Amazing 38-Min chicken broccoli herb butter sauce

If you’re looking for a dinner that feels fancy but comes together incredibly fast, you’ve landed in the right spot! This chicken broccoli herb butter sauce recipe is my go-to when I want maximum flavor with minimal cleanup. Hi, I’m Anna, and I truly believe cooking should be joyful, not stressful. My whole goal is sharing simple, flavorful chicken recipes that make your weeknights easier.

We’re talking tender roasted chicken, bright green broccoli, and a silky, fragrant pan sauce that you’ll want to drink straight from the spoon. It’s all done in one pan, which means cleanup is a breeze. Trust me, this one is going into heavy rotation at your house!

Gather Your Ingredients for chicken broccoli herb butter sauce

This elegant meal is surprisingly quick! We’re aiming for 4 servings, and you can have this on the table in about 38 minutes total—that’s only 10 minutes of prep! Getting your ingredients ready first is key to nailing that perfect chicken broccoli herb butter sauce timing.

Essential Components

• 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (each about 6 ounces—don’t skip the bone or skin, they add flavor and moisture!)
• ¾ teaspoon salt, divided
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cups small broccoli florets
• 1 small shallot, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced (don’t use the jarred stuff here, please!)
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage, plus extra for garnish
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold

Equipment Needed for Perfect chicken broccoli herb butter sauce

The magic of an easy weeknight meal like this chicken broccoli herb butter sauce relies heavily on having the right pan. You absolutely need a large oven-safe skillet—cast iron is my favorite, but stainless steel works great too! Make sure it’s big enough to hold the chicken and vegetables without overcrowding, so everything roasts instead of steams.

You’ll also need tongs, a good sharp knife for chopping your herbs, a small plate for resting the chicken, and a meat thermometer. Seriously, don’t skip the thermometer on chicken!

Simple Steps to Master the chicken broccoli herb butter sauce

Okay, now that everything is prepped, let’s get cooking! We are moving fast here, but don’t panic. The goal is building layers of flavor right in that one skillet. Following these steps exactly is how we get that beautiful golden chicken and that incredible chicken broccoli herb butter sauce at the end.

Preparing and Searing the Chicken

First things first, crank that oven up to 425°F right now so it’s hot when we need it. Next, grab your oven-safe skillet and get that tablespoon of olive oil ripping hot over medium-high heat. You want to hear a sizzle when the chicken hits the pan—that’s flavor developing!

Season your chicken thighs generously with most of the salt and all of that pepper. Lay them skin-side down in the hot oil. I mean it, skin-side down! Let them cook undisturbed for 6 to 8 minutes until that skin is deeply golden brown and wonderfully crispy. Flip them over, sear the other side for just a minute or two, and then pull them out onto a clean plate. We aren’t cooking them all the way through yet; we are just building that crust!

Roasting the Chicken and Vegetables Together

Now, toss those broccoli florets and the sliced shallots right into that skillet, using all those delicious chicken drippings left behind. Cook them for a minute, scraping up any sticky bits. Toss in your minced garlic, sage, and rosemary—wow, that smell is amazing! Cook for just 60 seconds until you can really smell the herbs. Be careful not to burn the garlic!

Time to bring it all together! Nestle the seared chicken pieces right back into the skillet, right on top of that bed of broccoli and aromatics. Slide the whole thing into your preheated 425°F oven. Let it roast for about 8 to 10 minutes. You absolutely must check the internal temperature of the thickest part of the thigh—it needs to hit 165°F to be safe and perfectly cooked. Pull it out when it’s done!

Creating the Silky herb butter sauce Finish

This is where the pan goes from being a roasting vessel to a sauce maker. Carefully remove the skillet from the oven—remember it’s incredibly hot! Transfer the chicken and broccoli to serving plates or a clean platter for a moment, leaving all those browned bits and drippings in the pan. Set the pan back over medium-high heat on the stovetop.

Pour in that half-cup of chicken stock. Use a wooden spoon or whisk to scrape up every tiny flavorful brown bit stuck to the bottom—that’s called fond, and it’s pure gold. Let that stock simmer and reduce by about half, maybe 2 minutes. Kill the heat completely, whisk in the cold, unsalted butter and the last bit of salt until it melts in and the sauce looks glossy and slightly thickened. Spoon that gorgeous sauce right over the chicken and broccoli!

Tips for Success with Your chicken broccoli herb butter sauce

Even though this is a one-pan wonder, there are a few tricks I’ve learned over the years that guarantee success with this chicken broccoli herb butter sauce. Don’t stress if your first attempt isn’t perfect; cooking is all about learning what works best for your oven!

Achieving Crispy Skin and Tender Meat

The key to getting that gorgeous, shatteringly crisp skin on the chicken thighs is starting high and dry. You need the oil hot enough to immediately sear the skin when it hits the pan—that initial sear is non-negotiable! Don’t mess with the chicken while it’s searing; let it sit for those full 6 to 8 minutes. Then, make sure you are using that meat thermometer when it comes out of the oven. Chicken thighs are forgiving, but you must pull them out right at 165°F. If they go much past that, they start to dry out, and we don’t want that!

Herb Potency and Substitutions

I always push for fresh herbs here because rosemary and sage lose so much of their brightness when dried, especially when you are counting on them to flavor the final sauce. If you absolutely must use dried herbs, cut the amount in half—so use just ½ teaspoon of dried sage and ½ teaspoon of dried rosemary. Add the dried herbs in with the garlic during the sauté step so they have a moment to bloom in the heat before the stock goes in. Fresh sage is essential for that final garnish, though!

Serving Suggestions for This Flavorful Meal

This dish is honestly a complete meal all on its own, thanks to the protein from the chicken and the veggies. But let’s be real—the absolute best part of this recipe is that incredible pan sauce we created. You can’t let that golden, herby goodness go to waste! It pools beautifully in the skillet, begging for something to soak it all up.

Perfect Pairings

If you are looking for something to serve alongside, keep it simple so the chicken stays the star. A scoop of fluffy Basmati rice or even some creamy polenta works wonders for catching every last drop of that herb butter sauce. If you’re doing a low-carb night, try serving it over cauliflower rice, which absorbs the sauce beautifully too! chicken broccoli quinoa casserole

Honestly though, my favorite thing to serve is a thick slice of crusty, rustic bread. You just tear off a piece and use it to mop up the plate. It requires zero extra cooking, and it’s the most satisfying way to end the meal. Sometimes I’ll quickly steam some asparagus if I want an extra green hit, but mostly, I just let the rice or bread do the heavy lifting!

Frequently Asked Questions About chicken broccoli herb butter sauce

I get so many messages asking about tweaks and substitutions for this recipe, and that’s fantastic! It means you’re ready to make this chicken broccoli herb butter sauce your own. Here are the top three questions I hear most often from busy cooks trying to get this one-pan chicken dinner on the table.

Can I Use Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts?

You absolutely can swap chicken breasts for the thighs, but you have to adjust your timing because they cook much faster and dry out easily. Since we aren’t relying on the skin for that initial crisp, just sear the boneless breasts for 3 minutes per side until golden. When roasting, check their temperature sooner—pull them out as soon as they hit 165°F, which might only be 5 to 7 minutes, depending on thickness. Keep an eye on them! baked chicken breasts juicy tips

How Can I Make the herb butter sauce Thicker?

The beauty of this pan sauce is that it thickens naturally as the butter melts into the reduced stock, creating an emulsion. If you want it a little thicker without resorting to cornstarch (which I try to avoid in these pan sauces), simply let the stock simmer down longer *before* you add the butter. You want to reduce the volume of the stock by half, maybe even a little more, until it coats the back of a spoon lightly. The cold butter whisked in off the heat will do the rest of the magic!

What If I Do Not Have an Oven-Safe Skillet?

Don’t worry if your favorite skillet isn’t oven-safe! You can absolutely still make this. Just use a regular large skillet to sear the chicken and sauté the vegetables as directed. Once you add the broccoli and herbs, transfer everything—chicken and veggies—to a small, lightly oiled baking dish. Roast that dish in the 425°F oven. Then, use your original skillet on the stovetop to make the herb butter sauce using the drippings left in the bottom!

Storing and Reheating Leftover chicken broccoli herb butter sauce

I always hope there are leftovers because this roasted chicken and broccoli tastes amazing the next day! Storing it properly keeps the chicken juicy and the sauce from separating too much. We want to keep this simple, flavorful meal safe and tasty for later enjoyment. Dealing with leftovers from a one-pan meal is easy if you follow these quick guidelines for your chicken broccoli herb butter sauce.

Best Practices for Storage

The most important thing is getting the food cooled down quickly. Don’t leave leftovers sitting out at room temperature for more than two hours—that’s just basic food safety, folks! Once cooled slightly, transfer the chicken, broccoli, and any remaining sauce into a shallow, airtight container. Shallow containers help the food cool down faster in the fridge, which I love. You can safely keep these leftovers for about 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Here’s a quick summary of what happens when you save this meal:

Component	Storage Tip	Timeframe
Chicken & Veggies	Airtight container	3–4 days
Sauce	Keep separate if possible to avoid sogginess	Use within 4 days

Reheating Gently

When you’re ready to eat, you need to be gentle, especially with that beautiful sauce. If you blast it in the microwave on high, the butter in the sauce might separate and look oily—and we definitely don’t want that sad sight!

I recommend reheating this on the stovetop if you can. Place the chicken and broccoli in a skillet over medium-low heat with maybe an extra splash of chicken stock or water. Let it warm through slowly. If you must use the microwave, use 50% power in short 30-second bursts, stirring in between, until it reaches a safe eating temperature. This slow warming keeps the chicken tender and the sauce integrated!

Sharing Your chicken broccoli herb butter sauce Experience

I truly hope this recipe has made your weeknight cooking feel a little brighter and a lot easier. Honestly, seeing your results is the best part of my day! This chicken broccoli herb butter sauce is one of those meals that tastes like you spent hours fussing over it, but we both know the secret—it’s fast and simple!

I’m always tweaking and trying new things in the kitchen, and I want to hear what you thought. Did you try roasting the broccoli until it got a little crispy at the edges? Did you add a squeeze of lemon juice at the very end to wake up the sauce? Don’t keep those brilliant ideas to yourself! Pinterest

Please leave a comment below and let me know how your one-pan chicken turned out. If you loved it, tell me what you served it with so I can try it next time I make my favorite chicken broccoli herb butter sauce. Happy cooking, friends—I can’t wait to hear from you!

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