Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken - quick seared chicken with creamy and buttery lemon garlic sauce. Serve with potatoes, rice or pasta for a quick and easy dinner!
Easy chicken dinners are always a hit here. We enjoy the Chicken Francese and my Garlic and Herb Chicken and Potatoes.
Simple and full of flavor is what this Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken is all about. Easy chicken dinners don't have to be boring! If you have two chicken breasts ready to be cooked, pair them with a sauce made with stock and cream. Lemon and garlic make for a perfect flavor combo and turn this dish into a family favorite! This dish is so easy to make, it’s perfect for busy weeknights or weekends and even special occasions. Serve with simple sides like mashed potatoes, rice or pasta to let the chicken shine!
Ingredients (your shopping list):
- 2 chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- all-purpose flour
- olive oil
- butter
- garlic
- shallot
- lemon
- chicken stock
- heavy cream
Instructions
- Simply slice the chicken breast in half lengthwise, season each piece with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.
- Heat up oil in a skillet with one tablespoon of butter. Cook chicken on both sides until nicely browned. Remove onto a plate.
- Make the creamy sauce in the same pan by adding more oil, garlic and shallot and saute until soft and fragrant. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and chicken stock. Simmer for 2 minutes. Add heavy cream, stir and return chicken to pan. Let everything heat up. Turn the heat off. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and let melt in the hot sauce.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve. Since the chicken breast pieces are thin, they don’t take much time to cook.
The sauce
The sauce in this recipe is based on chicken stock and heavy cream. Make sure to scrape every cooked on bit from the bottom of the pan, while adding the stock. That’s where the flavor is. Adding lemon zest along with lemon juice brings out the citrus flavor. For a lighter sauce, you can use half and half or a mixture of milk and cornstarch so it will still thicken to a sauce consistency. For that, use 1 and ½ teaspoon of cornstarch and ½ cup of milk.
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You can easily make this sauce and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in the pan after cooking the chicken.
Side dishes
Since this dish is very flavorful, I serve it with simple side dishes. I want the chicken to shine! Rice, pasta or mashed potatoes or cauliflower work with this dish too!
- Easy Oven-Roasted Potatoes
- Mashed Cauliflower
- Sauteed Spinach
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts
More easy chicken recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour rice flour for gluten-free option
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 shallot chopped finely
- ½ lemon juiced
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Slice chicken breast in half lengthwise, season each piece with salt and pepper and dredge in flour.
- Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. The internal temperature should register 165 degrees F. Remove onto a plate.
- To the same pan, add more oil. Add minced garlic and shallot and saute until soft and fragrant. Add lemon zest, lemon juice and chicken stock. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon so all of the browned bits from cooking chicken are mixed into the sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes.
- Add heavy cream, stir and return chicken to pan. Let everything heat up. Turn the heat off. Add remaining tablespoon of butter and let melt in the hot sauce. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
- For a lighter sauce, you can use half and half or a mixture of milk and cornstarch so it will still thicken to a sauce consistency. For that, use 1 and ½ teaspoon of cornstarch and ½ cup of milk.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published on February 4th, 2019 and updated on October 26th, 2019.
Zoya says
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make. The lemon and garlic give the perfect fresh flavor, and the creamy sauce is just amazing. I served it with mashed potatoes and everyone loved it. This one’s a keeper.
Christopher says
It is absolutely necessary to make a double portion. One's not enough. This is so good!
Jen says
Great recipe!
Could I substitute the heavy cream for evaporated milk??
Thanks!
Anna says
Hi Jen! Yep, you can use evaporated milk.
Samantha says
I found this recipe last week and finally had the opportunity to try it tonight. I doubled the sauce and I think the lemon over powered the dish. I know it has the potential to be a wonderful dish so I will definitely be trying it again. Next time I will use half the lemon. I'm glad we tried this, and I look forward to making this again with my own adjustments.
Amanda says
I'm going to try this tonight, but I think I'll double the sauce... also, thinking of adding some grated parm to the flour for dredging... any thoughts on that?
Anna says
Adding parmesan to flour is ALWAYS a good idea in my book! I hope you love the dish, Amanda!
Blossom Smith says
Easy quick and full of flavor. I used 2 large boneless skinless breasts and cut them in half to make sure they cooked through without drying out. I don't think I used the full amount of seasonings but just seasoned generously during cooking. Everyone enjoyed this simple easy and delicious chicken!
Sarah says
Thank you Anna for this recipe and instructions! I made it last night and it was bursting with flavor! Loved by ages 11-41 at the table. I was so good I am eating leftovers for lunch today! This will be on the dinner rotation going forward.
Anna says
That makes me so happy, Sarah! Thank you so much for giving my recipe a try!
Jolane says
I made this recipe last night and my husband and I both loved it. I will definitely make it again. Thank you
Sam says
I served this over penne and broccoli and with every bite my toddler said, "Mmmm,good!" Great recipe!
Anna says
Sounds perfect! Thank you, Sam!
jerri ororke says
My husband likes thighs. Can I use that instead?
Anna says
Hi Jerri! Yes, chicken thighs will work just fine too! I hope you guys enjoy this dish!
Holly says
(posting again to give this the 5 stars it deserves!)
Anna says
Thank you so much, Holly!
Holly says
We LOVED this! Definitely going to double the recipe next time. I used chicken tenderloin instead of breast. Served it over white rice with grilled asparagus. The shallot, garlic, lemon juice and zest absolutely make this dish extra delicious! Thank you for the easy-to-follow recipe. 🙂
Anna says
Thank you, Holly! I love that you served it with rice and asparagus! Perfect! Thank you for trying my recipe! I am so glad it was a hit.
Alexis says
Before cooking the chicken, can you marinate the chicken in the sauce?
Jim mckee says
I discovered this recipe last week and I made it three times since. I think that says it all and I followed the recipe to the letter which is not typical for me. Expensive quick and easy you can't beat that.
Anna says
Hi Jim! Wow! That's wonderful! I am so glad the chicken was a hit. Thank you for trying my recipe and for the comment!