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!!
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.
Hi Nagi
Love your recipes including this one. Do you think you could use veal for this recipe?
Yes that would be delicious Dominique!! N x
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
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
Quick, easy and full of flavour. Great for midweek meal! Love it. Nom nom nom
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.
Hi I had flagged this from a year ago-somehow missed referring back to it! Can it be made in the instant pot?
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!
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.
This chicken was so much better than expected. Huge hit at the dinner table. Winner winner chicken dinner!
Amazing, amazing!!
Hi, Nagi! Can i leave out flour? We’re on low carb.
Hi Rhi-rhi, the flour coats the chicken and creases a crust keeping it juicy, it also helps thicken the sauce – you can leave it out if you prefer, the sauce may be slightly thinner but will still delicious 🙂 N x
Delicious I made this last night. Very easy and quick recipe with great flavours. Served on top of Fettuccine . Another go too recipe
Turned out Perfect! I made a Creamy Lemon Risotto to go with it and we were all Fat and Happy when we were done: -)
If I am making this recipie for 2, can I just divide the nutritional facts in half?
Hi Indica, the nutrition is per serve – so that will remain the same, just scale the recipe down to two serves. N x
Made this just as written with only an added wine with the mustard. Huge hit with the family. It made a lot and we had leftovers for lunch. So glad I found your site. Love it.
This was great! It’s definitely something I will be making again!
Hi Nagi, I found you !! looking at your recpesIhave been able to cut the time stiring and they still are ssssssssssssooooo good,
This was really delicious. Next time I’m going to cook the chicken then shred it to stir through the pasta and sauce. Will make it a bit easier for the kids to eat.
Incredibly Delish Dish I followed the recipe except more garlic and 1/3 cup of wine instead of mustard. I will put this recipe on rotation. Thanks Nagi this was excellent
When I made this my mom said “this is the best thing you have ever made.” delicious flavor and texture. xox
That’s great to hear Maria!! N x