This creamy lemon chicken recipe comes together easily in one pan and is tender and juicy, with a bright, silky lemon sauce you will love!
Quick chicken dinners are a weeknight workhorse, especially when they require few ingredients and come together in just one pan. Dishes like my creamy lemon chicken with mushrooms, chicken piccata, and lemony chicken stew with orzo are all easy chicken dinners I always come back to. This creamy lemon chicken is another keeper to add to your weeknight dinner arsenal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This creamy lemon chicken recipe requires few ingredients and only takes just about 30 minutes to make
- This chicken dish is juicy, tender, saucy, and exploding with bright lemon flavor
- It all comes together easily and in just one pan
What’s in This Creamy Lemon Chicken
- Chicken breasts—I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are cut thin so they cook fast and brown evenly.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper—always, for flavor
- All-purpose flour—Dredging the chicken in flour creates a lightly crisp coating, keeps the meat juicy, and helps thicken our creamy lemon sauce
- Olive oil—for sautéing
- Butter—I like using a combo of olive oil and butter for cooking the chicken. Doing so raises the smoke point so the butter doesn’t burn but does add flavor.
- Garlic—Who doesn’t love a clove of garlic for a savory flavor that plays so well with the lemon
- Chicken stock—Stock adds flavor to the sauce but doesn’t make it too heavy. I use my homemade chicken stock or storebought
- Lemon—You’ll use both the juice and some lemon slices in this recipe
- Heavy cream—I use cream or half-and-half to add body and thickening power to the sauce. It is called “creamy lemon chicken”, after all!
- Thyme—Fresh thyme adds just a hint of earthy herbal power
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Creamy Lemon Chicken
- Cut the whole chicken breasts into thinner cutlets. Trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts and slice them in half lengthwise to make two thin cutlets.
- Flour and season the chicken for better browning and thickening of the sauce. Season both sides of the chicken breasts evenly with the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper then dredge each breast in the flour, shaking off any excess.
Brown the chicken. Brown the chicken in a mixture of olive oil and melted butter (just about 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown). Transfer to a platter or sheet pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
Make the lemon cream sauce. Sauté the garlic until fragrant, then sprinkle it with flour, stirring while you cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth, lemon juice, and cream, scraping up those delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Add butter to the sauce for a finishing gloss. Add the sliced lemon and cook for 4-5 minutes until the cream sauce thickens. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter until melted.
- Add the chicken back to the sauce to finish cooking. Taste for seasoning and top with parsley or fresh thyme if desired.
Recipe Tips
- If you find that your chicken breasts are still too thick after slicing in half lengthwise, use a meat tenderizer to make them thinner.
- Always check the temp of your chicken to make sure it is thoroughly cooked (but not overcooked). Use a meat thermometer and insert it in the thickest part of the breast. You want the internal temperature to read 165°F.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Instead of chicken breasts, try chicken thighs for this recipe. Simply follow the cooking method in my lemon chicken thighs with artichokes recipe.
- Swap the fresh thyme for rosemary.
- For even more tang, add a dollop of Dijon mustard to your sauce, or add some capers for a briny bite.
Storage Tips
This creamy lemon chicken will keep stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about three days, or so. I don’t recommend freezing this because the creamy sauce could get grainy.
Creamy Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper plus more for seasoning
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour divided
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or minced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- juice of 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- ½ lemon thinly sliced
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts and slice them in half lengthwise to make two thin cutlets. Season both sides of the chicken breasts evenly with the kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper then dredge each breast in the flour, shaking off any excess.
- Heat 2 tablespoons butter with the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Transfer to a platter or sheet pan and cover with foil.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add the garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle the garlic with the remaining tablespoon of flour, stirring while you cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken broth, lemon juice, and cream, scraping up the browned bits from the pan.
- Add the sliced lemon and cook for 4-5 minutes until the cream sauce thickens. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter until melted. Add the chicken back to the sauce. Taste for seasoning and top with parsley or fresh thyme if desired.
