This creamy chicken is lightly seared in brown butter, then finished in a slow cooker or on the stovetop in a rich Cajun-flavored sauce. The browned butter chicken strips are excellent served over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes and pair well with biscuits or fresh bread sticks.
Brown Butter Chicken with Creamy Cajun Sauce (Slow Cooker or Stovetop)
marilynpeight
Equipment
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Large non-stick skillet
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Small saucepan
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3-quart crockpot (if using slow cooker)
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Whisk
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Tongs
Ingredients
- 3 1/2 lb. chicken breast
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 8 oz. cooked pasta (optional)
For the sauce:
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- several dashes paprika
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Fresh parsley for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Slow cooker instructions:
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Cut the chicken breasts into strips and season both sides with salt and pepper. Brown the butter in a large skillet, add the chicken strips and garlic, and flash-fry about 20–30 seconds per side—just to develop color and flavor. You do not need to cook the strips through. Transfer the chicken and garlic to the bottom of a 3–4 quart crockpot in a single layer or lightly layered if necessary.
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For the sauce: Reserve 1 tablespoon of the browned butter from the skillet and place it in a small saucepan. Add 2 additional tablespoons of butter and melt. Whisk in 3 tablespoons of flour until smooth to form a roux. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth and add Cajun seasoning and paprika; bring to a gentle boil while whisking until thickened. Season with salt to taste.
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Pour the gravy over the chicken in the crockpot, cover, and cook on low for 2–3 hours until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Remove the chicken strips, stir heavy cream into the gravy until smooth, then return the chicken to the crockpot and let the sauce warm. Serve over cooked pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes and garnish with parsley if desired.
Stovetop instructions:
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Cut the chicken into strips and season with salt and pepper. Brown the butter in a large skillet, add chicken strips and garlic, and cook about 6–8 minutes per side or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F and the strips are fully cooked. Remove from heat and keep covered.
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For the sauce: Remove 1 tablespoon of browned butter from the skillet into a small saucepan and add 2 more tablespoons of butter. Melt, whisk in 3 tablespoons flour until smooth, then add chicken broth and seasonings. Bring to a simmer while whisking until thickened. Stir in the heavy cream, then pour the sauce over the cooked chicken in the skillet.
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Return the skillet to medium heat and cook until the sauce is bubbly and heated through. Serve the chicken and sauce over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with parsley if desired.
Notes
If using the slow cooker, hold the heavy cream until after the chicken finishes cooking to prevent the sauce from separating. Add cream at the end and reheat gently.
Let us know how it was!
Equipment suggestions:
- Large non-stick skillet — helpful to prevent sticking and make cleanup easier.
- Small saucepan — for making the roux and gravy.
- 3-quart crockpot — ideal for the slow cooker method and the ingredient amounts here.
- Whisk — for smoothing the sauce and avoiding lumps.
- Tongs — makes turning and removing chicken quick and easy.
Slow cooker method — Step 1: Slice and season the chicken, then flash-fry briefly in browned butter with garlic to add flavor but not to fully cook (if using the crockpot).
Slow cooker step continued: Transfer the seared strips to a 3-quart crockpot, layering lightly if necessary.
Why not cook the strips through when using the crockpot?
If you plan to finish the chicken in the slow cooker, searing is only to develop browned butter flavor. The chicken will finish cooking in the crockpot and will stay juicier if not fully cooked during searing.
Slow cooker and stovetop — Step 2: Make a roux with butter and flour, add garlic (if using), whisk in chicken broth, and simmer until thickened. For the stovetop method you can add cream directly to the sauce; for the slow cooker, wait until the end to avoid separation.
Why hold the cream for the crockpot?
Adding cream at the start of slow cooking can cause the sauce to separate. Instead, make a gravy without cream, finish the chicken, remove it briefly, whisk in the cream, then return the chicken to warm through.
Slow cooker — Step 3: Cover and cook on high for 2–3 hours (or low for longer) until tender and fully cooked. Add heavy cream at the end, rewarm gently, and serve over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes. Garnish with parsley if desired.
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