Best. Chicken. Recipe. EVER! We all need an easy and delicious recipe for those weeknights when you are too tired to put forth a lot of effort when making dinner. This rich in flavor lemon butter chicken has the most delicious lemon butter sauce and is about to become a favorite in your house! This is a recipe you will make over and over again. This lemon chicken is a one pan recipe that is simple to prep, easy to cook, and makes clean up incredibly easy. It starts on the stove top and finishes cooking in the oven. We’re talking the most delicious sauce that is incredibly easy to make and it’s made without flour. The lemon butter sauce is so good you’ll want to eat it by the spoonful! Made in under an hour, this lemon chicken will quickly become a dinner that is requested over and over again!
🛒 Ingredients You’ll Need
The ingredients needed to make this lemon butter chicken recipe are not only budget-friendly, but you probably already have these in your kitchen. Here’s what you need to make this recipe:
Chicken BreastsGarlicFresh SpinachSmoked PaprikaLemonFresh Cracked PepperHeavy creamUnsalted ButterChicken BrothParmesan CheeseThymeParsleyWine (optional, but soooo worth the splash!)
Fresh ingredients taste best in this dish. Use fresh garlic instead of the jar version. Fresh chopped garlic tastes way better! The same rule applies when it comes to lemon juice…freshly squeezed juice from the lemon adds a hint of zesty freshness. While frozen spinach can work in a pinch, fresh spinach holds up better in this dish. Using smoked paprika adds a hint of smokiness to the dish adding a lot of depth to the flavor. Adding a splash of white wine, like Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc, really finishes off this dish.
🔪 How To Make Lemon Butter Chicken Step-By-Step
Start by seasoning the breasts with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Next, add the unsalted butter and sauté for about 2-3 minutes, on each side. When it’s finished sautéing, set the breasts aside on a plate so you can sauté the garlic and butter. When the garlic is sautéd, you’re ready to start making the sauce. Combine the sautéd garlic, broth, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and thyme. Oh - and if you’re adding a splash of wine, add it now! From there, bring the sauce to a slow rolling boil. Add a large handful of fresh spinach to the sauce and stir once to coat. The spinach will start to wilt as the sauce gets hot and starts to slowly thicken. When the sauce slightly thickens, add the sautéd chicken into the dish with the sauce so it can bake together with the other ingredients. The sautéd garlic mixed with the juices and other ingredients makes you want to eat it at this stage…but since the chicken is not fully cooked, you’ll have to wait a bit longer! After it bakes in the oven, this lemon garlic butter chicken is ready to eat! Super fast and easy to make, the lemon butter sauce is delicious to soak up with these ciabatta rolls! We’re talking flavor that is so good, this is about to become your favorite chicken dinner!
Variations
To kick this up a level, try adding fresh mushrooms and capers. Add them in when you add in the spinach and parsley. Sun dried tomatoes also tastes great in this dish. If you’re not a fan of spinach, try adding in fresh kale.
🥗 Serving Suggestions
This is the perfect weeknight dinner recipe and it pairs really well with so many side dishes. I love pairing it with this Instant Pot Rice. The sauce soaks into the rice giving it an incredibly savory flavor. It’s also really good served on top of these homemade mashed potatoes. Creamy and delicious, the sauce serves as a gravy on top of these potatoes. If you want to cut some of the carbs, these oven roasted vegetables taste amazing served alongside this lemon butter chicken. No matter what you pair it with, this is going to be the most flavorful lemon chicken!
💭 Expert Tips
If using thick chicken breasts, use a meat tenderizer to pound the meat. This helps break down the fibers making the meat extra tender. Don’t use flour to thicken the sauce. It adds a pasty flour flavor and texture and will ruin the sauce. The cornstarch slurry I mentioned above works best. Regular paprika works fine in this recipe, but I highly recommend using smoked paprika. Regular paprika is just crushed dried chilies. Smoked paprika uses chilies that are smoke-dried and then crushed. There truly is a huge flavor difference.Depending on the size of the breasts will determine how long it takes to fully cook. Use a digital thermometer to check for doneness. When the breasts reach 165°F, it’s done.Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Do not freeze.Use a stove top and oven safe dish when making this recipe. A shallow dutch oven works well.
🙋 Frequently Asked Questions
More Chicken & Lemon Recipes
Chicken and lemon pair amazingly well together so if you’re looking for more chicken & lemon recipes, make sure and try this lemon pepper chicken with lemon sauce. This lemon sauce is made with egg and adds a lot of texture and flavor! And this lemon garlic chicken is another good one that works great for a family meal! And this lemon garlic chicken with white cream sauce is juicy and delicious. It’s another one that is started on the stove top and finished in the oven! Update Notes: This post was originally published in September of 2016, but was republished with new photos, step-by-step instructions and tips in November 2022.
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This recipe was originally written for Eazy Peazy Mealz.
