Description
Creamy Lemon Chicken is a quick and simple weeknight dinner featuring tender skinless, boneless chicken breasts cooked in a luscious, tangy lemon cream sauce. This dish beautifully balances bright citrus notes with rich, velvety textures, delivering comforting and impressive flavors with minimal prep time. Perfect for family meals, leftovers, or meal prepping.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1–2 lemons)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3/4 cup heavy cream or crème fraîche
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- 2 tablespoons fresh herbs (parsley or thyme), chopped
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat chicken breasts dry and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. This step ensures the chicken has flavor throughout and helps achieve a beautiful golden crust during cooking.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat olive oil or butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the chicken. Sear until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes per side, then remove and set aside. The searing locks in juices and builds a rich base for the sauce.
- Make the Lemon Cream Sauce: In the same skillet, add minced garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in chicken broth and fresh lemon juice, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen browned bits. Let it simmer for 2-3 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Add Cream and Simmer: Lower the heat and stir in heavy cream, lemon zest, and Parmesan cheese if using. Let the sauce simmer gently until it thickens, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep it silky smooth.
- Finish Cooking the Chicken: Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, spoon sauce over them, and simmer for a few more minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Garnish with fresh herbs before serving for an extra touch of freshness.
Notes
- Use room temperature chicken for even cooking and the best sear.
- Don’t overcook the sauce; keep the cream simmering gently to prevent curdling.
- Fresh lemons make a difference; fresh juice and zest provide vibrant brightness you can’t replicate with bottled lemon juice.
- Deglaze the pan carefully by scraping all the flavorful browned bits to deepen the sauce’s taste.
- Adjust seasoning at the end by tasting your sauce and adding salt, pepper, or lemon juice as needed for balance.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 350 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg