Delicious, quick and easy to make, this creamy lemon chicken is a tasty weeknight meal. Cooked all in one skillet on the stovetop, serve it with your favorite veggies for a simple family meal.
Chicken and lemon go so well together, it’s easily one of my favorite combinations! The fresh lemon juice is so zingy and when added to a cream sauce, I am for sure in a good place!
This is a great go to dinner recipe when you are super short on time but want something yummy, and at the same time you can easily serve it to company and they’d be impressed!
For more lemon chicken recipes, check out my Baked Lemon Chicken and Lemon Pepper Balsamic Chicken Marinade.
Why you will love this creamy lemon chicken
- Quick: This dinner is ready to serve in less than 30 minutes, but tastes like you have spent hours cooking it!
- One pot: Everything is cooked right in one skillet on the stovetop making clean up a breeze!
- Delicious! Seriously guys, this is a super tasty dish. It’s bright and fragrant and the creamy sauce is to die for!
Can you make it ahead of time?
This chicken dish is best served as soon as it is made so that the chicken is nice and juicy. If you do have leftovers, they will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat the chicken and sauce, cover the skillet with foil and reheat in the oven at 325F for around 20 minutes until cooked through.
Can you make this recipe with chicken thighs?
Yes, you can totally make this recipe with thighs rather than breasts if you prefer. Use skinless and boneless thighs and keep in mind that they will require a slightly longer cooking time. Chicken is cooked when it registers at 165F on an instant read thermometer.
Recipe Notes and Tips
- Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled. It is so much zingier and full of flavor.
- This sauce is on the thinner side. If you would like to thicken up your lemon chicken sauce, feel free to whisk in one to two tablespoons of cornstarch before returning the chicken to the pan.
- If you prefer 4 servings, you can just use 4 chicken breasts and a big enough skillet. The sauce should still be enough.
- Make this recipe gluten-free by using a 1:1 GF flour.
Creamy Lemon Chicken Skillet Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon salt divided in half
- 2 teaspoon pepper divided in half
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 Tbs cooking oil
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Chicken stock
- 2 Tbs salted butter
- 1 Tbs lemon zest about ½ a lemon
- 2 Tbs lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon brown sugar
- Parsley and lemon slices optional garnishes
Instructions
- Make flour mixture by stirring together flour, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and thyme
- Flatten each chicken breast with a mallet until it is 1” all the way around.
- Dredge chicken in flour mixture until each chicken breast is coated
- Heat skillet with cooking oil
- Cook chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and almost cooked through.
- Remove chicken and set aside.
- Whisk in cream, stock, butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper until butter has melted.
- Return chicken to pan and gently simmer your mixture until the chicken finishes cooking.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices, optional. Serve warm.
Notes
- Use fresh lemon juice rather than bottled. It is so much zingier and full of flavor.
- This sauce is on the thinner side. If you would like to thicken up your lemon chicken sauce, feel free to whisk in one to two tablespoons of cornstarch before returning the chicken to the pan.
- If you prefer 4 servings, you can just use 4 chicken breasts and a big enough skillet. The sauce should still be enough.
- Make this recipe gluten-free by using a 1:1 GF flour.
Pete says
Delicious! And, SO easy! Thank you!
Becky Hardin says
So happy to hear you loved it, Pete!