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!!
My husband and I both loved this! As suggested by other reviews, I did add a tsp of corn starch to thicken more and did add baby spinach.
I wonder though, could I use Havarti instead of Parmesan?
Made tonight and thoroughly enjoyed by my husband, 3 year old and 9 month old….. would absolutely make again! We love your recipes!
Your recipes are fantastic. I have not come across any that I don’t like. Have made this one a few times, it’s so good that I eat the left over sauce by the spoonful
I’m soooo excited to try this recipe tonight! I will be doubling and was wondering if I can use half chicken broth half white wine ( I don’t have enough broth) thanks!
Hi Lindsey, do you have stock cubes that you can make up the remaining chicken stock? N x
Wonderful recipe. When my husband didn’t look, I ate the sauce by the spoon-full out of the skillet, it was so good! Sauce didn’t thicken enough for my taste, just added a little cornstarch, problem solved.
Can this recipe be made and frozen?
Hi Roxanne, this one is best made fresh unfortunately – the same can split otherwise. N x
This recipe was so good. I ended up using a little coconut flour instead of white flour because that’s what we had (the whole wheat flour i had didn’t seem fine enough) and it turned out great, no taste of coconut. Even my picky 4 year old gobbled it up. Will definitely make this again. I read through the comments and I will likely add some spinach too.
Made this for tea last night, so delicious. My Husband was still talking about it this morning.
Tossed it through fettuccine and had a lovely white wine with it
This is the quickest yummiest cream lemon recipe. I always triple the menu and my family and I eat it for 2 days. Reheats great and tastes just as amazing tomorrow.
I wanna use spinach together with tbe sauce. Is that possible? Thx
Hi Olivia, you can definitely throw in some baby spinach at the end! N x
If I cook this early in the day and serve it later will it be okay? Or will the sauce become clumpy?
Hi Sarah, it will be fine to pre cook 🙂 N x
The whole family LOVED it. We added sautéed mushrooms and broccoli. Wonderful and easy to make.
Yum, sounds perfect Alicia! N x
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 🙂 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, that’s 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!
Can’t 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
You’re so welcome Nerina! N x