This lemon butter chicken is about to become your new weeknight secret weapon. One skillet, simple ingredients, and less than 30 minutes to the most golden, saucy, creamy chicken you’ve ever made.
Why Everyone Goes Back for Seconds
- Crispy, golden, and impossibly tender: Dredging the chicken in flour before searing gives you that gorgeous golden brown crust while keeping the inside juicy and perfectly cooked every time.
- That Sauce Though! Buttery, garlicky, creamy, and bright with lemon, this sauce is so good you’ll want to soak up every last drop with a piece of crusty bread.
- Endlessly versatile: Serve it over pasta, rice, or mashed potatoes, or keep it simple with a side of broccoli or green beans.
Lemon Butter Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken: Keep your chicken breasts thin so they cook evenly. If yours are thick, slice them in half horizontally before seasoning.
- Pat Dry: Before seasoning and dredging in flour, pat the chicken dry. This helps it develop a golden crust in the pan.
- Heavy Cream: Want a lighter sauce? Feel free to leave out the heavy cream. The sauce will be a little thinner but still delicious.
- Add Greens: Stir a handful of chopped spinach into the sauce at the end for a pop of color and a little extra nutrition.
How to Make Lemon Butter Chicken
This lemon butter chicken recipe makes it look like you put in a lot more effort than you actually did. Get your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start, because once the chicken hits the pan, it comes together in a flash!
- Dredge: Season chicken breasts with salt and lemon pepper. Dredge the chicken in all-purpose flour, shaking off the excess.
- Cook Chicken: Heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, until they are golden and cooked through. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
- Lemon Butter Sauce: To the same skillet, add butter and minced garlic and let cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, grated Parmesan, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
- Combine & Serve: Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the lemon chicken back into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce is slightly reduced and coats the chicken. Season the lemon-butter chicken with salt and pepper, if needed, then garnish with lemon slices and fresh parsley.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
Don’t wipe out the pan! Those golden bits from the chicken add incredible flavor. The sauce cooks right over them, making it richer and more delicious.
Lemon Butter Chicken
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Ingredients
- 4 thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon lemon pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic about 2 cloves
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- lemon slices for garnish
- fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
-
Season 4 thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon lemon pepper. Dredge the chicken in ½ cup all-purpose flour shaking off the excess.
-
Heat a large skillet with 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, until they are golden and cooked through. Remove them from the pan and set aside.
-
To the same skillet, add 4 tablespoons butter and 2 teaspoons minced garlic and let cook until the garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in ½ cup chicken broth, ¼ cup heavy cream, ¼ cup grated parmesan, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon lemon zest.
-
Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken back into the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce is slightly reduced and coats the chicken. Season with more salt and pepper if needed, garnish with lemon slices and fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: Reheat leftovers on the stovetop until heated through.
- Freezer: Freezing is not recommended for this recipe as the sauce and coating do not hold up well once thawed.
- Make Ahead: This dish comes together so fast that it’s best made fresh.
Nutrition
More Quick & Easy Chicken Recipes
Quick and easy doesn’t have to mean boring, and these recipes are proof. Here are a few more weeknight chicken favorites you are going to love!
