Skillet chicken has juicy chicken breast, smothered in a lemon garlic cream sauce. Made all in one skillet for an easy clean-up and comes together in under 30 minutes for those busy weeknights!
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Lemon goes so perfectly with chicken and then add in some garlic and cream and you have a rich and creamy garlic sauce.
Chicken dinners don't have to be boring this one has tons of flavor like this Creamy Ranch Chicken without all the fuss just like my Honey Garlic Chicken. This creamy chicken recipe is so addicting and crazy delicious, that you'll want to grab some bread to slop up and leftovers.
Ingredients for Skillet Chicken with Cream Sauce
- Chicken breasts-boneless and skinless sliced horizontally and pounded out if needed.
- lemons-Fresh squeezed is always best, add in some lemon zest for a stronger lemon flavor.
- Chicken broth- You can use regular or low sodium.
- Cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes-Adds a little kick but can be left out.
- Heavy Cream-Thickens the sauce milk cant be substituted.
- Butter- Use real butter either salted or unsalted works fine.
How to Make Chicken in Lemon Cream Sauce
- Step 1: Slice chicken breast horizontally and pound chicken breast into thin chicken cutlets,
- Step 2: Salt, and pepper on both sides.
- Step 2: Heat a large skillet with olive oil on medium-high heat.
- Step 3: Sear both sides of the chicken. Remove from pan.
- Step-5: Add the diced onions to the pan and saute.
- Step 6: Stir in the chicken stock.
- Step 7: Stir in the heavy cream and melt the butter and simmer.
- Step 8: Add the cooked chicken back into the skillet.
Why This Recipe Works
This lemon chicken skillet dinner is a quick and easy one-pan meal that makes a perfect weeknight dinner. Using simple pantry ingredients this easy recipe comes together in under 30 minutes. Serve with Mashed potatoes, white or brown rice, or on a bed of pasta, and my Roasted Parmesan Broccoli. Another easy weeknight meal that's always a huge hit is my Paprika Chicken and Rice Bake.
Recipe tips
- You can add a tablespoon of honey for a touch of sweetness.
- Toss in some sun dried tomato for a twist.
- Double the sauce if you want extra for some pasta.
- Do NOT overcook the chicken breasts, use an instant-read thermometer to know when the chicken reaches 164 degrees.
- I like to use a large cast-iron skillet to be able to get a good sear on the chicken. You get some browned bits on the bottom of the pan for added flavor to this easy cream sauce for chicken.
Recipe faq's
Yes, boneless skinless chicken thighs would be delicious, but if they are really large more cooking time will have to be added. That's why it's important to use a digital meat thermometer to know when the meat reaches 164 degrees.
Most likely it's overcooked. Chicken breasts are a super lean cut of meat, therefore very easy to overcook. The best way to check the temperature is using a digital meat thermometer.
I doubled the sauce and served it over some pasta with Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan Cheese or Green Beans with bacon.
Store this lemon butter chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days, reheat in the microwave or on low in a skillet.
Creamy Skillet Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/3 cup finely diced red onion
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1-1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Place chicken breasts in a large ziplock freezer bag (or between two pieces of plastic wrap) and using a mallet or rolling pin pound the chicken until it's about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Heat a skillet on medium-high heat. Add olive oil and chicken breasts and cook 2-3 minutes and flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside on a plate.
- Add red onion and saute for 2-3 minutes just until soft then add in the garlic and saute for about 30 seconds more. Whisk in the chicken broth, and cayenne pepper. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 10 minutes or until reduced by half.
- Whisk in the butter, and heavy cream and lemon juice whisk until combined. Add chicken breasts back in and simmer on low another 3-4 minutes.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley
Make sure you get a good simmer going and reduce the liquid by half then add in the heavy cream. It should also thicken as it cools.
I recently made this recipe 2 weeks in a row. The sauce is so good, however, both times I've made it, the sauce was very liquidity. Do you have any advice on how to thicken it up?
You have scrolled right past the full recipe to write this comment 🙂
I don't see how much of each ingredient. I want to double the sauce without screwing it up.
Thank you Teri! It goes in after the heavy cream 🙂
It sounds very good. However, you do not list anywhere in the instructions when to add the Lemon Juice. Unless I am completely blind and missed it. I am sure I can figure it out, but I just wanted to let you know.😊