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
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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!!
Holly says
Nagi,
I am guilty of gravitating to mostly yellow/orangey recipes…who doesn’t love a good cream sauce, pasta or Mac n’ cheese, potatoes dishes…more cheese. Carbs and fat are definately my friend lol (yes in moderation, balanced diet…blah blah, side of broccoli etc) 😉
Looking forward to try this tonight, looks amazing!!
Holly x
Holly says
This was excellent! Served with linguine and roasted broccoli.
T says
I made this tonight for my family! Very easy recipe to follow, Delicious!
It will definitely be a keeper.
Thank you!
Linda says
Hi Nagi. This looks delicious.
I was thinking of doubling the recipe and freezing half for a later date. Would this recipe be suitable do you think??
Nagi says
Yes 100% Linda! Enjoy! N x
Linda says
Thanks for responding Nagi.
I made this tonight – it was a hit!! No leftovers for the freezer though.
Thanks again for all your wonderful recipes!!
Rose says
Forgot to rate this recipe on my last comment….of course it got five stars!!!
Rose says
This recipe far exceeded my expectations. I was going to make a schnitzel for dinner until I realized I had no bread crumbs in the pantry. So, I did a search online and found this recipe. I didn’t hold high hopes, but wow! Blown away by how easy, tasty, tender this chicken recipe was. It was seriously good. Thank you for sharing this online! I have saved this recipe for the future and will definately make again, and again, and….:)
Nagi says
That’s so great to hear Rose, thanks so much for the awesome feedback!! N x
Michelle says
One of my RecipeTinEats favourites! The flavour is so more-ish and really easy to make. I serve with Rice and some grilled Asparagus…To die for!
Erika says
Hello, made three of your recipes on my two days off. They were all really great tasting and simple, easy to make. Web page is marvelous, dear. This lemon chicken was awesome, too
Megan says
Super easy and delicious, I swapped out cream for coconut cream and used a lime as had it handy, will deffently make again 😋
Blonde says
Yummers After reading the comments I added more lemon juice too …. added 1/4 cup lemon juice and the zest of the lemon. Then added 2 tbsp. Of honey to sweeten it.
Also added 1 tsp. of dried tarragon which just took it OVER the top ! Makes lots of sauce ,,,, will serve over rice or pasta. Good enough for company and me !
Aimy says
For my tastes it wasn’t lemony enough, it was very heavy. I added lemon zest at the end and it tastes so much better, I could actually taste the lemon, and the Dijon wasn’t to my taste. But with the zest is was lovely.
Dominique says
Hi Nagi
Love your recipes including this one. Do you think you could use veal for this recipe?
Nagi says
Yes that would be delicious Dominique!! N x
Michele says
WoW – made this dish tonight for my VERY fussy husband & our neighbour. Everyone enjoyed it! Fabulous fabulous. will be making this again. Thank you Nagi xx
Michele says
WoW – made this dish tonight for my VERY fussy husband & our neighbour. Everyone enjoyed it! Fabulous fabulous. will be making this again. Thank you Nagi xx
Bek Poss says
Quick, easy and full of flavour. Great for midweek meal! Love it. Nom nom nom
AMF says
This was awesome. I served it over fettucine and will definitely be making this again! The next time I make this, I will add a little cornstarch slurry at the end to thicken the sauce…so it sticks to the pasta better. But I really loved this.
Billie says
Hi I had flagged this from a year ago-somehow missed referring back to it! Can it be made in the instant pot?
Amy says
This was such a tasty dish! I used cashew cream instead of heavy cream and gluten free flour and vegan Parmesan and butter(allergies) and it still turned out beautifully!
Jan O’Connor says
Hi Nagi, just made this lovely meal for dinner tonight. The secret is to get everything prepared first and then it’s so quick to cook. I served it with baby new potatoes and broccolini and the sauce soaked into the potatoes – it was SO delicious, my husband used a spoon to eat up every drop of the sauce. Thank you so much, we loved it.
Lizette Bateman says
This chicken was so much better than expected. Huge hit at the dinner table. Winner winner chicken dinner!
Sharon says
Amazing, amazing!!