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    Lemon Butter Chicken

    October 23, 2023

    Lightly breaded chicken breasts are shallow fried in butter and olive oil and served with a bright and creamy lemon butter sauce.

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    lemon butter chicken in a pan topped with fresh lemon slices and sprinkled with fresh parsley
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    Love Lemon? We’ve got more recipes for you!

    Creamy Lemon Butter Chicken

    Lemon and chicken are old culinary friends, and a classic combination found in recipes from around the world. We are here for this easy lemon butter chicken recipe that features lightly breaded chicken breasts and a bright and creamy lemon butter sauce. If you’d like to try more great lemony chicken dishes, check out our Chicken Paillard and Perfect Roast Chicken with Lemon Herb Pan Sauce. And for more great chicken breast recipes we’ve got our 60 Best Chicken Breast Recipes all in one place.

    chicken breast, butter, garlic, chicken stock, lemon zest and juice, flour, salt and pepper and parsley in prep bowls

    Ingredients For Chicken And Butter Lemon Sauce

    • Boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets, or chicken breasts, butterflied

    • Unsalted butter (one stick!!) and olive oil

    • Garlic

    • Chicken Stock

    • Lemon zest and juice from one lemon

    • Flour, sea salt, black pepper

    chicken dredged in salt and flour being cooked in a skillet in butter and olive oil

    How To Cook Lemon Butter Chicken

    1. Make the breaded chicken. Season and dredge the chicken breasts and cook in a large skillet.

    2. Make the lemon butter sauce. Cook the garlic, adding the stock butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper and salt.

    3. Pour the lemon butter sauce over the chicken and enjoy.

    homemade lemon sauce being spooned over lightly breaded chicken in a pan

    How to Store Leftovers + Tips

    • Store leftovers in the fridge for 2-3 days. The breading will lose its crunch in the fridge, and reheating it in the oven is preferable to the microwave. We don’t recommend freezing the lemon sauce, but the chicken can be frozen for up to a few months.

    • How to serve lemon butter chicken: This simple dish would be great with Crispy Shallot Mashed Potatoes or a side of White Rice. A nice crunchy green vegetable, either Green Beans Almondine or Steamed Broccoli, would also be great.

    • Turn leftovers into a tasty sandwich by adding arugula or other leafy greens, with the lemon butter sauce poured over. Or skip the bread, and serve atop the greens as a salad.

    • Our Pork Milanese Bowls with Lemon Rice is similar to this lemon butter chicken recipe if you want to switch out chicken for pork.

    lemon butter chicken in a pan topped with fresh lemon slices and sprinkled with fresh parsley

    More Great Easy Chicken Breast Recipes From The Modern Proper

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    Lemon Butter Chicken

    October 23, 2023

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  10 min
    • Cook Time:  30 min
    • Calories:  439
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    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets, or chicken breasts, butterflied
    • 1½ teaspoons sea salt
    • ½ cup flour
    • ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
    • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1 cup chicken stock
    • 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
    • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
    • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
    • Fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

    Method

    1. Season the chicken all over with 1¼ teaspoons of the salt. Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Dip each piece of the chicken in the flour, turning to coat. Shake off any excess.

    2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add half of the dredged chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining chicken, heating 2 more tablespoons butter and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the skillet first.

    3. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute more. Stir in the stock and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half, 4-5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter, lemon zest, lemon juice, pepper and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt.

    4. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with parsley before serving.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 439
    • Protein 36 g
    • Carbohydrates 9 g
    • Total Fat 28 g
    • Dietary Fiber 0 g
    • Cholesterol 150 mg
    • sodium 700 mg
    • Total Sugars 0 g

    Lemon Butter Chicken

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Evelyn

      Hi! We are preparing for post partum. Is this freezable?

      We don't recommend freezing the sauce but the chicken can be frozen. Congrats on baby!

    • Dawn

      Hi~ thank you for sharing this recipe. Can you recommend a gluten free flour substitute?

      We like Bob's Red Mill 1:1. Hope you enjoy Dawn!

    • Ruben

      Im very intrigued to see what it tastes like

      Hope you enjoy, we love it!

    • Marie

      This is the best chicken. The breading was really good and lemon butter sauce? Yum. My roommate and I each ate seconds and can't wait to have leftovers tomorrow.

      Thanks Marie, we are so glad you both loved it!