Oh man, I know the feeling. It’s 6 PM, you’re staring into the fridge like it holds the secrets to the universe, and the last thing you want is a 45-minute cooking project. I live for those nights when flavor doesn’t have to equal a ton of time! That’s why I’m obsessed with getting genuinely fast recipes right, and I’ve finally perfected what I call my **10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss Recipe**.
Seriously, ten minutes of active cooking time. Zero fuss. If you’ve been burned by recipes promising speed and delivering mediocre flavor, you need to trust me here. I test these super fast meals rigorously because if it doesn’t pass my ‘I’m exhausted but still want delicious food’ test, it never makes it onto the blog. This garlic butter chicken and broccoli toss is what I whip up when I need dinner on the table before the takeout menus arrive in my mailbox.
Why This 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss Recipe Works So Fast
I get asked all the time how I can possibly deliver a full meal in under 15 minutes total. It’s all about streamlining! When I developed this recipe, I was ruthless about anything that slowed me down. Skillet cooking is my secret weapon here; when you use high heat immediately, you sear everything quickly and lock the flavor in.
The actual active cook time clocking in right around ten minutes means this is the perfect dinner for those nights when you’re wiping down counters before the sun even sets. We skip the oven entirely, which saves tons of cleanup later. Honestly, the whole process is designed to be so simple that you feel like you cheated dinner time! It’s a different kind of kitchen magic than spending hours perfecting a layered dish, but just as rewarding. If you want more tips on mastering quick cooking methods, I wrote a whole guide on quick kitchen techniques that really help speed things along.
Key Benefits of the 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss Recipe
- Lightning speed—the cooking is genuinely just ten minutes!
- Incredible flavor from that bright, simple garlic butter sauce.
- Cleanup is a snap since we’re only using one skillet.
- It’s packed with good protein to keep you satisfied until morning.
Gathering Ingredients for Your 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss Recipe
Okay, let’s talk ingredients. Since this is a super speedy dish, you want your prep work locked down before the heat even goes on. Don’t skip the exact prep cuts I list because that’s how we shave off those precious minutes!
You’ll need about a pound of boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut right into bite-sized pieces—think roughly one-inch cubes. For the broccoli, you want two full cups of fresh florets. Then, the sauce relies on three tablespoons of butter, three cloves of garlic minced up super fine, about a quarter cup of chicken broth, and a splash of lemon juice for zing.
We need salt and pepper too, but that’s just seasoning! If you’re ever in a pinch and need substitutes for things like butter or milk in other dishes, I have a helpful little cheat sheet on common pantry swaps you might want to bookmark.
Ingredient Specifics and Substitutions for the Garlic Butter Chicken
Here’s where we get specific about the flavor makers. When you’re measuring out the fat, you can totally use olive oil for half of that butter if you prefer, so maybe use one and a half tablespoons of butter and the rest olive oil. It changes the flavor profile slightly, but it works great for searing!
My biggest time-saver tip? Forget washing and chopping the broccoli! If you grab those bags of pre-cut broccoli florets from the produce section, you instantly cut down on your prep time to almost nothing. It’s a weeknight must-do in my kitchen. Just make sure you have that garlic minced perfectly before you start cooking, because once it hits that hot pan, it goes from fragrant to burnt super fast!
Step-by-Step Instructions for the 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss Recipe
This is where the magic happens! Don’t panic about the clock; just follow these steps with confidence, and you’ll find you have a gorgeous dinner cooking before you can even decide what show to put on Netflix. Remember, mise en place is your friend here—have everything measured and ready to go before you even turn on the stove.
Step 1: Season Up! First thing, take that cut-up chicken and give it a nice shake of salt and pepper. Don’t be shy; it needs flavor before it hits the heat.
Step 2: Butter Meltdown. Get a big skillet—you need room to toss everything later—over medium-high heat. Pop in your three tablespoons of butter and let it melt until it’s sizzling happily. That sizzle means you’re ready.
Step 3: Sear the Protein. Add the seasoned chicken pieces to the hot skillet. You want them to brown nicely, which takes about 5 to 7 minutes depending on how small you cut them. If you cut your pieces on the smaller side, you can definitely get away with only 5 minutes. Once they look beautifully browned and are cooked all the way through—no pink hiding in the middle—scoop them out onto a plate and set them aside for a moment.
Step 4: Broccoli Time. Don’t wash that skillet! Throw in your two cups of broccoli florets right into the same pan. We lose some flavor if we clean it now. Stir them occasionally for about 2 minutes. They should just start to turn bright green—we want them tender-crisp, not mushy for this toss!
Step 5: Garlic Wake-Up. Now for the star scent! Toss that minced garlic right into the skillet with the broccoli and cook for just 30 seconds. Seriously, 30 seconds! Garlic burns fast, and nobody likes bitter garlic sauce, right? You just want that amazing aroma to float up to greet you.
Step 6 & 7: Sauce & Combine. Quickly pour in your quarter cup of chicken broth and the tablespoon of lemon juice. Bring that mixture up to a gentle simmer. Now, return that gorgeous cooked chicken back into the pan. Toss everything together really well until that liquid reduces just slightly and clings beautifully to the chicken and the broccoli. It should look shiny and coated! If you ever need inspiration for other speedy one-pan meals, I have another favorite called the amazing 1-pan sizzling Texas chicken that’s a must-try too.
Step 8: Immediate Gratification. Serve this right away! It’s best when the chicken is hot and the sauce is fresh and gleaming.
Pro Tips for Perfecting Your 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss
Even in a speed run like this, technique matters! My biggest tip is keeping that heat consistently medium-high when you are searing the chicken. If the heat dips too low, the chicken steams instead of searing, and you lose that lovely color and crust we want.
Also, when you add the broccoli and garlic, make sure you spread everything out in a single layer if you can. Overcrowding your pan is the fastest way to drop the temperature and get soggy vegetables. If your skillet looks too crammed, do the broccoli in two quick batches!
Finally, taste your sauce right before you add the chicken back in! This is your last chance to adjust. Does it need just a touch more salt? A tiny squeeze more lemon? Dialing it in right there guarantees perfection when you serve it up.
Serving Suggestions for Your Quick 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss
Wow, you made it! Now comes the fun part—deciding what to serve this flavor bomb with. Since the sauce is rich with garlic butter, you need something to soak up every last drop. If you’re watching carbs, honestly, this is fantastic just eaten straight from the bowl—that bright lemon juice cuts through the fat so beautifully.
But if you need a filler, I usually recommend serving it over something simple. Fluffy white rice soaks up all that garlicky goodness perfectly. Or, if you’re feeling a little healthier, some quinoa is amazing underneath. For something truly satisfying, toss the whole thing with some cooked linguine or your favorite noodles! If you need a quick side starch, you absolutely have to check out my lemon rice recipe; it pairs right here!
Storage and Reheating the 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss
Even the fastest meals sometimes result in leftovers, which is fine by me! If you’re like me and want to eat this delicious garlic butter chicken and broccoli toss again tomorrow, storage is super easy. Just make sure everything cools down a bit, then pop the leftovers into an airtight container.
You can safely keep this in the refrigerator for up to three, maybe four days. Any longer than that, and honestly, I start worrying about the texture, especially the broccoli. Nobody wants mushy broccoli!
When it comes to reheating, this is key: be gentle! You don’t want to blast this in the microwave on high power because that will dry out the chicken in seconds. I recommend reheating in short 30-second bursts on about 50% power. Or, even better, you can toss it into a small skillet over low heat with just a tiny splash of extra chicken broth.
That little bit of liquid prevents the garlic butter from seizing up and keeps the chicken from turning into rubber. Simple steps, and you’ve got lunch ready to go!
Frequently Asked Questions About the 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss Recipe
I know you might have a few burning questions, especially about keeping the timing this fast! It’s my favorite part of blogging to clear up any confusion so you can breeze through making this **easy dinner** tonight. Here are the things I get asked about most often relating to this whole garlic butter chicken situation.
Can I make this 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss ahead of time?
That’s a really smart question about prepping ahead. Since the chicken sears so quickly, I really advise against cooking the entire thing and refrigerating it, because the broccoli gets soft and sad overnight! To make this ahead, I strongly suggest you prep everything separately.
Cook the chicken through and store it in its own container. Steam or blanch your broccoli until it’s just barely tender and store that separately too. Then, when it’s dinnertime, you just melt the butter, sauté the garlic, add your pre-cooked components back in, toss with the broth and lemon, and you’re done in about three minutes flat! That keeps the texture perfect for your next grab-and-go meal.
What other vegetables work well in this quick chicken recipe?
Oh, absolutely! The sauce is so versatile, you can easily swap out veggies as long as they cook at a similar speed to broccoli. I love using thinly sliced mushrooms—they soak up the garlic butter like nobody’s business! They only need about 3 minutes in the pan before you add the garlic.
You could also swap in some sliced red or yellow bell peppers, cut into thin strips, or even some snap peas. Both cook up really fast and keep the spirit of a super **quick chicken recipe**. If you want more ideas for meals you can pull together in a blink, sometimes I list my absolute fastest hits over on my 15-minute marvels page!
Estimated Nutritional Snapshot for the 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss Recipe
Okay, I always feel like I need to put this disclaimer here because I’m not a registered dietitian over here—I’m just a home cook who figured out how to make dinner quickly! These numbers are my best educated guess based on the ingredients listed for this specific garlic butter chicken and broccoli toss.
Remember, this recipe yields two servings, so these numbers reflect just one portion. For those of you tracking macros, this actually comes out pretty lean and protein-heavy, which I love for a busy weeknight! It’s a solid combination of keeping you full without weighing you down.
- Calories: Roughly 350 per serving.
- Protein: That’s the star! We’re looking at about 38 grams.
- Fat: Comes in around 18 grams (a good chunk of this is the butter, naturally!).
- Carbohydrates: Very low, around 8 grams, mostly from the broccoli.
These figures are estimates, so if you totally load up on extra butter or decide to dump the whole sauce over a huge pile of rice, those numbers will naturally jump up. But as written, this is a fantastic foundation for a light, high-protein meal!
Share Your Experience with This 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss
Phew! We made it through the whole process of whipping up this ridiculously fast dinner. I really, truly hope this 10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss saves your bacon on a tough weeknight soon. I love knowing that my go-to quick fix can be your go-to quick fix too!
Now, here is the most important part: I need to hear from you! Did you blitz this out in exactly 10 minutes, or did you find a secret way to make it even faster? Did you use different spices? Did you try it over rice or just gobble it down straight?
Please take a moment to leave your rating below—a simple star rating helps other folks know if this recipe lives up to the hype. And if you took a picture, or if you have burning questions about swapping out chicken thighs for breasts, drop me a line!
You can always reach out directly to me through my contact page if you have specialized questions, but honestly, the comments section is the very best place for general discussions. Happy cooking, everyone, and I can’t wait to see your shiny, garlicky creations!
Print
10 Minute Garlic Butter Chicken Broccoli Toss
- Total Time: 15 min
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Diet: Low Fat
Description
A quick and simple recipe for chicken and broccoli tossed in a garlic butter sauce.
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken to the skillet and cook until browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add broccoli to the same skillet. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet. Toss everything together until the sauce thickens slightly and coats the chicken and broccoli.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- For faster cooking, cut the chicken into smaller pieces.
- You can substitute olive oil for half the butter if you prefer.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 10 min
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Skillet Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 2
- Sodium: 300
- Fat: 18
- Saturated Fat: 10
- Unsaturated Fat: 8
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 8
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 38
- Cholesterol: 110
Keywords: garlic butter chicken, broccoli toss, quick chicken recipe, 10 minute meal, easy dinner