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!!
Hi Nagi,
I made this last night for me and my husband. Served it over red rice.
Though I didn’t measure ingredients carefully, and I didn’t have more than 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese, it turned out absolutely scrumptiously delicious. We both sopped up every last bit of sauce. Since we are both watching our weight, we ate only half of the chicken and so will be happy to have another yummy dinner tonight.
Once again, you made our dinner special.
It was thanks to a chance encounter with Laksa while living temporarily in Australia, that I discovered you. I loved the Laksa I ate at a restaurant and looked up a recipe. There you were at the top of the list on Google. Now that I’m back home, I can no longer get essential Laksa ingredients but you post so many tempting recipes that I don’t care.
Thanks to you (and David Lebovitz) I rarely open any of my many recipe books for ideas.
Oh that’s great to hear Sharon, I’m so glad you’re loving the recipes – N x
Hey, I just made this and it is perfect!
I added a bit of dried thyme to the sauce and switched out the pasta (for low carb reasons) but I know I’ll keep making this one!
Amazing!!
Nagi, never change. The world needs more brown and yellow food!! 😀 (But I have made some of your salads and they are winners, too!!!)
😂😂😂
This was delicious. I am wondering if cooking the chicken with a sage leaf tooth picked on (a la saltimbocca) would further enhance.
I think it would be magnificent!! N x
So reduce or omit salt?
Another winner to add to our regulars. Thank you Nagi.
Thank you Sue! N xx
Thanks Nagi. Will cook this tonight. Your recipes are always delicious. Big hugs for Dozer. He’s adorable!
I hope you enjoy it Nicole! N x
Again. Your a GO TO when I need inspiration
Love your video touch. Helps a lot to jam it into the little “grey cells”
This is FABULOUS. Husband asks if this is Nagi recipe also? Yum!
Big pat for Dozer. Think he liked your pillow cause you’d been there 😴😴
Pat passed on and happily received!! He’s flopped down beside me as I’m working 😂 Glad you enjoyed this Elle! N xx
I am very much a normal./high carb cook for good health but cauliflower in any form would suit this dish well . . . oh, chicken thighs in my case ! Think Dozer will be very happy to move into his new home: what a Christmas present !
I’m looking forward to stability in his life!!! It will be his forever home 🙂 N xx
Clever Dozer! This one is the winner for me. Forget low carb, give me big fat mash, Love it. How many steps??
I hear you loud and clear Vera!!! N xx
Man oh man another hit out of the ball park. This Creamy Lemony Chicken is the best, light, tasty, rich. Just made it today and it came out great.
Thank you Nagi for sharing this recipe. Really good.
🙌🏻 Thank you for sharing your feedback CH! I’m glad you enjoyed it! N xx
That sauce.. So creamy and delicious. Will try soon.
YES you should!! N xx
Omigoodness this sounds amazing! Can’t wait to try this! We eat Keto so I’m just going to exchange the flour for crushed pork rinds and/or almond flour. The remaining ingredients are perfect. And we’ll eat on mashed cauliflower as you suggested. Eeee!
That will be amazing Tara! Crushed pork rinds = AMAZING crunch
Going to make this TONIGHT! I was just thinking about what to do with the thin chicken breasts I’ve got defrosting in the fridge!
HI Hillary, so great to see you hear, hope you are well! N xx
Thanks for yet another delicious recipe! Chicken is so much better with a creamy sauce!! Also, love seeing sweet Dozer in your emails!! xo
I feel like there’s not much a creamy sauce doesn’t make delicious! 😂
Dear Nagi,
Could you maybe add ml and gr to the recipe? I always love how I can easily make your recipes because of it.
Thank you!
So keen to give this a try, but any reason why you can’t use bone in chicken thighs? I’ve got some chicken ‘chops’s In the fridge screaming for a little lemon dip 🍋 😂 🍋
I know they might take a little longer to cook initially but is there any other issue I’m not considering? 🍋 🍋
100% perfect to make using thighs! I just specified breast because I show how to prep the breast meat to use in this recipe 🙂 N x
Oh yikes, I forgot?? Popping over right away to fix that! N xx
Not having your yellow foods would make me blue!
This looks divine.
😂 Well then, I better not ever stop! N xx
Poor puppy!!!!🙁
you need to install an escalator for him!!!😝
Ba ha ha! He’s just lazy, too much beach exercise today!! N xx
Delicious and a full meal
Perfect Kathy – N x
super delicious . thanks .
You’re so welcome Les!
Kiora Nagi. Found this and have been cooking it for my family. My Grandsons love it and my Son asked for it often.