Creamy Lemon Chicken

Quick chicken dinner recipes always save the day on those busy weeknights, when I have little time to cook and still need to get dinner ready on the table.

Creamy Lemon Chicken

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 430kcal

One-pan creamy lemon chicken dinner ready in just 25 minutes from start to finish! Perfect for busy week-nights, this dinner is family-friendly and low-carb. Golden crispy chicken smothered in an incredible creamy lemon sauce, serve over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice

Ingredients

• 3 large boneless and skinless chicken breasts sliced into thin cutlets
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup parmesan cheese grated
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock or chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
• 3 cloves garlic minced

To serve

• cooked pasta
• parsley chopped
• fresh lemon slices

Instructions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and shake off any excess.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil and melt 1 tablespoon of butter on medium heat. Swirl pan to coat with oil and butter evenly. Add the chicken cutlets to the pan.
3. Brown the chicken (do not overcrowd and work in batches if needed) for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer onto a plate, cover, and set aside.
4. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter, and saute the garlic for a minute or until it's fragrant. Add the chicken stock, and deglaze the pan scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
5. Adjust the heat to medium-low, and add the heavy cream, lemon juice, and the parmesan cheese to the skillet. Allow the sauce to gently simmer for a couple of minutes.
6. Season with salt and pepper to your taste, then put the chicken back in the sauce and the sauce simmer and thicken for a few more minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley leaves and serve warm over pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.

Notes

If you choose to use whole chicken breasts, the meat will be quite thick so you'll need to finish the dish off in the oven to make sure that the chicken is cooked through and safe to eat.

If you're using cutlets, and there are parts where the meat is too thick, use a meat tenderizer and pound the chicken so it cooks evenly and quickly.

Do not use single/light cream as that won’t thicken the sauce enough.

I recommend buying a block of parmesan cheese and grating it at home. I found that store-bought parmesan cheese doesn’t have much flavor, and doesn’t dissolve well in sauces.

Storing Tips

Store the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven, you will need to add a splash of water to thin out the sauce as it thickens in the fridge.

I don't recommend freezing creamy sauces as they change textures to grainy when frozen.