Creamy lemon chicken is an indulgent restaurant quality meal that’s easy enough to serve any time but special enough to serve to company or for a special occasion! Tender chicken gets lightly dredged in flour and pan fried before being smothered with velvety but bright lemon cream sauce.
As much as I’d love to go out more often, it’s just not realistic with our budgets and our busy life.
But that doesn’t mean my family can’t enjoy restaurant quality meals right at home.
And this creamy lemon chicken is one of those meals.
It tastes like you’ve ordered this at a fancy restaurant and is the perfect knock your socks off main dish to serve for a special dinner or when you’re having company.
We’re talking perfectly cooked dredged chicken drenched in this indulgent lemony sauce.
It seems super complicated but it’s actually very easy to make this impressive meal.
Ingredients
To make this you’ll need a set of ingredients for the chicken itself and another set for the sauce.
For the chicken you’ll need:
- Chicken– 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts trimmed of excess fat
- Seasoning– Salt, pepper, and oregano
- Flour– To dredge the chicken in
- Butter and olive oil– To pan fry the chicken
And for the creamy lemon sauce you’ll need:
- Butter– A little to saute the garlic in
- Garlic– Fresh minced garlic
- Heavy cream– Don’t substitute a lower fat dairy. It won’t give you the same indulgent results.
- Lemon– Both the juice and zest of a lemon
- Salt and pepper– To taste
How to Make
Let’s break this dish down into two parts- cooking the chicken and making the sauce.
Cooking the Chicken
To prepare the chicken, pat the chicken breast dry with paper towels.
Season the patted dry chicken liberally with salt and black pepper.
Then, use a fork to whisk the flour and oregano together on a large shallow plate.
Place one chicken breast in the flour mixture, turning it so it gets evenly coated on all sides.
Put the coated chicken on a waiting plate and repeat with the remaining chicken breasts.
Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet set over medium high heat.
When the butter is melted and the oil is hot, add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes per side- just until cooked through.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a waiting plate while you make the sauce.
Making the Sauce
Once the chicken is cooked through, it’s time to make the creamy lemon sauce.
To do it, add the remaining butter and garlic to the same skillet you used to cook the chicken and cook it for 60 seconds or just until the garlic gets fragrant.
Pour the lemon juice into the skillet.
Deglaze the bottom of the skillet by working a sturdy wooden spoon against the skillet to scrape up any stuck on browned bits.
Add both the zest and cream to the skillet and whisk together to evenly combine, then let the sauce simmer for 3-4 minutes.
At this point, return the chicken to the skillet, pushing it down into the sauce.
Let the chicken and sauce cook for another 2-3 minutes, just until the sauce has thickened.
Serve the chicken warm with extra sauce spooned out overtop.
Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions
This creamy lemon chicken is so versatile!
We love to serve it over a bed of rice.
It’s also fantastic served with mashed potatoes and your favorite roasted green veggie or over pasta.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warmed through.
Tips and Tricks
- This recipe moves quickly. For best results, have your ingredients prepped before beginning.
- I love extra lemon flavor, so I always go to the higher end of things. If you’re unsure how lemony you want your sauce to be start out with less zest and taste. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out once it’s in.
- Serve with extra lemon on the side for a fresh squeeze before digging in.
- For a little extra Italian flair, sprinkle on some fresh Parmesan cheese.
Other Pan Fried Chicken Recipes
Creamy lemon chicken is a favorite when we are having company, have a special occasion, or just want to treat ourselves.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other pan fried chicken recipes?
Try these:
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Creamy Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
For The Chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts roughly 1 1/2- 2 lbs in total
- salt & pepper
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For The Creamy Lemon Sauce
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2-3 tsp lemon zest
- 2-4 tbsp lemon juice
- salt & pepper to taste (optional)
Instructions
To Make The Chicken
- Pat the chicken breasts dry using paper towels, then season liberally with salt & freshly ground black pepper.4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, salt & pepper
- Add the flour and oregano to a large shallow plate, then use a fork to mix them together until evenly combined. Working with one chicken breast at a time, place chicken in the flour mixture turning to evenly coat. Transfer to a waiting plate and repeat until all the chicken's coated in flour.1/2 cup flour, 2 tsp dried oregano
- Add the butter and oil to a large skillet set over medium high heat. When melted and hot, add the chicken to the skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes per side- just until cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken to a waiting plate.1 1/2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp olive oil
To Make The Creamy Lemon Sauce
- Add the remaining butter and garlic to the skillet, and cook for 60 seconds.1 tbsp butter, 3 garlic cloves
- Pour the lemon juice into the skillet to deglaze, using a sturdy wooden spoon to scrape up any stuck on browned bits.2-4 tbsp lemon juice
- Add both the zest and cream to the skillet and whisk together to evenly combine, then let the sauce simmer for 3-4 minutes.1 cup heavy whipping cream, 2-3 tsp lemon zest
- Return the chicken to the skillet, nestling it into the sauce, and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes- just until the sauce has thickened. It will continue to thicken as it rests.salt & pepper
- Serve the chicken warm with extra sauce spooned out overtop, and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe moves quickly. For best results, have your ingredients prepped before beginning.
- I love extra lemon flavor, so I always go to the higher end of things. If you're unsure how lemony you want your sauce to be start out with less zest and taste. You can always add more, but you can't take it out once it's in.
- Serve with extra lemon on the side for a fresh squeeze before digging in.
- For a little extra Italian flair, sprinkle on some fresh Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition
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