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Lemon Butter Chicken

pan of lemon butter chicken breasts garnished with lemons.
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5 from 9 reviews

An easy one pan dinner recipe that combines thin-cut chicken breasts sautéed in butter with a quick lemon butter pan sauce. Creamy and tart, and just divine for a weeknight dinner! 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 4 pieces thin-cut chicken breasts, about 1/2 inch thick (1  1/4 - 1 1/3 pound total) (see notes)
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided (salted or unsalted)
  • one small onion, or 1/2 large onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
  • Garnish: thinly-sliced lemon and fresh herbs (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat, reserving the remaining 1 tablespoon butter for later.
  2. Generously salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts. When the butter is foaming, swirl the pan to evenly coat it in the butter. Add the chicken breasts and cook about 3 - 4 minutes on each side, or, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. If necessary, turn down the heat if the butter is browning too quickly. When the chicken is cooked, remove the pieces to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
  3. Add the chopped onion to the hot pan and sauté for around 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the onion begins to soften. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan while the onion cooks. 
  4. Sprinkle the flour over of the onion. Stir the onions and flour for about 30 seconds, or until the flour has combined with the butter and onions and there are no visible white bits of flour remaining.
  5. Pour in the chicken broth and stir to combine. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for about three minutes, stirring frequently. The sauce should thicken in this time; if it has not, cook for an additional minute or until the sauce is thickened.
  6. Turn off the heat. Cut or break the remaining 1 tablespoon butter into small chunks and stir into the sauce until melted. Stir in the lemon zest and half the lemon juice. Taste the sauce and add more lemon juice, salt and/or pepper if desired.
  7. If using, stir in the 2 tablespoons heavy cream. 
  8. Add the chicken breasts and any juice that accumulated back into the pan. Rotate the chicken breasts into the sauce to coat. Garnish with thinly-sliced lemon and fresh herbs (optional). Serve immediately.

Notes

  • You can purchase chicken breasts at the grocery store that are already thin-cut, or, cut 2 regular chicken breasts in half horizontally to create 4 thin-cut chicken breasts.
  • If some of your chicken breast pieces are thicker than others, remove the smaller/thinner pieces from the pan as soon as they are cooked to avoid overcooking the chicken.

The nutrition information below is an estimate only, provided by an online nutrition calculator. It includes the optional heavy cream. The nutrition counts of your dish will vary based on the brand, type, and exact amounts of ingredients used. This nutrition estimate should not be considered a substitute for professional medical, health, or nutritional advice. See our full disclosure policy.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://nibbleanddine.com/lemon-butter-chicken-3/