Chicken breast recipes can be so dull – time to step it up! Cream and lemon are a luscious combination and is sensational served over golden crispy chicken. A quick and easy 10 minute recipe with few ingredients, serve this Creamy Lemon Chicken with pasta, mashed potato or for a low carb option, creamy cauliflower mash!
Chicken Breast Recipe
I was browsing my Instagram feed the other day, and all I could think was “it’s so yellow and orangey.” I shared this observation with my mother, and her immediate response was “Well, of course. You post so many cheesy bread, potatoes and meat. Everything you like is yellow and brown. Even Dozer is yellow.” (Imagine this with a Japanese accent and finished with a snort of laughter).
I had no smart comeback for that. Because it’s completely true. 😂
So one of my (many) New Years’ resolutions will be (yet again) to post more green foods on RecipeTin Eats.
But for now – more yellow food.
In fact, a whole pan of yellow food. Golden brown (yellow!) chicken breast with a yellow lemon cream parmesan sauce. Bring on the yellow! 🙌🏻
What you need for creamy lemon chicken breast
Chicken breast – or boneless skinless thigh
Chicken broth/stock – gives the sauce flavour (it’s pretty dull without it)
Cream and lemon – because we’re making a creamy lemon sauce
Parmesan – for umami AND to help thicken the sauce
Mustard – sauce thickening and extra flavour/tang
Flour – to dust chicken (gives it a crust that the sauce wants to cling to, optional)
Garlic – because garlic goes in 99% of my savoury foods
Butter – because butter makes everything better
How to make creamy lemon chicken breast
You’re 10 minutes away from having this for dinner!
Here’s how it goes down:
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, dust with flour;
Pan fry until golden then remove
Add everything else in, then simmer for 3 minutes until thickened;
Return chicken into skillet to rewarm; and
Serve over pasta, mashed potato or for a low carb option, Creamy Mashed Cauliflower.
There’s plenty of creamy lemon sauce for this chicken breast recipe. Enough to toss through pasta!
What to serve with Creamy Lemon Chicken
Serve this with a crisp garden salad with a tangy French Dressing or Balsamic dressing. Or try one of these:
Side salad suggestions
Also, some warm bread rolls to mop the plate clean wouldn’t go astray! If you’re in the mood for homemade bread, try these easy No Knead Soft Dinner Rolls or this simple Irish Soda Bread (I call it Emergency Bread!).
– Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Creamy Lemon Chicken Breast
Ingredients
Crispy Chicken
- 600g / 1.2lb chicken breasts (2 large) (Note 1)
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- 1/4 cup flour (plain / all-purpose)
- 40g / 3 tbsp butter , unsalted
- 1 – 2 garlic clove, minced
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth/stock
- 3/4 cup cream , heavy/thickened (Note 2)
- 3 – 4 tbsp lemon juice (adjust to taste, start with 3 tbsp)
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3/4 cup parmesan cheese , freshly grated OR store bought finely shredded (Note 3)
To serve
- Pasta of choice (I used linguine)
- Finely chopped parsley
Instructions
Crispy Chicken
- Slice chicken breast horizontally to create two thin steaks (so you end up with 4 thin steaks in total).
- Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper, then coat with flour, shaking off excess.
- Melt butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken 2 minutes on each side until golden and crispy, then remove onto plate.
Sauce
- Add a touch of butter if your pan is dry – but you shouldn't need it. Add garlic, stir 10 seconds.
- Then add chicken broth, cream, lemon and Dijon mustard. Bring to simmer and scrape the bottom of the pan to dissolve brown bits into the liquid. Use a whisk if needed to dissolve mustard.
- Add parmesan then simmer rapidly for 3 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Add salt, pepper and adjust lemon to taste.
- Return the chicken to the pan (pour in any juices on the plate too), turn to coat.
- Place chicken on serving plates with pasta or mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with fresh parsley if using. Spoon over Lemon Sauce and serve! (Bread for mopping wouldn't go astray either)
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Originally published January 2016, updated with new photos and video in November 2019.
Life of Dozer
In the big fancy house I’m currently housesitting while I’m in between houses – when he gets fed up following me up and down the stairs, he parks himself halfway!!
Sabrina says
This dish looks delicious, Nagi, and so does that salmon pasta! Hope you’re enjoying the New Year 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks Sabrina! Hope 2016 is going FAB for you too!!! N x
Pauline says
Hi Nagi,
As far as I’m concerned, all the dishes can be yellow and orangey as long as they taste as delicious as this one!!
I thought i made enough for lunch leftovers tomorrow but my fiance-who-was-not-so-hungry loved it so much it all disappeared before I could pack away any extra!
Thank you for the recipe and your wonderful blog 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Clearly you are a wonderful cook and your fiancé has wonderful taste 🙂 Thank you for trying my recipes, so glad you enjoyed it!!! N x
Cathy says
I’m so glad I tracked this down. I love the idea of cream and lemon and chicken, then add pasta, what’s not to like? I don’t know that I have seen lowfat cream here, but no problem, I’ll use full fat. There really isn’t that much, right?If I’m going to worry about the fat, I can skip the pasta and do a “green” veg, although it doesn’t sound quite as good.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
You are a better person than me if you go veggies instead of pasta with this Cathy!! 🙂
June C says
I made the lemon/cream chicken last night, it was definitely delicious but..the sauce was much too thin, it would not cling to the past. I made it with heavy cream, a real splurge
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi June! Glad you loved the flavour! Try simmering the sauce a bit longer, when it simmers down, it thickens!! <3 N x
Cheryl says
Thank you for your comment June. I really appreciate people who cook the recipe and then give feedback. I also found the sauce a little runny, but eventually when mixed with the pasta it ended up pretty good. My issue was that I didn’t crisp up the chicken enough, was a bit pale looking. But the taste was very nice. I’ll make it again and crisp it up a bit more. Thanks for the recipe Nagi!
Heryl
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Cheryl! So glad you enjoyed the flavour!! The sauce needs to be cooked long enough to make it to the thickness desired but you are right, it certainly does thicken as it cools and when it is poured on the pasta!! Hope you have a FANTASTIC weekend Cheryl!! Thank you again for taking the time to leave your comments!! N x
Raveena says
I recently found your page and I am so glad to have come across these amazing recipes!! Everything looks so gorgeous!! I’m in love and I can’t wait to try them out!! ???
Kathleen | Hapa Nom Nom says
Happy New Year my dear! Your mom is too funny – I can just hear her saying, ‘even Dozer is yellow.’ Lol!
As a kid, my mom would make a crispy lemon chicken dish that was always one of my favorites. Though over the years, I had forgotten all about it! How does that happen?! In any event, thank you so much for posting this! I’m really loving the gravy you’ve added – we didn’t have that! This is a dish I will certainly be making very soon! Also, sending this to my mom to remind her 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Happy New Year to you too!!! I can’t wait to read about your trip!! Oooh, that reminds me of your orange chicken. So good. SO SO good!! I have to make it again soon. Must!
Connie Calvey says
Sooo glad you are going to post the Salmon Alfredo recipe! Will be making both of these soon…Thanks!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Soooo glad you approve!!! I’ve been worried about not posting enough GREEN foods!!
Helen @ Scrummy Lane says
How about some sort of posh caesar salad, Nagi? I’m sure you can hide a decent amount of cheese in that.
Don’t worry, dear, I posted a chocolate recipe this week. 2 rebels together … ha! And I’m not even planning to post anything green.
Absolutely LOVE this meal of yours – love that you’ve served it with asta.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
BA HA!! You mean you didn’t kick off the new year with healthy food either?? 😉
elaine|ChinaSichuanFood says
I do love the short ingredient list. This looks quite easy to prepare at home. Happy new year Nagi and a lucky 2016.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Elaine! Happy New Year to you too!! I haven’t been over to see your recipes in a while, I’m keen to have a browse, popping over now!
Karis says
I’m sure that if I could, I would only eat yellow and brown too. This is now on my list of things to make.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
BA HA!!! It’s so true, yellow and brown foods, they are the BEST!!! 🙂
Easy Peasy Life Matters says
My taste buds won’t stop singing when I look at this recipe!! And I totally agree you can’t go wrong with cream! 😉
Nagi | RecipeTin says
“Singing” is a good description!! Love it!! <3
Immaculate says
I hear you Nagi ! Actually my New year’s resolution is to include greens in all my recipes . And so far I don’t think it’s going pretty well. Oh Well …will see how things go.
You can’t beat easy, tasty, creamy chicken like this . What a great way to start up the New Year!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Oooh, Imma, I know you understand!!! We’ve had the “brown food” conversation before!! PS Your chickpea curry was happening again last weekend! I’m OBSESSED!!
Chloe says
Oh! you are killing me!! this looks divine…
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Sorry! 😉 Don’t mean to torture you!!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says
I grew up with French folks and cream was always in use and if that was too much for someone, they just used butter.
I love your creamy lemon chicken and I’m sure both my grandmothers would be happy to tuck in to this dish.
Happy New Year!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Happy New Year to you too!! Did you get my message re your servers??
KMunoz says
I’ve been following your recipes for a while now (I made those sticky drumsticks a few weeks ago, so good!) from around the world during my travels, but I’ve settled in Australia and now I’m extra obsessed. Thanks for not using crazy ingredients. I love that I can come here and usually whip up a recipe without an extra trip to the store or searching for an ingredient I’ll use once/no one has ever heard of.
This chicken is happening in 2016.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi there!! Welcome (back to?) Australia!!! I love travelling but I’ve known always that Australia is where my home is 🙂 Thanks for your kind words! I’m so glad you are enjoying my recipes!!
Kevin | Keviniscooking says
This doesn’t look like a fail to me! Mmmmm… Green and purple food and wait a day or two. 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
YOUR food is so much more colourful than mine!! Jealous!
Gloria | Food Oh Glorious Food says
As my return-to-work date draws nearer and nearer (4.5 weeks to go), I am stockpiling recipes that are quick and easy, with ingredients I would normally find in my fridge. This recipe is perfect!!! Although cream is not something I would normally find in my fridge (Chinese Cantonese people, especially my family, don’t cook with cream either), I may have to make sure I have a small carton floating around in the fridge from now on! Now I just need to befriend someone with a lemon tree in their yard – or try and grow one myself.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I can’t believe you’re going back so soon!!! Are you returning to your previous job or a new one?
Gloria | Food Oh Glorious Food says
PS – I would quit my job in a heart beat if you offer me a job! :-p
Nagi | RecipeTin says
So wishing I was at that point in my career…..
Gloria | Food Oh Glorious Food says
Hehehe I’ve had nearly 2 years off with my Small One, so it is well and truly time to go back. Returning to an existing job, but I have no idea which team I’m working in/with as there have been 3 restructures since I went on maternity leave in Feb 2014! Wish me luck!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
You don’t need luck! <3
Tania | My Kitchen Stories says
Cant a Mother just cut you with one blow!, Never mind Nagi I dint mind cream or those delicious colours. Cooking from the heart is better than cooking by colour. X
Nagi | RecipeTin says
I know, right?? She cracks me up!!!
Marisa Franca @ All Our Way says
Well, I don’t care whether it is green, red, or purple as long as it tastes good and Nagi — all of your recipes taste fantastic. Now, what did I do with all the extra heavy cream that we bought for the holidays?? We made no-churn ice cream. Naughty of us, right?? Well, we just gave it to our kids and grandkids. Out of sight, out of temptation. Looking forward to all of your great recipes — brown, yellow or puce.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
You made no churn ice cream? Did you blog it? I keep meaning to try it!!! What did you think?? PS Puce coloured food….so pretty! All I can think of is baking 🙂
Mel says
Love your mum’s comment! Mums are always best to give you their uncensored honest opinion! Cheers to a green 2016, not that I didn’t like orange 2015! (you might struggle with blue 2017 if that’s what you’re going for!). Happy New Year my lovely, and the creamy chicken would also be served with pasta in my house!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Happy New Year to you too Mel!! Mothers – TOO honest for their own good sometimes!!!