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!!
Delicious and so easy
Delicious
I made this tonight and used coconut cream instead of the normal cream. I also subbed out the parmesan for a dairy free one. Surprisingly with the substitutes, it was still delicious and easy to make. Will definitely make this again.
Can you successfully reheat this dish?
Great recipe. I did add capers! Left of the salt in the sauce since the capers are salty.
Very easy to make and delicious!!
BEST RECIPE! NUTRICOUS & DELICIOUS! I marinated my chicken breasts in sum lemon juice, olive oil, & fresh herbs for about an hour b4, so..I didn’t really need a lot of seasoning with flour. I DID saute my chicken a Lil longer than the recommended time, ….didn’t take long tho..until juices ran clear when pierced. Because I marinated chicken in lemon juice…I added less lemon with the cream & chicken broth in the sauce. I served with Italian flavored angel hair pasta. Parmesan crusted potatoes, & a nice ceaser salad— PERFECT MEAL! #MyNewFavoriteRecipe
BEST RECIPE! NUTRICOUS & DELICIOUS! I marinated my chicken breasts in sum lemon juice, olive oil, & fresh herbs for about an hour b4, so..I didn’t really need a lot of seasoning with flour. I DID saute my chicken a Lil longer than the recommended time, ….didn’t take long tho..until juices ran clear when pierced. Because I marinated chicken in lemon juice…I added less lemon with the cream & chicken broth in the sauce. I served with Italian flavored angel hair pasta. Parmesan crusted potted, & a nice ceaser salad— PERFECT MEAL! #MyNewFavoriteRecipe
Really yummy! I LOVE that you tell us how much salt and pepper to use because many websites don’t bother.
However on this particular recipe I was a bit confused, does the chicken get lightly salted and then 1/2 tsp salt added in the sauce? That’s what I did but it was a tad salty.
Or is it the opposite: 1/2 tsp salt on the chicken and then lightly salt the sauce?
Still giving 5 stars since good flavor, it may have been user error causing the saltiness
This was absolutely delicious!
I cooked it for a company workshop lunch (29 people), and served it with the “”dump n bake” fried rice, and some frozen winter veggies. Everyone loved it, , and it was So simple to make! Outstanding!
The flavour in this dish is absolutely amazing!
I will definitely be cooking this again.
For a few years now we have been looking for a recipe to replicate something we had a restaurant. Well this is it. The flavours are fantastic. We add some freshly cut avocado and asparagus to it and it is perfect. This is now on our rotation.
So quick and so tasty.
Will definitely be making this regularly.
Hubby was drinking the sauce from the pan. Enough said!
Family RAVED over this and it was so quick and easy!
Thank you Nagi!
Could I add mushrooms to this dish?
Super late reply, but I added mushrooms in mine and it was great. I cooked it in a separate pan though and just added it 🙂
Delicious! It’s a keeper!
Loved it and easy to make
HUGE hit with the whole family.
Everyone went back for seconds. Will definitely be making this one again.
Your recipes are always perfect! Spot on!! I’ve used so many of them and thank you! This recipe, like all the others was fabulous as written.
I made this meal tonight, and it was absolutely DELICIOUS! It’s so easy to make and really tasty. Another winner, thank you Nagi