Oh, this Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce is an absolute lifesaver on busy weeknights! Honestly, it feels fancy enough to serve to guests, but it’s so ridiculously simple and quick. I first whipped this up when I was completely out of inspiration and had nothing but chicken breasts and a sad-looking lemon staring at me. Turns out, it’s now one of my go-to recipes because it’s just bursting with bright, zesty flavor and that luscious, buttery sauce. Trust me, you’ll be making this Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce again and again!

Why You’ll Love This Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce

This dish is a winner for so many reasons! Here’s why it’s going to become your new favorite:

Super Speedy: Seriously, you can have this on the table in about 35 minutes from start to finish. Perfect for when you’re really in a pinch!
Incredibly Easy: No fancy twists or turns here. If you can sauté chicken and whisk a sauce, you’ve got this.
Big Flavor Punch: That bright, zesty lemon combined with rich butter? It’s a flavor explosion that just makes everything taste amazing.
So Versatile: It’s one of those dishes that pairs perfectly with just about anything – rice, pasta, veggies, you name it!

Essential Ingredients for Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce

Okay, gathering your ingredients is the first fun step! It’s what makes this Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce so good. You don’t need anything super fancy, just good staples that pack a punch. Here’s what you’ll want to have on hand:

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts: I like to cut mine into about 1-inch pieces so they cook quickly and evenly. Make sure there are no pesky bones or skin!
1/2 cup all-purpose flour: This is what we’ll use to lightly coat the chicken, giving it that beautiful golden-brown sear and helping our sauce thicken later.
1 teaspoon salt: Don’t skip this! It brings out all the lovely flavors.
1/2 teaspoon black pepper: Freshly ground is always best if you have it!
2 tablespoons olive oil: For getting that perfect sear on the chicken.
4 tablespoons unsalted butter: This is key for that luscious, rich lemon butter sauce. Use real butter, trust me on this one!
2 cloves garlic, minced: Garlic makes everything better, right? Mince it up nice and fine so it gets fragrant super fast.
1/2 cup chicken broth: This forms the base of our sauce. Low-sodium is good if you want to control the saltiness.
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice: Squeeze it yourself! Bottled just doesn’t have that bright, fresh zing that makes this dish sing.
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley: For a pop of color and a little herbal freshness at the end.

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce

Alright, let’s get cooking! Making this Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce is honestly so straightforward, you’ll feel like a pro. It’s all about building those layers of flavor, and I’m going to walk you through every single step. Just follow along, and you’ll have a restaurant-worthy meal in no time! It’s almost as satisfying as shaking up a perfectly crafted classic margarita.

Preparing the Chicken for the Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce

First things first, let’s get that chicken ready. I like to cut my chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces, about an inch or so, so they cook up fast and get nice and browned. Then, in a shallow dish – a plate works fine too – whisk together your flour, salt, and pepper. This is going to give the chicken a lovely crust and help thicken our sauce later. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mix, making sure to shake off any extra flour so it doesn’t just clump on there. You want a nice, light coating.

Creating the Flavorful Lemon Butter Sauce

Now for the magic part – the sauce! In that same skillet you cooked the chicken in (less cleanup, woohoo!), add your olive oil and butter over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted and sizzling, toss in your minced garlic. Cook it for just about a minute until it smells amazing – be careful not to burn it, or it gets bitter! Then, pour in the chicken broth and that gorgeous fresh lemon juice. Bring it all to a gentle simmer and let it bubble away for about 2-3 minutes. Make sure to scrape up all those little browned bits from the bottom of the pan; that’s where all the flavor is hiding!

Combining and Finishing the Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce

Once your sauce has simmered and thickened just a bit, it’s time to bring everything together. Gently return the cooked chicken pieces to the skillet, nestling them into that delicious sauce. Give it a good stir to make sure every piece of chicken is coated in that bright, buttery goodness. Finally, sprinkle in your fresh parsley – it adds such a pretty pop of green and a lovely fresh taste. Give it one last gentle stir. And that’s it! Your amazing Lemon Chicken with Lemon Butter Sauce is ready to serve.

Tips for the Best Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce

You know, like any recipe, there are little tricks I’ve picked up over the years that really make this Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce shine. It’s not complicated, but these little things make a huge difference. Trust me on these!

Don’t overcrowd the pan when searing the chicken. Seriously, this is crucial! If you pile too much chicken in there at once, it’ll steam instead of getting that lovely golden-brown sear. Cook it in batches if you have to. That little bit of extra work gives you so much more flavor.

Use fresh lemon juice! I know I said it in the ingredients, but I have to say it again. From a bottle just doesn’t have that vibrant, zingy flavor that makes this dish sing. It’s worth the extra minute to squeeze it yourself.

Taste and adjust as you go. Before you return the chicken to the pan, give that sauce a quick taste. Does it need a pinch more salt? A tiny bit more lemon if your lemons weren’t super juicy? Cooking is all about making it perfect for *you*.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Lemon Chicken

So, let’s chat about a couple of things in this recipe that you might have questions about, or maybe you’re missing an ingredient! It happens! That’s the beauty of cooking, right? We tweak and swap. For this Lemon Chicken, the chicken broth is pretty straightforward, but if you don’t have any or want to try something different, a good quality vegetable broth works just fine. It’ll give you a slightly different flavor profile, but still delicious!

And that fresh lemon juice – oh, it’s the star! If you absolutely can’t find fresh lemons, bottled *can* work in a pinch, but really, I’d try to find them. The flavor is just worlds apart. Maybe the bottled stuff is a bit like comparing a refreshing strawberry lemonade to just plain water, you know? For the parsley, any fresh green herb like chives or even a little bit of dill could be a nice surprise, too!

Serving Suggestions for Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce

This zesty Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce is amazing on its own, but oh my goodness, it’s even better when you pair it with something delicious! My absolute favorite way to serve it is over a bed of fluffy white rice or some tender angel hair pasta. The rice or pasta just soaks up all that glorious lemony butter sauce – pure heaven!

If you’re looking for some veggies, some lightly steamed asparagus or tender green beans are fantastic. A simple side salad with a light vinaigrette also adds a nice fresh crunch. Honestly, it’s like pairing your meal with a classic Arnold Palmer – it just completes the whole experience!

Storage and Reheating Instructions

Got leftovers? Lucky you! This Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce is surprisingly good the next day. Just pop it into an airtight container and tuck it away in the fridge. It should be good for about 2-3 days. When you’re ready to reheat, I find the best way is to gently warm it in a skillet over low heat. You can add a tiny splash of chicken broth or water if the sauce seems a bit thick. Just be gentle so you don’t overcook the chicken!

Frequently Asked Questions About Lemon Chicken

Got questions about this amazing Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce? I’ve got answers! Cooking is all about figuring things out, and I’ve definitely learned a few things along the way with this recipe.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of breasts?

Absolutely! Chicken thighs are super forgiving and stay really moist. Just trim off any excess fat and you can use them just like the breasts. They might take a minute or two longer to cook through, so keep an eye on them. They’ll be delicious in the lemon butter sauce too!

My sauce seems a bit thin, what can I do?

No worries! If your sauce isn’t as thick as you like, you can easily fix it. My favorite trick is to mix about a teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water until it’s smooth, then stir that into the simmering sauce. Let it bubble for another minute or so, and it should thicken right up. Or, if you have extra flour-dredged chicken bits left, whisking a little bit of that into the sauce can also help thicken it!

Can I make this dish ahead of time?

You can definitely prepare the components ahead! You can cut your chicken and have your flour mixture ready to go. The sauce is best made fresh right before serving so the lemon flavor is bright and the butter is emulsified. But hey, if you need a super fast weeknight meal, cooked chicken reheats okay, and you can whip up a quick sauce separately to pour over it. It’s like having a refreshing cucumber mint cooler ready to go!

Estimated Nutritional Information

Just a heads-up, these numbers are estimates, okay? Your exact nutritional values can totally change depending on the brands you use and by how much you generously drizzle that glorious sauce! But, as a general idea, one serving of this Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce usually clocks in around 350 calories, with about 18g of fat (7g saturated), 30g of protein, and 15g of carbs. It’s a pretty balanced meal, especially considering how decadent it tastes!

Lemon Chicken With Lemon Butter Sauce

Author: cocktailmixguide.com
Total Time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

A simple and flavorful chicken dish with a bright lemon butter sauce.

Ingredients

Scale

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

Cut chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge chicken pieces in the flour mixture, shaking off excess.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
Add butter to the same skillet. Once melted, add minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Return chicken to the skillet. Stir in chopped parsley.
Serve immediately.

Notes

For a richer sauce, you can add a splash of heavy cream.
Serve with rice or pasta to soak up the sauce.

Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20 min
Category: Dinner
Method: Pan-Frying
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 350
Sugar: 3g
Sodium: 600mg
Fat: 18g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Unsaturated Fat: 11g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 15g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 30g
Cholesterol: 100mg

Keywords: lemon chicken, lemon butter sauce, chicken recipe, easy chicken dinner, quick chicken