Garlic Knot Chicken Breasts

All of the flavors of classic garlic knots in chicken form.

By
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora Kaloudis
Theodora's passion for cooking began early on as a young girl, working in the kitchen at her father's Greek diner in Brooklyn, NY. Her recipes have appeared on Delish, Spruce Eats, Today.com, Martha Stewart & Marley Spoon, Dinnerly, Simply Recipes, and in various cookbooks.
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Updated February 19, 2025
Theodora Kaloudis
Garlic Knot Chicken Breasts on a plate

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

As a native New Yorker, I grew up eating garlic knots and sometimes even preferred them over pizza, so I always got an order (or two) when when visiting a pizzeria. Now that I live in central Maine, garlic knots are a bit harder to come by, and I crave them from time to time.

I realized it’s the combination of flavors that I long for—buttery, garlicky, cheesy. The bread, although delicious, is just a vehicle for the flavors. So instead of making my own knots—because who has time for that—I switched out the vehicle! Enter chicken breasts, the perfect blank canvas to carry the flavors into dinnertime.

This recipe is super simple to make and only requires five ingredients (aside from the oil, salt, and pepper) to pull it all together. If you have a lemon on hand, I suggest adding a squeeze at the end to help cut through the richness of the chicken.

Serve this garlic knot chicken with a side dish that will soak up the delicious garlic butter sauce. Mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or crusty bread are all good options.

Tips and Tricks for Garlic Chicken Breast

Once the chicken is done cooking, it’s important to remove the skillet from the heat to melt the butter. This helps to lower the temperature of the pan before adding the garlic. If the pan is too hot, you may end up with dreaded bitter burnt garlic, which could ruin the sauce. The garlic just kisses the pan for a minute to mellow it out a touch before adding the chicken back.

If you can’t find cutlets or already have whole chicken breasts on hand, just make your own. Lay the chicken breasts flat on a cutting board and carefully cut them in half horizontally using a sharp knife. Alternatively, pound them out with a meat mallet until they’re about 1/2-inch thick. 

If you don’t feel like going through the hassle of cutting or pounding the chicken, then leave them whole; just make sure to increase the cooking time by 3 to 4 minutes per side.

close up of Garlic Knot Chicken Breasts garnished with lemon wedges

Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Easy Recipe Variations on Garlic Knot Chicken Breasts 

  • For a more kid-friendly variation, use chicken tenderloins instead of chicken cutlets.
  • This is a very garlicky recipe, so if you’re not a big fan of garlic, you can cut the amount by half.
  • For a touch of heat, add a pinch of crushed red pepper when adding the garlic.

Quick Skillet Chicken Recipes

Garlic Knot Chicken Breasts

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Servings 4 servings
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

  • 4 chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 pounds)

  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 large cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/4 cup packed fresh parsley leaves and tender stems, finely chopped

  • 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

  • 1 lemon, cut into wedges (optional)

Method

  1. Cook the chicken:

    Heat the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken dry and season all over with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 

    Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides and registers 165°F in the thickest part, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the skillet from heat and transfer the chicken to a plate; set aside.

    Simple Tip!

    If all of your cutlets won’t fit in the pan, cook them in batches.

  2. Make the garlic-butter sauce:

    Off the heat, add the remaining butter and stir until melted. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  3. Add the chicken and serve:

    Place the skillet back over medium heat and return the chicken to the skillet along with any juices. Add half of the parsley and turn to coat; season to taste with salt and pepper. 

    Serve garlic knot chicken topped with the Parmesan and remaining parsley. Provide lemon wedges on the side for squeezing over, if desired.

    Leftover chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
500 Calories
29g Fat
2g Carbs
55g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 500
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 29g 37%
Saturated Fat 13g 63%
Cholesterol 188mg 63%
Sodium 558mg 24%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 55g
Vitamin C 6mg 30%
Calcium 95mg 7%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 487mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.