Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken (Printable)
Golden chicken in a zesty lemon garlic butter sauce, ready in 35 minutes.
# Ingredient List:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
02 - Salt and black pepper to taste
→ Coating & Sautéing
03 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (use gluten-free flour if needed)
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
→ Lemon Garlic Sauce
06 - 4 garlic cloves minced
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
08 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
09 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley for garnish
# Steps:
01 - Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge lightly in flour, shaking off excess.
02 - In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Once hot, add chicken breasts. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.
03 - Lower heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Sauté garlic for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and chicken broth, scraping browned bits from the pan. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes.
05 - Return chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet, spoon sauce over, and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.
06 - Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately, spooning extra sauce over each piece.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like it simmered all afternoon
- It uses pantry staples you probably already have sitting around
02 -
- Do not crowd the pan or the chicken will steam instead of sear, leaving you with no browned bits for the sauce
- The fond scraped from the bottom of the skillet is where most of the flavor lives, so be thorough about it
03 -
- Pound the chicken to even thickness with a rolling pin inside a zip bag for consistent cooking
- Let the sauce reduce until it coats the back of a spoon rather than stopping early out of impatience