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Lemon Butter Chicken – Chicken breasts seasoned and seared to tender and juicy perfection, cooked with a tangy lemon butter sauce.
For Valentine’s Day this year, I decided I was going to make something rich and delicious that was a little better for us that our typical steak dinner. Chicken breasts are a go-to for me when it comes to easy dinner recipes because, well, they’re easy to work with and they take on so many different delicious flavors. And let me tell you, this lemon butter sauce was absolute perfection with this chicken!
How to make Chicken in Lemon Butter Sauce:
To make my Easy Chicken in Lemon Butter Sauce recipe, you’ll need:
- Butter
- Garlic
- 1 lemon
- Heavy cream
- Chicken broth
- Parsley
- A heavy bottomed skillet, like this one (affiliate link)
Start by seasoning the chicken breasts and searing them in a hot skillet with a little butter and olive oil. You don’t need to cook them through just yet; they’ll finish cooking in the later. It takes about 2 minutes per side to get them to the golden brown stage. Transfer them to a plate while you make the sauce.
To make the lemon butter sauce, add some more butter to the skillet. There will still be some brown bits from the chicken, but that’s fine – that’s flavor! To the butter add some minced garlic and stir and cook for about a minute or two before adding the lemon juice and zest, chicken broth, heavy cream and parsley. Bring that to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes. Add the chicken back to the skillet.
Now at this point you have two options. You can slide the skillet into the oven for about ten minutes to finish it off, or you can place the lid on the skillet and let it simmer and finish cooking the chicken right on the stove top. I kind of base it on whatever else I’m cooking. If I’ve got potatoes in the oven, I’ll finish the chicken on the stove. If I’m cooking some potatoes on the stove, I’ll finish the chicken in the oven. Make sense? Either method will work just fine.
Before serving, spoon a good bit of sauce on top of each piece of chicken, then plate individually, spooning more sauce onto each plate or take a sip for yourself. No judgement here – it’s pretty damn delicious!
For more delicious baked chicken recipes, try these:
- Crispy Baked Chicken Thighs
- Best Baked Chicken Wings EVER!
- Crispy Garlic Parmesan Baked Chicken
- Baked Chicken Breasts
Chicken Breasts with Lemon Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Breasts
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons fresh minced parsley plus additional for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (if you plan to finish in the oven).
- Heat a large oven-proof saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Melt 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil.
- Season chicken with paprika, salt and pepper, then add the the hot skillet.
- Sear chicken for 2 minutes per side or until golden. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Stir in minced garlic and cook for about a minute, or until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
- Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, lemon juice and zest, and parsley. Bring a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Return chicken to the skillet. Roast in the 400 degree oven until completely cooked through; 10-15 minutes. Internal temperature should reach 165 degrees. OR cover and reduce heat to low. Continue to simmer until chicken is cooked through; about 10-12 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
