Description
Lemon Chicken is a bright, flavorful, and tender chicken dish with a zesty lemon sauce. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, served with rice, pasta, or roasted vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1–2 lemons)
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp dried thyme or fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, or rosemary)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Optional garnish: lemon slices, fresh parsley
Instructions
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt, pepper, and thyme.
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken 3–4 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through (165°F / 74°C). Remove chicken and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add garlic and sauté 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add lemon juice, lemon zest, and chicken broth. Simmer 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly.
- Stir in butter until melted and smooth. Return chicken to the skillet and coat with the sauce.
- Garnish with lemon slices and parsley. Serve immediately with rice, pasta, or roasted vegetables.
Notes
For extra flavor, marinate chicken in lemon juice, garlic, and herbs for 30 minutes before cooking. You can also bake chicken in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 20–25 minutes, then pour the lemon sauce on top.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Dish / Chicken
- Method: Skillet / Sauté
- Cuisine: American / Mediterranean
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken piece with sauce
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 350mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 95mg
Keywords: lemon chicken, easy chicken recipe, skillet chicken, quick chicken dinner, lemon garlic chicken