Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Lemon Asparagus

March marks the beginning of spring when some of our favourite ingredients like asparagus come into season. This chicken and asparagus recipe is a healthy and delicious dish for your dinner table, and with a splash of vibrant freshness from lemon juice.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized chunks
• 2 bunch of asparagus, rinsed and trimmed
• 1/2 cup butter, divided (1/4 cup for browning the chicken and 1/4 cup for the sauce)
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic, divided (1 teaspoon for the chicken bites and 1 teaspoon for the asparagus and sauce)
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbes de Provence
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce, optional (we used Sriracha)
• 1/2 cup (125ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• Crushed red chili pepper flakes, optional
• Slices of lemon for garnish

For the chicken seasoning:

• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 2 teaspoons onion powder

Directions

1. To prepare, slice chicken breasts into bite-sized chunks and season with salt, pepper, and onion powder. Let sit on a shallow plate while you prepare the asparagus.


2. Wash and trim the ends of the asparagus, blanch them in boiling water for 2 minutes, then soak them in ice water to stop the cooking. This way, asparagus will cook faster and evenly in the skillet. You can skip this step if you have skinny asparagus. Drain and set aside.


3. Melt half the butter (1/4 cup) with olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Gently stir-fry the chicken bites on all sides until golden brown. Lower the temperature, and add one teaspoon of minced garlic and Italian seasoning. Stir and cook the chicken bites for one minute more until the garlic is fragrant. Remove the chicken bites from the skillet and set aside on a plate. You can work in batches to avoid crowding the pan and have steamed chicken bites instead of browned ones.


4. In the same skillet over medium-high, add the remaining teaspoon of minced garlic, then deglaze with chicken broth (or wine). Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce to half the volume. Add the remaining 1/4 cup butter, lemon juice, hot sauce, and parsley. Give a quick stir to combine.


5. Add the blanched asparagus and toss for 2 minutes to cook it up. Push asparagus on the side and add the sauteed chicken bites back to the pan and stir for another minute to reheat. Garnish the chicken and asparagus with more parsley, crushed chili pepper, and lemon slices, and serve your garlic butter chicken bites and asparagus immediately.

Recipe courtesy of EatWell101.