Brighten your dinner table with our lemon chicken recipe.
This dish features juicy chicken cooked with fresh lemon, garlic, and herbs, creating a zesty and flavorful meal.
Perfect for a quick and healthy dinner, it’s sure to become a family favorite.
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Our lemon chicken recipe is a delightful and flavorful dish that combines the zesty freshness of lemon with juicy, tender chicken.
This recipe is perfect for a quick and healthy dinner, offering a burst of bright flavors that will liven up your meal.
Lemon chicken is a versatile dish that pairs well with a variety of sides, making it a great choice for any occasion.
The combination of fresh lemon juice, garlic, and herbs creates a marinade that infuses the chicken with a tangy, aromatic flavor, while keeping it moist and tender.
Serve this lemon chicken with a side of steamed vegetables, rice, or a fresh salad for a complete and satisfying meal.
This lemon chicken recipe is easy to prepare and incredibly delicious. It's a perfect addition to your weeknight dinner rotation and is sure to become a family favorite.
What is lemon chicken?
Lemon chicken is a popular dish featuring chicken pieces, typically boneless and skinless, cooked in a lemon-flavored sauce.
The sauce often includes ingredients such as lemon juice, zest, garlic, chicken broth, and herbs. The dish can be baked, grilled, or pan-fried, and it offers a bright, tangy flavor.
Lemon chicken is often served with rice, pasta, or vegetables, making it a versatile and delicious option for various meals.
Some variations may include additional spices or ingredients like capers, butter, or white wine to enhance the flavor.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The refreshing citrus flavor of lemon chicken makes it a delightful dish for any occasion.
- This recipe is light and healthy, perfect for those who are mindful of their diet.
- Lemon chicken is ideal for summer meals, providing a zesty and vibrant taste.
- It’s a quick weeknight dinner option that doesn't sacrifice flavor.
- This dish pairs well with various sides, offering versatility in your meal planning.
- This recipe for lemon chicken is budget friendly.
Ingredients
Please note that below is a guide for some of the ingredients we used in the recipe. The printable recipe further down the page has the complete list of ingredients, including quantities and step-by-step instructions.
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast or Boneless Skinless Chicken Thigh Fillets: Cut into bite sized pieces.
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- All Purpose Flour (Plain Flour)
- Butter
- Minced Garlic
- Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock
- Thickened Cream
- Lemon Juice
- Dijon Mustard
- Parmesan Cheese: Finely grated.
- Fresh Parsley: Roughly chopped, to garnish.
Instructions
This recipe for lemon chicken serves 4. The ingredient quantities can easily be adjusted to suit how many serves you need to make.
For the Chicken
Step One: Season chicken with salt and pepper.
Step Two: Coat the chicken pieces in flour, shaking off any excess.
Step Three: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium to high heat.
Once melted, add the chicken pieces and cook until golden and crispy and cooked through. Once cooked, remove from skillet and set aside.
For the Sauce
Step One: Using the same skillet you cooked the chicken in saute the garlic for a few seconds. If your pan is a bit dry, add a bit more butter.
Step Two: Gradually add the chicken stock, cream, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard to the skillet over low to medium heat.
Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve any bits left over from when you cooked the chicken. Make sure the Dijon mustard is dissolved as well.
Step Three: Add the Parmesan cheese and mix through. Continue to simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
Step Four: Add salt and pepper to taste. Then mix through the cooked chicken. Coat the chicken in the sauce. Turn off heat and serve.
You might like to serve this lemon chicken recipe with rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes, garnished with roughly chopped fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Cost To Make
Estimated cost = $5.65 or $1.41 a serve
Substitutions / Variations
Here are some variations for thislemon chicken recipe:
- Use lime instead of lemon.
- Add capers for a briny touch.
- Make it spicy with red pepper flakes.
- Use fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary.
- Serve with a honey glaze.
Serving Suggestions
Here are some ways you might like to serve this lemon chicken recipe:
- Serve with rice pilaf.
- Pair with steamed green beans.
- Garnish with lemon zest and parsley.
- Accompany with a mixed greens salad.
- Serve with roasted potatoes.
Storage
Store lemon chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat in a pan on the stove over medium heat, adding a little chicken broth to keep it moist if needed. Or you could use the microwave.
Made this recipe? Let us know how it went in the comments below! We'd love to hear how it turned out.
Recipe
Lemon Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 750 grams (1.50 pounds) boneless skinless chicken breast or boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon black Pepper
- ¼ cup (35 grams, 1.23 ounces) All purpose flour (plain flour), or as needed
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams, 1.60 ounces) Butter
For the Sauce
- 1 teaspoon (1-2 cloves) minced garlic
- 1 cup (250 ml/grams, 8.82 ounces) chicken stock or vegetable stock
- ¾ cup (188 ml/grams, 6.63 ounces) thickened cream
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice or to taste
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- ¾ cup (90 grams, 3.17 ounces) Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- Fresh parsley roughly chopped, to garnish
Instructions
For the Chicken
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Coat the chicken pieces in flour, shaking off any excess.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium to high heat. Once melted, add the chicken pieces and cook until golden and crispy and cooked through. Once cooked, remove from skillet and set aside.
For the Sauce
- Using the same skillet you cooked the chicken in saute the garlic for a few seconds. If your pan is a bit dry, add a bit more butter.
- Gradually add the chicken stock, cream, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard to the skillet over low to medium heat. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer. Scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve any bits left over from when you cooked the chicken. Make sure the Dijon mustard is dissolved as well.
- Add the Parmesan cheese and mix through. Continue to simmer until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Then mix through the cooked chicken. Coat the chicken in the sauce. Turn off heat and serve. You might like to serve this lemon chicken recipe with rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes, garnished with roughly chopped fresh parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Megan says
I have made lemon chicken before but nothing beats this recipe. Thanks so much.