side but every stove is different. If you have a meat thermometer stick it in the thickest part and it should read 165 degrees. Take the chicken out and put it on a plate. Whatever you do DO NOT wash the pan or wipe it out because all those brown stuck bits are literally flavor gold and you need them for the sauce.

Step 3: Sauté the Garlic

Toss your minced garlic right into that same hot pan and stir it around. It’s gonna smell absolutely incredible within like thirty seconds. But watch it really close because garlic goes from perfect to burnt in like two seconds flat and burnt garlic is so bitter it’ll ruin the whole thing. If it starts looking too dark too fast just yank the pan off the burner for a minute.

Step 4: Build the Sauce Base

Pour in your chicken broth and the heavy cream. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all those stuck brown bits from the bottom – this is called deglazing and it’s literally where most of the flavor comes from so don’t skip this part. Get it up to a simmer where you see little bubbles around the edges. Not a crazy rolling boil that’s splashing everywhere, just a nice gentle bubble. It smells so good at this point I usually have to stop my kid from trying to eat it with a spoon.

Step 5: Cook the Noodles in the Sauce

Just dump the egg noodles right into the liquid. Push them down with your spoon so most of them are under the liquid – some will stick up at first but they’ll soften and settle down. Put the lid on and let them cook for 8 to 10 minutes but here’s the thing – you absolutely HAVE to stir them every two or three minutes or they’ll stick to the bottom and burn.

I learned this the super hard way when I got distracted trying to help with homework and came back to noodles literally cemented to my pan and it took me like an hour to scrub it clean. So now I set a timer on my phone for 2 minutes, stir, reset the timer. If your sauce looks like it’s getting really thick before the noodles are soft enough just add a little splash of broth or water to loosen it up.

Step 6: Finish with Butter and Parmesan

When the noodles are soft turn your heat down to low. Add the butter and Parmesan and keep stirring until everything melts together and looks creamy and coats all the noodles. It should look smooth and silky. If it looks oily and separated like the butter isn’t mixing in your heat was probably too high – you need low gentle heat for this part so everything emulsifies together properly.

Step 7: Reunite and Serve

Put your chicken back in the pan nestling it down into the noodles. I usually slice mine up first on the cutting board because it’s way easier to serve that way and honestly looks prettier too. Let everything sit together for a couple minutes so the chicken warms back up and all the flavors get to hang out together.

Throw some parsley on top if you remembered to buy it which I forget like half the time. Then just bring the whole pan to the table and serve directly from it.

You Must Know

Listen to me – those noodles WILL stick and burn if you don’t stir them regularly and I’m not kidding about this. Set an actual timer because you’ll think you’ll remember and then you won’t. One time I was scrolling TikTok for “just a second” and literally forgot about dinner for like ten minutes and came back to smoke and noodles completely stuck to my pan. Had to throw the whole thing out and order pizza. Twenty dollar lesson learned.

If your heavy cream is straight from the fridge and super cold let it sit on the counter for ten or fifteen minutes before you add it. Sometimes really cold cream hitting hot liquid makes everything look curdled and grainy and weird. It’s this whole chemistry thing I don’t totally understand but it happens and it’s annoying.

Don’t put the chicken back in the pan too soon after you take it out. Let it rest for at least a couple minutes or when you try to move it around it’ll just fall apart into shreds and you’ll have chicken chunks instead of nice pieces. Not the end of the world but it looks messier.

Personal Secret: Right before you add the butter and Parmesan scoop out like a tablespoon of that starchy liquid from cooking the noodles and stir it back into the sauce. I don’t know why it works but that extra starch helps everything come together into this ridiculously smooth creamy sauce instead of looking broken or oily. Makes such a difference.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

If your chicken breasts are uneven pound them out flat. Yeah I know it’s annoying and you have to get out the meat mallet and it’s a whole thing but it’s literally the difference between perfect chicken and chicken that’s overdone on one side and raw in the middle. Just put it between plastic wrap and hit it until it’s even.

Buy yourself a cheap meat thermometer from like Target or Amazon. They’re like fifteen dollars and then you never have to guess if chicken is done. Stick it in the thickest part and when it reads 165 you’re good. Way better than cutting it open seventeen times trying to see if the middle is still pink.

Real Parmesan that you grate yourself is so much better than the green can stuff. I know it costs more but you can buy like a big chunk at Costco and keep it in your fridge forever and just grate what you need. The pre-grated stuff doesn’t melt right and doesn’t taste as good.

Keep your heat at medium or even a little lower. If that sauce starts bubbling really aggressively turn it down. High heat makes cream separate and get all weird looking with like oil floating on top and it’s just not good.

Don’t be like me the first three times I made this and put the chicken back too early. It’ll keep cooking and get all tough and dry and rubbery. Let it rest off the heat and only put it back at the very end just to warm it up.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

I throw mushrooms in this a lot because I’m obsessed with mushrooms. Just slice up like 8 ounces and cook them with the garlic. They get all golden and add this earthy meaty flavor that’s really good.

Spinach makes it feel like you’re eating something healthy even though it’s still basically cream and butter. Just throw a couple big handfuls in at the very end and stir until it wilts down.

Frozen peas work too which is good if you’ve got picky kids. My daughter will eat peas but literally nothing else green so I throw them in sometimes.

If you like spicy food add red pepper flakes when you cook the garlic. Or this one time I drizzled hot honey on top at the end and it was actually amazing which sounds weird but trust me.

Fresh basil instead of parsley is incredible if you’ve got it. Or honestly just whatever herbs you have hanging around.

Sun-dried tomatoes chopped up and stirred into the sauce are so good. Like a quarter cup. Adds this tangy sweet thing that’s really nice.

You can use half-and-half instead of heavy cream if you’re trying to lighten it up a bit. Won’t be quite as rich and creamy but it’s still good. I usually cut the butter down to 2 tablespoons when I do that too.

Chicken thighs instead of breasts are honestly better in my opinion. They’re juicier and have more flavor and they’re way harder to overcook. Just get boneless skinless ones and cook them exactly the same way.

Make-Ahead Options

You can cook the chicken a couple hours before if you want to get a head start. Just keep it covered in the fridge and then do all the rest when you’re ready to make dinner.

The whole thing keeps in the fridge for like 2 or 3 days in a container with a lid. It thickens up when it’s cold but that’s totally normal. Just reheat it on the stove with a splash of broth or milk to thin it back out.

I really wouldn’t freeze this though. I tried it once because I made a double batch and cream sauces just get all separated and gross when you freeze and thaw them. And the noodles turn to complete mush. It’s just not worth it. This is definitely a make it fresh or keep it in the fridge for a few days kind of meal.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

You really do need a big skillet for this. I tried making it in my regular 10-inch pan once because I was too lazy to get the big one out of the cabinet and it was such a disaster. The noodles didn’t have room to cook properly and they all clumped together in this weird pile. Get a 12-inch skillet at least or even bigger if you have it.

Use decent chicken broth. Like don’t buy the cheapest one at the store because you can taste the difference. I buy low-sodium because Parmesan is already really salty and I’d rather be able to add more salt if I need it than have it be too salty and not be able to fix it.

Egg noodles work best but I’ve used other pasta when I didn’t have them. Pappardelle is good, or break fettuccine in half. Those little shell pastas work too. Just the cooking time might be a little different so keep checking them.

If your sauce ends up too thin just let it bubble away without the lid on for a few minutes and it’ll thicken up. If it’s too thick add broth or water a tablespoon at a time until it looks right.

Serving Suggestions

This is pretty much a complete meal by itself honestly but sometimes I’ll throw together a quick salad to go with it. Just arugula with some lemon juice and olive oil. That sharp lemony flavor is really good with all the richness.

Garlic bread is perfect for soaking up the extra sauce. Or honestly those frozen garlic Texas Toast things from the grocery store because I’m not above frozen garlic bread and they’re delicious.

Roasted green beans or asparagus on the side makes me feel like I’m eating a balanced meal instead of just a bowl of cream and carbs.

If I’m trying to make it look nice like when my in-laws come over I’ll slice the chicken on an angle before putting it back in the pan. Looks way fancier and it’s easier to serve yourself.

Fresh parsley and extra Parmesan grated on top right before you serve it makes it look really restaurant-quality even though it took you thirty minutes and hardly any effort.

How to Store Your One Pan Chicken with Buttered Noodles

Refrigerator: Just put leftovers in whatever container you have with a lid. Keeps for 3 days, maybe 4 if you’re pushing it but I wouldn’t go longer than that. The sauce gets really thick when it’s cold but that’s completely normal and it’ll loosen back up when you reheat it.

Reheating: I reheat mine on the stove on low heat with a couple tablespoons of broth or milk stirred in to thin out the sauce. Works way better than the microwave. But if you’re gonna microwave it add some liquid first and stop halfway through to stir it or the edges get all dried out and crusty.

Freezing: Don’t do it. I know everyone freezes everything for meal prep but cream sauce really truly does not freeze well. It separates and gets grainy and weird when you thaw it and the noodles turn to absolute mush. I tried it once and ended up throwing the whole thing away so just don’t bother.

Allergy Information

Contains: Dairy (cream, butter, Parmesan), eggs (in the egg noodles), gluten (also in the noodles)

Dairy-Free: Use coconut cream instead of heavy cream and get dairy-free butter from like Trader Joe’s or whatever. Skip the Parmesan or use one of those dairy-free Parmesan alternatives but fair warning it won’t taste exactly the same.

Gluten-Free: Use gluten-free pasta. The rice noodles work pretty good or those Barilla gluten-free penne. Just check the package for cooking time because it might be different than regular noodles.

Egg-Free: Just use regular pasta that doesn’t have eggs in it. Pretty much any pasta shape will work honestly.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

My sauce looks weird and separated with oil floating on top – what did I do?

Your heat was too high. This happens all the time when you add the butter and Parmesan while everything’s still bubbling really hard instead of on low heat. The fat separates out and it looks broken. Next time make sure you turn the heat down to low before you add the butter and cheese and it’ll come together smooth. If it already happened you can try whisking it really hard sometimes that helps bring it back together.

Can I make this without heavy cream because I don’t have any?

Yeah you can use half-and-half but it won’t be as rich and creamy. I’ve made it with whole milk before when I was completely out of cream – I whisked a tablespoon of flour into the milk first to help thicken it up. It’s definitely not as good but it works when you’re desperate and really need dinner and don’t want to go to the store.

Help the noodles soaked up all the liquid and now it’s like a weird dry pasta blob!

Just add more liquid it’s totally fine and fixable. Pour in some chicken broth or even just water like a quarter cup at a time and stir it around until it looks saucy again. This happens sometimes depending on what brand of noodles you buy and how long they cooked. Some noodles are just thirstier than others I guess. Not a big deal just add more liquid.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rate it below! Tell me everything because I love reading what people actually think and I’ll answer questions if you have them!