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❤️ Why you'll love it
- Done in thirty minutes and uses just one pan
- Golden, crispy chicken goes perfectly with creamy sauce
- Full of refreshing and citrusy lemon flavor
Rich and delicious, creamy lemon chicken is an easy recipe to make on busy weeknights but is elegant enough to be your new favorite for special occasions, too.
Simple ingredients, quick prep, and big flavor—this creamy chicken dinner is what the whole family will call a winner.
🧾 Ingredients
This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.
🔪 Instructions
This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Dredge chicken cutlets in the Italian seasoning/flour mixture.
- Saute in a large skillet over medium heat. Set aside.
- Saute the garlic in butter, then pour in chicken broth and lemon juice.
- Whisk in heavy cream and simmer for 4-5 minutes more. Serve.
🥫 Storage
If you're lucky enough to have leftovers, creamy lemon chicken breasts make a weeknight dinner you won't mind repeating. They'll last in the fridge for about three days.
Be sure to store the leftovers in an airtight container. You can reheat the chicken and sauce in a microwave if you're pressed for time.
However, the best way to heat up leftover lemon chicken is in a hot skillet. Place the chicken pieces into the pan and spoon the creamy lemon sauce around them.
Cover the skillet so that the sauce doesn't over-reduce, and cook on medium-low heat until warmed through. If you have time for this extra step, it makes a delicious difference!
📖 Variations
- Swap the boneless skinless chicken breasts with boneless skinless chicken thighs if you enjoy dark meat. Cook time will be a little less.
- Substitute some of the chicken stock with your favorite white wine. Pinot Grigio is a good choice, and you can enjoy the rest with dinner!
- Add a tablespoon of lemon zest to enhance the citrus flavor.
- Whisk extra parmesan cheese into the sauce for an even cheesier dish.
- If you don't have fresh garlic, you can swap in a teaspoon or two of garlic powder.
- Stir some capers into the sauce for a chicken piccata-like flavor!
- For a different fresh herb, instead of rosemary, dill makes a "dill-icious" pairing with lemon and garlic.
- And, don't forget some fresh chopped parsley!
- Finish with red pepper flakes if you like a bit of spice.
💭 Things to know
Expert Tip: Use a meat tenderizer or mallet to flatten butterflied chicken so that each piece is an even thickness. Not only does it help the meat cook at the same time, but it also creates super tender chicken breasts!
- Sometimes you can buy flattened chicken cutlets at the grocery store. However, if not, slice large chicken breasts in half lengthwise before pounding them out.
- For best frying results, the olive oil should be hot when you place the chicken in. To test the temperature, let the tip of the first piece of chicken just barely touch the oil—don't place the whole thing down. If it doesn't sizzle immediately, wait a few minutes and try again.
- Dredging the chicken is easiest and cleanest in a shallow bowl, large Tupperware, or a large plate with rounded edges.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. As soon as the chicken reaches 165 degrees F, it's safe to remove it from the pan.
- Don't clean out the bottom of the pan after removing the chicken. All of those little browned bits add a ton of flavor to your creamy lemon sauce.
- Fresh lemon juice tastes so much better in creamy lemon garlic chicken. Try to choose plump, bright lemons for the best flavor.
👩🍳 FAQs
Sure thing! However, you will most likely have to finish the chicken in the oven. Use a cast iron skillet to start the recipe on the stove and finish it in the oven until the chicken comes to temperature. Then, continue with the recipe as indicated.
Mmm, I never say "no" to more crispy! If you'd like, you can add breadcrumbs to the flour mixture and make breaded chicken. However, I'd first dredge the chicken pieces in an egg wash to help the breading stick better.
Hi! Nope! You can pan-fry the chicken plain. The flour just adds a little bit of a crispy crust on the outside of the chicken, but it'll still be delicious without it.
Bummer! That is usually because your oil or skillet is too hot. Monitor the temperature carefully, especially if you know your stove tends to "run hot." If cooking multiple batches of chicken, it's a good idea to let the pan cool down a bit or turn the heat down a little after each go-around.
This is delicious with any pasta of your choice! However, it's also tasty over rice or mashed potatoes. Anything that can help you slurp up the luscious lemon cream sauce is a good option!
📚 Related recipes
- Spicy and smoky, Easy Deviled Chicken is a dish you'll want to add to your regular rotation. It's so easy to prep and bakes to crisp perfection!
- One-Skillet Chicken Lazone is creamy and tender with a delicious Cajun cream sauce. Serve with pasta and dinner's done in 20 minutes!
- If you've got a soft spot for drive-through chicken, you'll love this copycat Popeye's Blackened Chicken Recipe. The tenders are bold and spicy and so much easier to make than you'd think!
🍽️ Serve with...
🥄 Restless Chipotle recommends
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You'll need the following items to make this recipe successfully:
- Large nonstick skillet—cast iron is best!
📞 The last word
If you like creamy chicken recipes you're sure to love this dish. I like to garnish with a thin lemon round and a sprig of fresh rosemary to make it pretty.
If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need. Don't forget that you can click on "add to collection" to save it to your own, private recipe box!
If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Creamy Lemon Chicken
Print SaveEquipment Needed
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breast
- salt
- pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- olive oil for pan
Lemon Sauce
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons butter, cut in pieces
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream
Garnish
- rosemary, fresh
- lemons, sliced in rounds
- ½ cup Parmesan, grated
Instructions
- Pound the chicken with a mallet until it is an even thickness.
- Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning on a plate.
- Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour.
- Shake off excess.
- Heat a little olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat.
- Cook chicken on both sides until golden brown or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
- Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
- Melt butter in the pan.
- Add garlic and saute for a minute or two but don't let the garlic scorch.
- Add chicken stock and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.
- Taste it, and add more lemon juice to taste.
- Whisk in the heavy cream.
- Return chicken to pan and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for another 4-5 minutes until the sauce has thickened and coats a spoon and the chicken it hot.
- Garnish with rosemary and lemon slices.
Notes
- Use a meat tenderizer or mallet to flatten butterflied chicken so that each piece is an even thickness.
- Slice large chicken breasts in half lengthwise before pounding them out.
- Olive oil should be hot when you place the chicken in. To test the temperature, let the tip of the first piece of chicken just barely touch the oil—don't place the whole thing down. If it doesn't sizzle immediately, wait a few minutes and try again.
- Dredging the chicken is easiest and cleanest in a shallow bowl, large Tupperware, or a large plate with rounded edges.
- Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness. As soon as the chicken reaches 165 degrees F, it's safe to remove it from the pan.
- Don't clean out the bottom of the pan after removing the chicken. All of those little browned bits add a ton of flavor to your creamy lemon sauce.
- Fresh lemon juice tastes so much better in creamy lemon garlic chicken. Try to choose plump, bright lemons for the best flavor.
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