Lemon Butter Chicken Recipe

This simple-to-prepare Lemon Butter Chicken Recipe features lightly browned chicken breast simmered in a rich citrusy butter sauce. It’s the ultimate weeknight meal, and you will love how quickly this tasty dish comes together.

Weekdays can be extremely busy, and it’s easy to get into the same old routine. If you love bold flavors and comfort food and want to try some new chicken recipes, try my Chicken Satay or Chicken Adobo.

Lemon Butter Chicken

Lemon butter chicken is a simple dish of seasoned pan-seared chicken cooked and served with a lemon-butter sauce. To me, it is a perfect cross between Chicken Francese and Chicken Piccata. It comes together in under 30 minutes and can be modified by adding onions or shallots and fresh herbs.

This dish doesn’t have an origin story and seems to have been created in the United States as an easy go-to staple that is great for weeknight dinners but also classy enough to impress guests with. Watch my video below, where I create an entire dish out of this and feed a family of four for under 40 dollars.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken – Boneless skinless chicken breasts are best, but boneless skinless thighs may also be used.
• Liquid – Chicken stock is best, but you can use vegetable stock, brodo, or water.
• Flour – You can use all-purpose or bread flour.
• Garlic – Sliced garlic cloves are used. Substitute with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic granules or powder.
• Herbs – Fresh parsley is used for garnish and is optional.
• Lemon – Freshly squeezed lemon juice is used in the sauce.  
• Butter – I always use unsalted butter in my cooking and baking to control the sodium content.
• Seasoning – Only coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper were used. You can also add crushed red pepper flakes.

How to Make Lemon Butter Chicken

Slice the chicken breasts in half widthwise.

Whisk together the flour with salt and pepper in a cake, pie tin, or shallow bowl.

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan or rondeau pot over medium heat. It will be ready to use when you add some flour, and it fries but does not burn, which takes about 1 ½ to 2 minutes.

Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.

In batches dredge a chicken breast in the flour on both sides and pat off any excess.

Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until browned and almost cooked through. Set the chicken aside on a plate.

Turn the heat down to low, add the garlic, and cook while stirring for 1 to 2 minutes.

Pour in chicken stock and cook over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until the liquid is reduced by half.

Next, stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, salt, and pepper over low heat until the butter is melted.

Add the chicken back in and cook for 2-4 minutes to finish cooking and heating it up. Garnish with optional minced fresh parsley.

Make-Ahead and Storage

Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 30 minutes ahead. Just keep it warm in the sauce over low heat before serving.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of lemon butter chicken to a saucepan and a few tablespoons of water. Cook over low to medium heat until hot, about 6-8 minutes.

Chef Notes + Tips

• If using garlic granules or powder, there is no need to cook it. Once you add the chicken stock, simply whisk it into the pan.
• Optionally lightly pound each sliced chicken breast with a mallet and set aside.

More Chicken Recipes

• Chicken Caprese
• Chicken Curry
• Chicken Cutlets
• Grilled Chicken Margherita
• Chicken Enchiladas

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Lemon Butter Chicken Recipe

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5 from 6 votes

This simple-to-prepare Lemon Butter Chicken Recipe features lightly browned chicken breast simmered in a rich citrusy butter sauce.

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

• 2 chicken breasts, 12 to 14 ounces each
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 thinly sliced garlic cloves
• 1 ½ cups chicken stock
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• juice of 1 lemon, about 3 to 4 tablespoons
• coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
• minced fresh parsley for garnish, optional

Instructions

• Slice the chicken breasts in half widthwise.
• Whisk together the flour with salt and pepper in a cake, pie tin, or a shallow bowl.
• Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan or rondeau pot over medium heat. It will be ready to use when you add some flour, and it fries but does not burn, which takes about 1 ½ to 2 minutes.
• Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
• In batches dredge a chicken breast in the flour on both sides and pat off any excess.
• Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until browned and almost cooked through.
• Set the chicken to the side on a plate.
• Turn the heat down to low, stir in the garlic, and cook while stirring for 1 to 2 minutes.
• Pour in chicken stock and cook over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until the amount of liquid is reduced by one half.
• Stir in the lemon zest, lemon juice, butter, salt, and pepper over low heat until the butter is melted.
• Add the chicken back in and cook for 2-4 minutes to finish cooking it and heating it up.
• Garnish with optional minced fresh parsley

Notes

Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 30 minutes ahead. Just keep warm in the sauce over low heat before serving.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. It will freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of lemon butter chicken to a saucepan and a few tablespoons of water. Cook over low to medium heat until hot, about 6-8 minutes.

If using garlic granules or powder, there is no need to cook it. Once you add the chicken stock, simply whisk it into the pan.

Optionally lightly pound each sliced chicken breast with a mallet and set aside.

Nutrition

Calories: 447kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 28gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 262mgPotassium: 545mgFiber: 0.5gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 387IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, American Italian, French

Author: Chef Billy Parisi