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Cooked Lemon Chicken Recipe in a lemon sauce, topped with lemon slices and fresh parsley.

Lemon Chicken Recipe

Juicy pan-seared Lemon Chicken Recipe with a creamy garlic sauce, perfected over 200+ cooks. Ready in just 25 minutes, it’s a weeknight favorite that tastes like a restaurant dish.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mediterranean-inspired
Keyword: Chicken lemon, Creamy ranch chicken recipes, Garlic lemon chicken, Lemon herb chicken, Natasha Kitchen
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Resting Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 365kcal
Cost: $12

Equipment

  • 1 Chef’s knife (For slicing garlic and trimming chicken)
  • 1 12-inch Skillet (Heavy-bottomed works best for even browning)
  • 1 Meat thermometer (Pull chicken at 162°F for perfect juiciness)

Ingredients

  • 4 pieces Chicken breasts - Boneless skinless
  • 2 tablespoon Olive oil - For cooking
  • 1 tablespoon Butter - With garlic and sauce
  • 3 cloves Garlic - Fresh minced
  • 2 whole Lemons - Juice + slices for garnish
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ½ teaspoon dried Thyme or rosemary - Use whichever is available
  • 1 teaspoon Salt - For seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon Black pepper - Freshly ground

For the Sauce:

  • ½ cup Chicken broth - For deglazing and flavor
  • ½ cup Heavy cream or half-and-half - Can substitute with coconut cream
  • 1 tablespoon Honey - Or white sugar
  • 2 tablespoon Fresh parsley - Chopped for garnish
  • ¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes - Optional adds heat

Optional Ingredients:

  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard - Helps emulsify sauce
  • 1 fillet Anchovy - Minced disappears but adds umami
  • 1 tablespoon White wine - For deglazing
  • 1 tablespoon Capers - Salty punch
  • 1 teaspoon Lemon zest - Boosts citrus flavor

Instructions

  • Pound chicken breasts to even thickness, pat dry, season both sides with salt and pepper, and let sit 10 minutes at room temperature.
    Raw chicken breasts seasoned with salt, pepper, and herbs on a marble board with wooden-handled knives.
  • Heat olive oil in skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Place chicken in pan, don’t move for 5–6 minutes. Flip and cook another 4–5 minutes. Check with thermometer; remove at 162°F and tent with foil.
    Chicken breasts searing in a pan with garlic and herbs, golden brown on the outside.
  • Lower heat to medium. Add butter and garlic, cook 30 seconds. Deglaze with chicken broth, scraping up browned bits. Stir in lemon juice and honey. Let bubble 2 minutes. Add cream, herbs, and any optional Dijon or anchovy.
    Creamy lemon garlic sauce in a stainless steel pan, sprinkled with fresh parsley, with a spoon for stirring.
  • Taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Return chicken to skillet, spoon sauce over top. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley. Warm through for 1 minute.
    A skillet with chicken breasts cooked in lemon sauce, garnished with chopped parsley and lemon slices.

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Nutrition

Serving: 200g | Calories: 365kcal (18%) | Carbohydrates: 8g (3%) | Protein: 38g (76%) | Fat: 20g (31%) | Saturated Fat: 9g (56%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 125mg (42%) | Sodium: 520mg (23%) | Potassium: 650mg (19%) | Fiber: 1g (4%) | Sugar: 5g (6%) | Vitamin A: 580IU (12%) | Vitamin C: 14mg (17%) | Calcium: 45mg (5%) | Iron: 1.5mg (8%)
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