Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (2024)

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By: DianaPosted: 7/1/20Updated: 5/15/21

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One-pan creamy lemon chicken dinner ready in just 25 minutes from start to finish! Perfect for busy weeknights, this dinner is family-friendly and low-carb. Golden crispy chicken smothered in an incredible creamy lemon sauce, serve over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.

Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (1)

Quick chicken dinner recipes always save the day on those busy weeknights, when I have little time to cook and still need to get dinner ready on the table.

On busy nights, I usually go for something that’s quick and easy that my whole family can enjoy. These Baked Chicken Tacos are an absolute favorite and a lifesaver recipe! I’ve also been making this Chicken Scampi quite a lot, it’s an Olive Garden copycat recipe and it’s always requested by the kids.

But sometimes all I’m craving is chicken and creamy sauce, and I’ve been alternating between 2 recipes. This Creamy Lemon Chicken and the incredible Marry Me Chicken. If you haven’t heard of this dish yet, you need to check it out ASAP. It’s creamy, quick, flavorful, and there are sundried tomatoes in it! Plus, the name is quite cute, don’t you think? 😉

The Ingredients

All you need to make this chicken dinner is a handful of ingredients, and 25 minutes! Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (2)

Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

  • Chicken cutlets are just thin cuts of chicken breast, you might be able to find them at the grocery store. If not, you can butterfly them at home (I do!) just slice a chicken breast in half lengthwise to make 2 cutlets from each half chicken breast.
  • I strongly recommend dredging the chicken in flour before frying, as that will give you that lovely crispy crust and create lots of flavor for your sauce.

How to Make Creamy Lemon Chicken

  1. Dredge the chicken in flour, and shake off any excess.
  2. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil and melt the butter, then brown the chicken (4-5 minutes per side) or until golden brown and cooked through.
  3. Remove the chicken onto a plate, cover, and set aside.
  4. Melt more butter, and saute garlic. Deglaze the pan with chicken stock, and scrape off any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
  5. Add heavy cream, lemon juice, and parmesan cheese, let it simmer on low-medium heat until the sauce is creamy and nice. Season the sauce with salt, and pepper.
  6. Put the chicken back in, garnish with fresh lemon slices and chopped parsley.
Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (3)

What to Serve it With?

  • My favorite way to serve Creamy Lemon Chicken is over pasta. It’s a match made in heaven, chicken, creamy sauce, and pasta! 😍 Thisgarlic butter pastais so good, but if you double the sauce then plain pasta works great.
  • You can also serve it overmashed potatoes,rice, or with crusty bread.
  • For a low-carb meal, serve it with butternut squash or zucchini noodles, or cauliflower rice.
Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (4)

Top Tips

  • If you choose to use whole chicken breasts, the meat will be quite thick so you’ll need to finish the dish off in the oven to make sure that the chicken is cooked through and safe to eat.
  • If you’re using cutlets, and there are parts where the meat is too thick, use a meat tenderizer and pound the chicken so it cooks evenly and quickly.
  • Do not use single/light cream as that won’t thicken the sauce enough.
  • I recommend buying a block of parmesan cheese and grating it at home. I found that store-bought parmesan cheese doesn’t have much flavor, and doesn’t dissolve well in sauces.

Storing Tips

Store the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven, you will need to add a splash of water to thin out the sauce as it thickens in the fridge.

I don’t recommend freezing creamy sauces as they change textures to grainy when frozen.

Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (5)
  • I love thisstainless steel pan. It’s a great pan and I use it all the time, plenty of surface area, cooks and browns the chicken very evenly and I love the helper handle.
  • Kitchen tongs, I use for browning chicken, flipping food, etc. A kitchen essential for sure.
  • A silicone spatula, I use this spatula for cooking all the time. It doesn’t damage my pots and pans, and it’s heat resistant so you can safely use it for cooking.
Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (6)

More Easy Chicken Dinners

  • Teriyaki chicken stir fry
  • Chicken scampi(Olive Garden copycat recipe)
  • Chicken fajita casserole
  • Garlic butter chicken tenders
  • Marry Me chicken

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (7)

4.98 from 118 votes(Click stars to rate!)

Creamy Lemon Chicken

Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 25 minutes mins

Author: Diana

Print Rate Recipe

One-pan creamy lemon chicken dinner ready in just 25 minutes from start to finish! Perfect for busy week-nights, this dinner is family-friendly and low-carb. Golden crispy chicken smothered in an incredible creamy lemon sauce, serve over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.

6 servings

One-pan creamy lemon chicken dinner ready in just 25 minutes from start to finish! Perfect for busy week-nights, this dinner is family-friendly and low-carb. Golden crispy chicken smothered in an incredible creamy lemon sauce, serve over mashed potatoes, pasta, or rice.

Recipe Video

Ingredients

  • 3 large chicken breasts boneless and skinless, sliced into thin cutlets
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup chicken stock or chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese grated

To serve

  • cooked pasta
  • parsley chopped
  • fresh lemon slices

Instructions

  • Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour and shake off any excess.

    Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (8)

  • In a large skillet, heat olive oil and melt 1 tablespoon of butter on medium heat. Swirl pan to coat with oil and butter evenly. Add the chicken cutlets to the pan.

    Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (9)

  • Brown the chicken (do not overcrowd and work in batches if needed) for 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer onto a plate, cover, and set aside.

    Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (10)

  • Melt 1 tablespoon of butter, and saute the garlic for a minute or until it's fragrant. Add the chicken stock, and deglaze the pan scraping any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

    Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (11)

  • Adjust the heat to medium-low, and add the heavy cream, lemon juice, and the parmesan cheese to the skillet. Allow the sauce to gently simmer for a couple of minutes.

    Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (12)

  • Season with salt and pepper to your taste, then put the chicken back in the sauce and the sauce simmer and thicken for a few more minutes. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley leaves and serve warm over pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.

    Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (13)

Notes:

  • If you choose to use whole chicken breasts, the meat will be quite thick so you’ll need to finish the dish off in the oven to make sure that the chicken is cooked through and safe to eat.
  • If you’re using cutlets, and there are parts where the meat is too thick, use a meat tenderizer and pound the chicken so it cooks evenly and quickly.
  • Do not use single/light cream as that won’t thicken the sauce enough.
  • I recommend buying a block of parmesan cheese and grating it at home. I found that store-bought parmesan cheese doesn’t have much flavor, and doesn’t dissolve well in sauces.

Storing Tips

Store the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven, you will need to add a splash of water to thin out the sauce as it thickens in the fridge.

I don’t recommend freezing creamy sauces as they change textures to grainy when frozen.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 430kcal, Carbohydrates: 10g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 30g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 11g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 147mg, Sodium: 546mg, Potassium: 522mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 839IU, Vitamin C: 3mg, Calcium: 144mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen

You may also like...

  • Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta

  • Creamy Lemon Pasta

  • Garlic Butter Chicken Tenders

  • Marry Me Chicken

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Reader Interactions

Leave a Review!

  1. J S Gurney says

    Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (20)
    Absolutely delicious! I added extra lemon and chix broth for leftover piece, when I needed next day terrrific lunch👍🏻❣️. Thank You!

    Reply

    • Little Sunny Kitchen says

      I’m so pleased that you liked the recipe! That’s a great tip to add a bit of fresh lemon juice to leftovers, thank you!

      Reply

  2. Michelle Pilon-Sanchez says

    Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (21)
    This was so easy to make and came out incredibly smooth and creamy and full of flavor. I had to use roasted garlic as I didn’t have fresh garlic but i followed everything else in the recipe. With 2 breasts split and over mashed we have enough to eat again tomorrow with pasta. Side salad is a must as this is very filling. Thank you for sharing your recipe.

    Reply

    • Diana says

      I’m pleased to hear the recipe turned out creamy and flavorful for you! Roasted garlic is a great substitution. It’s handy that there’s enough for another meal! Thanks for sharing your experience!

      Reply

Older Comments1101112

Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken Recipe - Little Sunny Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What does soaking chicken in lemon juice do? ›

The lemon juice tenderizes the chicken and keeps it juicy inside. It doesn't need to marinate overnight, so I can make it for dinner whenever I crave grilled chicken. In fact, it shouldn't marinate for more than 3 hours or it could start to break down too much (see “Marinating with Citrus” below). It's versatile!

When should you add lemon juice to chicken? ›

If you season your poultry before cooking, the flesh itself will be imbued with the fresh lemon flavor. Applying lemon juice after cooking won't affect the flavor of the meat as much, and will have a harsher and more sour taste because you haven't allowed the acid to permeate through the chicken.

What does Ina Garten serve with her lemon chicken? ›

The sauce has garlic, thyme and lemon, and has so much flavor," Garten says. "And the whole thing takes like 5 minutes to put together... The best thing about this is that it makes the chicken and the sauce at the same time." Serve it over rice or quinoa, and the grains can absorb all of the sauce, Garten recommends.

Is lemon juice good for chicken? ›

Lemon is acidic and helps balance the stronger flavor of the dark meat in thighs and legs, and the fat from the chicken skin.

What happens if you marinate chicken in lemon juice too long? ›

Important: If your marinade is full of fresh citrus or vinegar, like the one in this chicken skewers recipe, keep the marinating time below an hour for optimal results. Poultry marinated in citrus, like lemon or lime juices, or vinegars can turn mushy and stringy if left to soak for too long.

Can you soak raw chicken in lemon juice? ›

It is not necessary to let chicken soak in vinegar and lemon juice before cooking, but doing so can impart certain flavors and potentially help tenderize the meat.

How long can you leave lemon on chicken? ›

The reason you do not want to marinate chicken for longer than 4 hours is that the acidic ingredients in the marinade (like vinegar, wine, or lemon juice) will begin to break down the structure of the meat too much and it will start to “cook” before ever touching a heat source.

Why do you rub lemon on chicken before cooking? ›

Like pickling, smoking, and curing, the practice of rinsing chicken with lemon juice probably started out as a way to neutralize any off-aromas in the meat and cut down on bacteria.

What is Chinese lemon chicken sauce made of? ›

In a bowl, mix together chicken stock, lemon juice & zest, sugar, honey, white vinegar, and cornstarch until smooth. In a large bowl, mix together the Dry Seasoning Mix ingredients.

Can you eat lemon chicken cold? ›

Yes cold chicken is safe to eat, if it's been kept cold. Some lemon while it's cooking, or squeezed on afterward will help preserve it.

When cooking with lemons what two parts contain the best flavor? ›

If you're baking a lemon loaf or citrusy crinkle cookies, you'll get the most concentrated citrus flavor by adding lemon zest to the mix. While lemon juice adds an acidic punch to salad dressings and countless other dishes, lemon zest holds all the fruit's fragrant, floral notes.

What is Ina Garten's favorite dinner? ›

The one meal Ina simply couldn't live without is roast chicken. She even cites it as one of the reasons her husband, Jeffrey, proposed marriage in 1968.

How long can you marinate meat in lemon juice? ›

For best results, meat should be marinated for 4-6 hours. Tender cuts of meat can be marinated for a shorter period of time. Always discard the marinade when you remove the meat for grilling or braaiing. Unused marinade that is used at a later stage may cause food poisoning.

What is a substitute for lemon juice in chicken? ›

When cooking savory dishes, lime juice and orange juice make a good substitute for lemon juice. Replace the lemon juice with lime juice in equal amounts (e.g. 1 teaspoon for 1 teaspoon). Or, you could substitute the lemon juice with half as much white wine or white vinegar.

What can I use instead of lemon juice to marinate chicken? ›

For people who dislike the taste of lemon, there are several alternatives, including:
  1. lime juice.
  2. ACV.
  3. orange juice.
  4. grapefruit juice.
  5. celery juice.
  6. white wine vinegar.
Jul 29, 2021

What does soaking meat in lemon juice do? ›

How lemon juice tenderises the meat. An acid-containing marinade not only helps to flavour meat; it also helps to tenderise it. Acid causes The protein and connective tissue in meat are broken down by acid. At a molecular level, meat proteins have a spiral shape.

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