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Home » Recipes » Easy Dinners

Creamy Lemon Chicken

Published: Nov 13, 2022 · Updated: Nov 2, 2024 by Marye

Creamy lemon chicken is an easy weeknight dinner recipe that's made in one pan in about 30 minutes. It's delicious served with pasta or rice to soak up the tangy lemon sauce.
Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 30 minutes minutes
Jump to Recipe
Overhead view of chicken in sauce for the feature image.
Chicken in a skillet with lemon garnish and text overlay for Pinterest.

Don't want to scroll through the page to get to the recipe? Use the table of contents to click on the section you want to go to.

Overhead view of finished chicken in sauce in a skillet.
Table of Contents
  • ❤️ Why you'll love it
  • 🧾 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 🥫 Storage
  • 📖 Variations
  • 💭 Things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 FAQs
  • 📚 Related recipes
  • 🍽️ Serve with...
  • 📞 The last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ 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. Another really simple, but totally impressive, recipe is my honey pecan chicken breast. It's all done in a skillet in less than 30 minutes and is company pretty.

🧾 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.

Labeled ingredients for this recipe.

Sometimes I like to serve a dessert that echoes the flavors of the main dish. This easy, no-bake lemon cheesecake is perfect for that!

🔪 Instructions

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page.

Step by step images showing how to make creamy lemon chicken.
  1. Dredge chicken cutlets in the Italian seasoning/flour mixture.
  2. Saute in a large skillet over medium heat. Set aside.
  3. Saute the garlic in butter, then pour in chicken broth and lemon juice.
  4. 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!

Closeup view of the lemon chicken in a skillet.

📖 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

Can I make this dish with thick chicken breasts?

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.

How do I make the chicken even more crispy?

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.

Do I have to use flour? Gluten-free eater over here!

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.

Why is my chicken burning on the outside before cooking all the way through?

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.

What kind of pasta is best with creamy lemon chicken?

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!

A white plate with chicken and pasta.

📚 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!
  • Overhead view of finished crockpot chicken bog in the crockpot.
    Crockpot Chicken Bog
  • chicken strips dipped in bbq sauce.
    Copycat Popeye's Chicken Strips
  • Closeup of finished crescent rolls for feature image.
    Chicken Cream Cheese Crescent Rolls
  • Creamy chicken tetrazzini in a slow cooker.
    Slow Cooker Chicken Tetrazzini

🍽️ Serve with...

  • Red Skin Mashed Potatoes
  • Italian Green Bean Salad
  • Air Fryer Garlic Bread
  • Lemon Pudding Bundt Cake

We also like this recipe served with classic southern green beans and potatoes.

📞 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.

Looking for something a little different? You're going to love this tangy-sweet cranberry chicken!

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! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Overhead view of chicken in sauce for the feature image.

Creamy Lemon Chicken

4.80 from 5 votes
Print Rate Recipe
Creamy lemon chicken is an easy weeknight dinner recipe that's made in one pan in about 30 minutes. It's delicious served with pasta or rice to soak up the tangy lemon sauce.
Course Main Dish - Chicken,Main Dish (Quick and Easy)
Cuisine American - Southern
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings:8
Calories:331
Author:Marye Audet-White

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

Storage:
Cover tightly with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days. This dish does not freeze well.
To Reheat:
Place the chicken and sauce in a pan over low-medium heat, cover, and cook until warmed though. Check often that it's not scorching.
Tips:
  • 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.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 296mg | Potassium: 495mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 656IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

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About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

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Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

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