This Cowboy Butter Ground Chicken Skillet Lasagna is the cheesy, creamy, garlicky dinner your weeknight rotation has been missing. If you love the bold lemon-herb flavor in my Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta, the cozy white-sauce comfort of this White Lasagna Soup, or easy one-pan meals like my Sour Cream and Onion Chicken, you are going to love this one. Tender lasagna noodles simmer right in a rich white cowboy butter sauce with seasoned ground chicken, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, garlic, lemon, Dijon, and just enough heat to make every bite irresistible.
More Lasagna Inspired Dinners You’ll Love
Why You’ll Love This White Skillet Lasagna
- Everything cooks in one skillet for easy cleanup.
- The creamy cowboy butter sauce is loaded with garlic, herbs, lemon, Dijon, and a little heat.
- Ground chicken keeps this cheesy comfort-food dinner lighter while still filling.
- No need to pre-boil the lasagna noodles.
- It is a cozy, restaurant-worthy meal that is easy enough for busy weeknights.
What Is Cowboy Butter?
Cowboy butter is a bold, buttery sauce usually made with garlic, lemon, Dijon mustard, herbs, red pepper flakes, and seasonings. For this recipe, those flavors are worked into a creamy white sauce that coats the chicken and lasagna noodles.
The result is rich and cheesy, a little zesty, slightly spicy, and completely different from a traditional red-sauce skillet lasagna.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ground chicken
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Yellow onion
- Fresh garlic
- All-purpose flour
- Chicken broth
- Heavy cream
- Dijon mustard
- Lemon juice and lemon zest
- Italian seasoning
- Smoked paprika
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper
- Broken lasagna noodles
- Ricotta cheese
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Fresh parsley and chives
How to Make Cowboy Butter Ground Chicken Skillet Lasagna
Brown the ground chicken
Heat olive oil in a large, deep oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and onion. Cook, breaking the chicken apart with a wooden spoon, until the chicken is fully cooked and the onion is softened. Season with salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and red pepper flakes.
Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Make the creamy cowboy butter sauce
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, sprinkle in the flour and stir continuously for 1 minute.
Slowly pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, stirring well so the sauce stays smooth. Add the Dijon mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.
Simmer the noodles
Stir in the broken lasagna noodles, pressing them down into the sauce as much as possible. Cover the skillet and simmer for 18 to 22 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the noodles do not stick together.
The noodles should be tender and most of the sauce should be absorbed. Add a splash more chicken broth if the skillet begins to look dry before the noodles are finished cooking.
Add the cheese and finish
Dollop ricotta cheese over the top, then sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover for a few minutes until the cheese melts, or place the skillet under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and bubbly.
Finish with fresh parsley and chives. Let the skillet rest for 5 minutes before serving so the sauce can thicken up.
Tips for the Best Skillet Lasagna
- Use a large, deep skillet with a lid. A 12-inch cast iron skillet or sauté pan works beautifully.
- Break the lasagna noodles into rustic pieces before adding them. They do not need to be perfectly even.
- Stir the noodles every few minutes while they simmer so they cook evenly.
- Keep the heat at a gentle simmer. Boiling the cream sauce too hard can cause it to reduce too quickly.
- Freshly grated Parmesan melts much better than the shelf-stable kind.
- For a milder family-friendly version, leave out the red pepper flakes.
Make It Your Own
- Add spinach: Stir a few handfuls of baby spinach into the skillet right before adding the cheese.
- Use ground turkey: Ground turkey works just as well in this creamy skillet lasagna.
- Make it extra cheesy: Add a little provolone or fontina with the mozzarella.
- Add bacon: Crispy chopped bacon is delicious sprinkled over the top before serving.
- Make it spicy: Add more crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne pepper.
What to Serve with White Skillet Lasagna
This rich and creamy ground chicken skillet lasagna is perfect with a crisp Caesar salad, roasted broccoli, green beans, or warm garlic bread. For another easy chicken dinner, try these Baked Chicken Bacon Ranch Tacos on another busy night.
Cowboy Butter Ground Chicken Skillet Lasagna
Creamy cowboy butter ground chicken skillet lasagna is an easy one-pan white lasagna made with tender noodles, browned ground chicken, a garlicky lemon cream sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, and Parmesan.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: STOVETOP
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth, plus more as needed
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 10 lasagna noodles, broken into rustic bite-sized pieces
- ¾ cup ricotta cheese
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, optional
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives, optional
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and diced onion. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking the chicken into small crumbles, until it is cooked through and the onion is softened.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, crushed red pepper flakes, and garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter. Once melted, sprinkle the flour over the chicken mixture and stir constantly for 1 minute.
- Slowly pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, stirring well until the sauce is smooth. Stir in the Dijon mustard, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Bring to a gentle simmer.
- Add the broken lasagna noodles and press them down into the sauce. Cover the skillet and simmer for 18 to 22 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the noodles do not stick, until tender. Add an extra splash of chicken broth if the skillet becomes too dry before the noodles are done.
- Dollop the ricotta cheese over the top. Sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan. Cover for 2 to 3 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
- For a browned top, place the oven-safe skillet under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes. Watch closely.
- Garnish lightly with parsley and chives, if desired. Let the skillet rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Notes
- Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer; boiling it too hard can cause it to reduce too quickly.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for the smoothest sauce.
- For a milder family-friendly version, omit the crushed red pepper flakes.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of chicken broth or milk to loosen the sauce.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Reheat individual servings in the microwave with a splash of chicken broth or milk to loosen the creamy sauce. You can also reheat it gently in a covered skillet over low heat.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use regular lasagna noodles?
Yes. Regular lasagna noodles work perfectly. Just break them into bite-sized pieces before adding them to the skillet.
Can I use cottage cheese instead of ricotta?
Absolutely. Cottage cheese is an easy swap for ricotta and still gives the skillet lasagna that creamy layered texture.
Is cowboy butter spicy?
It can be, but this recipe is easy to adjust. Use less crushed red pepper flakes for a mild dinner, or add more if your family likes heat.
Can I make this ahead of time?
It is best fresh, but leftovers reheat well. You can also cook the chicken mixture ahead, then finish the noodles and cheese when you are ready to serve.
Final Thoughts
This Cowboy Butter Ground Chicken Skillet Lasagna is the kind of creamy, cheesy comfort food that feels special enough for Sunday dinner but is easy enough to make on a busy weeknight. The garlicky cowboy butter white sauce, tender ground chicken, melted cheese, and rustic lasagna noodles make every bite rich, cozy, and full of flavor without needing a separate pot of pasta or a baking dish.
If your family loves easy chicken dinners with bold, creamy sauces, add this one to your meal plan alongside my Cowboy Butter Chicken Pasta, Creamy Dijon Chicken, and White Lasagna Soup. Don’t forget a little garlic bread to scoop up every last bit of that cheesy white sauce.
