Chicken breast recipes can be so dull โ time to step it up! Cream and lemon are a luscious combination and is sensationalย served over golden crispy chicken. Aย quick andย easyย 10 minute recipe with fewย ingredients,ย 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 Instagramย feedย the other day, and all I could think was โitโs soย yellow and orangey.โ I shared this observation with my mother, and her immediate response was โWell, of course. You post so many cheesy bread, potatoes and meat. Everything you like is yellow and brown. Evenย Dozerย is yellow.โ (Imagine this with a Japanese accent and finished with a snort of laughter).
I had no smart comeback for that. Because itโs completely true. ๐
So one of my (many) New Yearsโ resolutions will be (yet again) to post moreย green foods on RecipeTin Eats.
But for now โ 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! ๐๐ป
What you need for creamy lemon chicken breast
Chicken breast โ or boneless skinless thigh
Chicken broth/stock โ gives the sauce flavour (itโs pretty dull without it)
Cream and lemon โ because weโre making aย creamy lemon sauce
Parmesan โ forย umami AND to help thicken the sauce
Mustard โ sauce thickening and extra flavour/tang
Flour โ to dust chicken (gives it a crust that the sauce wants to cling to, optional)
Garlic โ because garlic goes in 99% of my savoury foods
Butter โ because butter makes everything better
How to make creamy lemon chicken breast
Youโre 10 minutes away from having this for dinner!
Hereโs 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.
Thereโs 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 wouldnโt go astray! If youโre 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!).
ย โ 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 โ 2 garlic clove, minced
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth/stock
- 3/4 cup cream , heavy/thickened (Note 2)
- 3 โ 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 โ 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 Iโm currently housesitting while Iโm in between houses โ when he gets fed up following me up and down the stairs, he parks himself halfway!!
You are a recipe queen! Even my kids are eating this. I added some spinach and just mixed the cooked pasta through at the end. Amazing!
Perfect Kay! N x
Can I use milk instead of using cream?
Hi Dito, milk is runnier so the sauce will be thinner, you could always use milk and thicken with a cornflour slurry ๐ N x
Hi Nagi! Do you know how much pasta the sauce is enough for?
Hi Sam, it depends how saucy you like it! I usually cook 250g of dried pasta for this! N x
My husband LOVED this so much and he is does not really like lemon much but he loved this. Thank you so much. Your food is amazing
Wahoo, thatโs great Kim! N x
I made this again; In these times of self-isolation, I had to improvise a bit and replace the garlic with shallots, and half the broth with white wine to kick the flavour in consequences, but it was still absolutely delicious. I think this is my favourite recipe from this whole blog, and the ultimate creamy lemon sauce. Thank you so much Nagi!
Canโt wait to try this! Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts?
Hi Stacy, you sure can, just pound them out or slice so they are an even thickness. N x
This recipe is delicious and so easy to make! I found that the juice of 1 large lemon was sufficient. Next time I will add pre-cooked prawns to the mix. Thanks and take care xx
YUM! Love this idea John, sounds great! N x
Hi Nagi, I discovered recipetineats after my daughter (in Perth) shared your recipe for homemade gourmet cookies.are in lockdown in Muscat, Oman. I am enjoying your recipes and have made numerous dishes including the creamy, lemon chicken. Bread is rising near the bedroom window as I write! I am keeping a lockdown cookbook. Thanks for great recipes and I really like your extra notes, hints and ideas for substituting ingredients. Regards Nerina
Youโre so welcome Nerina! N x
Love your recipe. Just fix the Creamy Tomato Bean Soup for me and my sister. DAMN it was sooooooo good.
Thank y.
WOOT! I Love hearing this Robin!! N x
Winner! Winner! Chicken dinnerrrrr ๐๐ป๐๐ป๐๐ป
YES!! ๐
This was absolutely delicious. Thank you so much for this easy and wonderful dish. I took a picture but didnโt know how to post it
Iโm so glad you loved it Robyn!! N x
Hi Nagi, Just wanted to thank you for all of your fantastic recipes. The sauce is magnificent and so adaptable โ I made the chicken with mash and steamed vegetables. Iโve also used it with fish with the addition of a bit of dill. Thanks again.
Hi, Nagi! Iโm new to your sight and this is the first time I tried one of your recipes. Some of the cheese (Kraft shredded Parmesan) started to clump in the sauceโฆ.what did I do wrong? Was it the cheese I used?
That being said, everything still tasted great (clumps and all), and my dad loved it! I plan on making this again really soon. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Kimberly, yes sounds like it may be the cheese you used โ sometimes they have flour added to the cheese to stop it clumping in the bag which unfortunately doesnโt cook well โ N x
This recipe is delicious! My husband said itโs his favorite thing Iโve made and requested that it be added into the rotation.
Wahoo, thatโs great to hear Shawna! N x
Hi Nagi,
Hoping to make this beautiful sauce with barramundi (as I have some in my fridge that needs to be eaten). Would I still use chicken stock ? BTW LOVING ALL YOUR RECIPES
This will be perfect Rachelle https://fast-enhancement.today/baked-fish-with-lemon-cream-sauce/%3C/a%3E N x
If we are trying to be gluten free can I use any flour to dust on the chicken?
Sure can Esther ๐ N x
This was a HIT for myself, my husband, and 6 year old. The lemon sauce is just to die for and still great the next day! We have done over pasta and rice and enjoy both equally! Just printed for my book of must repeat recipes!
Thatโs great Nicole!!
Just perfect! My grandsons will love these recipe. I will surely cook these when I go visit them in Thailand next month. Thank you for sharing.
Youโre so welcome Helen!! N x
Hi Nagi. Love that picture of Dozer. Looks like you were in a lighthouse. I made this recioe today. Itโs very good. It reminded me of Chicken Alfredo. It was fun to make.
Bonnie from Markleeville. Give Dozer a hug from me.
Iโm so happy you enjoyed it Bonnie! Will give Dozer a big belly rub from you โค๏ธ
CreamyLemon chicken.
Could the chicken be fried early. Make the sauce before company arrives. Assemble and serve when ready
Thanks