Description

This One-Pot Spicy Garlic Butter Chicken Tortellini is a creamy, flavorful dish that combines tender chicken, cheesy tortellini, and a rich garlic butter sauce with a spicy kick. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, it comes together quickly in a single pot, minimizing cleanup while maximizing taste.

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken

1 lb chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 tbsp butter

Sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste)
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp fresh basil or parsley, chopped

Pasta

2 cups fresh cheese tortellini (or ravioli)

Instructions

Sauté the Chicken: Season the bite-sized chicken pieces with salt and black pepper. In a large pot, melt 4 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are browned on the outside and cooked through, about 6 to 8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside for later.
Make the Garlic Butter Sauce: In the same pot, add a little more butter if needed and sauté the minced garlic over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes to infuse the sauce with a spicy kick.
Build the Sauce: Pour in the chicken broth, scraping up any flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Stir in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer to combine the flavors and slightly thicken the sauce.
Cook the Tortellini: Add the fresh cheese tortellini to the simmering sauce. Cook for 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tortellini are tender and heated through.
Combine and Finish: Return the cooked chicken to the pot along with the grated Parmesan cheese. Stir everything together until the cheese melts into the sauce, creating a creamy coating. Let the mixture cook for another 2 to 3 minutes to meld the flavors. Garnish with chopped fresh basil or parsley before serving.

Notes

You can use either chicken breasts or thighs depending on your preference; thighs will be juicier and more flavorful.
Adjust the amount of crushed red pepper flakes to control the heat level.
Fresh tortellini cooks faster than frozen; monitor closely to avoid overcooking.
For a lighter version, substitute heavy cream with half-and-half or a lower-fat cream option.
If fresh herbs are unavailable, dried basil or parsley can be used but add less as they are more concentrated.
Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot when adding broth to incorporate all the flavor from the chicken.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Category: Main Course
Method: Sautéing, Simmering
Cuisine: Italian-American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving (about 1/4 recipe)
Calories: 520 kcal
Sugar: 2 g
Sodium: 680 mg
Fat: 30 g
Saturated Fat: 16 g
Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 34 g
Fiber: 2 g
Protein: 35 g
Cholesterol: 110 mg

Keywords: one-pot chicken tortellini, garlic butter chicken, spicy chicken pasta, creamy tortellini recipe, easy dinner, comfort food