Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Lemon Asparagus

Name: Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Lemon Asparagus
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: parsley - an optional topping (chopped); 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (fat trimmed and chicken cut into bite sized pieces ); ¼ cup whole wheat flour (can also use all-purpose flour, almond flour, or arrowroot flour); 1¼ cup panko breadcrumbs (panko is better to use over regular breadcrumbs because it gives your chicken a more crunchy texture. ); 2 tbsp unsalted butter (can also use regular butter or ghee); kosher salt ( to taste); ground black pepper (to taste); 1 tsp garlic powder; 2 large eggs (beaten); 1 tbsp avocado oil (if you don't like the taste of avocado then you can sub for olive oil); 1 bunch of asparagus (use asparagus spear only and trim off the ends of the asparagus); 1 lemon (you will use the lemon juice and the lemon zest for this recipe)

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These garlic butter chicken bites have so much flavor. The juicy chicken is golden brown and tender to the taste. Paired with perfectly cooked lemon asparagus is a winning combination!

garlic butter chicken bites with lemon asparagus in a cast iron skillet on a wooden table

The holiday season is the busiest time of the year. When you want to continue eating healthy during those busy weeknights this is a great recipe to make for dinner. It takes only about 30 minutes to make.

This meal was actually inspired by my Homemade Baked Chicken Nuggets. They are in the category with my one-pan meals, along with the garlic bites.

Ingredients to make this chicken recipe

Below is a picture of the ingredients you will need for this yummy meal!

ingredients to make garlic butter chicken bites and lemon asparagus

skinless boneless chicken breasts - these will be cut up into bite sized chicken pieces and be sure to trim the fat
whole wheat flour - I prefer using whole wheat over white flour because it has more of a nutritional value
panko breadcrumbs - panko is better to use over regular breadcrumbs because it gives your chicken a more crunchy texture. Who doesn't like an outside crunch on their nuggets?
unsalted butter - I always use unsalted over salted to lessen the sodium
kosher salt and ground black pepper - to taste
avocado oil - if you don't like the taste of avocado you can substitute for olive oil
a bunch of asparagus - cut off the ends of the asparagus because you will want to use the asparagus spears. The ends tend to get tough and are sometimes to hard to chew
lemon - you will use the lemon juice and the lemon zest for this recipe
parsley - an optional topping

How to make this delicious recipe

If you gave my Homemade Baked Nuggets a try then this recipe will bring back some cooking memories because it replicates that recipe pretty well. Start off by preheating your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Line a baking pan with parchment paper for easy clean-up and set aside.

Season chicken breast on both sides with garlic powder, kosher salt, and ground black pepper. Cut your chicken into bite sized pieces and place in a bowl. Set up your assembly line for an easy prep. In 2 shallow dishes add your flour and panko. In a separate smaller bowl crack in your eggs and beat them.

Coat your chicken first in the flour, then eggs, then panko pressing down to coat all sides. Repeat with all your chicken until they have all been coated. Place finished pieces in a separate dish.

bite sized chicken pieces in a bowl with an assembly line to create garlic chicken bites — Step 1

melted butter being dumped on top of garlic chicken bites frying in a cast iron skillet — Step 1

Heat a large cast-iron skillet to medium high heat and pour in your 1 tbsp oil. Add your chicken pieces and pour melted butter and lemon juice on top. Cook your chicken until outsides are golden brown. You will be baking them in the oven so don't worry if they aren't cooked all the way through.

Meanwhile, add your asparagus to the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp oil and kosher salt and ground black pepper to taste. Pour melted butter and lemon juice over top. Add lemon slices on top of chicken and asparagus. Bake the chicken in the cast-iron skillet on the top row in the oven and the asparagus on the second row of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and top withe parsley to serve.

close up of garlic chicken bites with lemon slices and parsley on top

Hint: Make sure to roll your chicken pieces around to crisp up all the sides until golden brown. I like to use a wooden spoon for this step.

Substitutions

If you are interested in using different ingredients then here are a few swaps to try.

whole wheat flour - If you are looking for a gluten free alternative then you can use almond flour or arrowroot flour would work as well.

panko breadcrumbs - are you looking for a low carb swap? If you are following a keto diet you can omit the breadcrumbs and just season your chicken then coat in flour and eggs and then onto the pan.

asparagus - if you aren't a fan of asparagus but want a green veggie a good swap is to use green beans and follow the same steps for making the asparagus.

Equipment for this recipe

When making this meal I advise using a large cast-iron skillet. A Lodge Cast-Iron Skillet is the one I own and am a huge fan of. You will also need a skillet that can be cooked in a preheated oven. I also used a large rimmed baking sheet to cook the asparagus on.

close up of lemon asparagus topped with lemon slices on a wooden board

Tips and FAQ's

How can you store this dish?

If you happen to not finish this entire meal and want to store it then place it in an airtight container in your fridge from 3 to 5 days?

Do I need to soak my asparagus in water?

Yes! I always soak my asparagus in a glass of water for about 30 minutes before chopping off the ends and cooking them. Once you cut the ends off the soaking will prevent them from having a gritty, tough, texture.

When coating your chicken with the breadcrumbs

Make sure you press down on the chicken to make sure the breadcrumbs really stick to the chicken pieces.

Other chicken dishes to try

If you give this recipe a try don't forget to rate the recipe below! Always love hearing what you all think. You can also Stay in touch with me through social media on @Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my healthy recipes!