Saucy Lemon Cilantro Chicken
This is Lemon Chicken Cilantro! Tender seasoned chicken breasts in the most delicious creamy lemon cilantro sauce! Season the chicken generously, then saute it in a pan with mushrooms and make a quick and easy pan sauce! So good for weeknights!
Is it saucy…or dreamy? Creamy?
We’re here for all the one-skillet dinners that start with those descriptions!
Our newest addition of one pan wonders is this Lemon Chicken Cilantro.
Extra luxurious, dry-rubbed chicken breasts or chicken thighs are seared in a pan until golden, once we’ve browned our mushrooms to perfection. Then, we use the fond in the pan to create a garlic, cilantro, and lemon sauce that will make your tongue want to dance. The flavor of that sauce is so incredible I sometimes lie awake in bed just daydreaming about it.
The first time I tested this recipe, I served it with my homemade vermicelli rice pilaf, and it was so good I could’ve cried. A little sauteed broccolini action on the side will give you two servings of veggies, protein, and a balanced meal.
This dish was made for weeknights, but it’s also perfect for serving company, and those are the kind of dinners you need in your repertoire!
Ingredients for lemon cilantro chicken
- Chicken: For this recipe, you’ll need boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs. I prefer to use chicken breasts. If they are on the larger side, slice them horizontally to create two pieces. This will allow the chicken to cook more evenly in the pan.
- Seasonings: you’ll need some garlic powder and some seasoning salt. This is the one I like to use as it gives the chicken a bit of color in the pan and tons of flavor. It contains ingredients like paprika, celery, turmeric, garlic, and other spices.
- Butter: We’ll use butter in three ways. The first step is to saute the mushrooms, creating a layer of flavor in the pan. Then, we’ll sear the chicken, pick up the flavors from the mushrooms, and leave some of that chicken goodness. Finally, we’ll create a roux using flour and butter to start the lemon cilantro pan sauce.
- Mushrooms: I like to use white button mushrooms for this recipe so that they don’t stand out too much in the sauce, but you could also use cremini or baby bella mushrooms.
- Mushroom Powder: You’ll need mushroom powder for this recipe to boost the mushrooms’ umami. It’s also a source of sodium to season the mushrooms with. This ingredient is optional, but it works wonders in this recipe and so many others. If you don’t want to use it, season the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper at the end.
- Oil: The oil and some of the butter are used to sear the chicken in the pot.
- Garlic: We’ll saute the minced garlic a bit with the flour before simmering it in the sauce. I suggest mincing the garlic and skipping the stuff packed in a jar for best results!
- Flour: we’ll use the flour to create a roux!
- Lemon Juice: We’ll use lemon just to cut some of the richness from the heavy litcream. If you prefer more zing, you might also want a few lemon wedges to serve on the side with this recipe! Prefer using lime juice? Try this cilantro lime chicken instead!
- Chicken Bouillon: I like using a bouillon cube over chicken stock for this recipe as it has a more flavorful impact. I don’t suggest swapping this for chicken broth; it just doesn’t taste the same.
- Heavy Cream: Adds creaminess to the sauce and thickens it.
- Cilantro: I use half the cilantro to flavor the sauce, and the other half goes towards the garnish—we eat with our eyes first! Feel free to add other herbs like basil if you’d like a variation on this recipe or aren’t a fan of cilantro!
Tips for success! Bought mushroom powder and looking for other ways to use it? Try: Hungarian Mushroom Soup, Best Beef Tips, and One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta.
How to make cilantro lemon chicken:
- Marinate the chicken. For this recipe, we use a dry rub as the marinade. Start by seasoning the chicken with garlic powder and seasoning salt. Let this sit for as long as you can—20 minutes works, but overnight in the refrigerator is even better.
- Saute the mushrooms. Add a knob of butter and allow it to melt over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, add the mushrooms in a single layer and let them cook. Once they start to turn golden, flip them over and let them cook on the other side. Season with umami seasoning right before you remove them to a plate.
- Brown the chicken. Add another knob of butter and let it melt in the pan with the avocado or olive oil. Then, sear the chicken over medium heat. Flip and cook both sides before you remove the chicken and put it on the same plate as the mushrooms.
- Make the sauce. Add the remaining butter to the skillet and saute the garlic until fragrant. Sprinkle the flour over the garlic and cook until the raw flavor of flour is cooked out. Add the bouillon cube and slowly pour in ¾ cup of water. Using a whisk allow the bouillon to dissolve into the water and thicken just slightly.
- Finish the sauce and serve. Add the lemon juice and stir to combine, then pour in the heavy cream and let it all hang out. Taste the sauce and adjust with salt if desired – you shouldn’t need much, if any! Add the mushrooms and half of the cilantro to the pan and stir to combine. Place the chicken in the sauce and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Let the chicken simmer and heat through in the sauce before topping it with the remaining cilantro and serving it with basmati or vermicelli rice.
Detailed instructions and ingredients are listed below
Similar recipes you’ll enjoy:
- Fiesta Creamy Corn Chicken
- One Skillet Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
- Fiesta Chili Lime Chicken Salad with Mango and Avocado
- Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls with Corn Salsa
- Mexican Street Corn Salad with Black Beans
Saucy Lemon Cilantro Chicken
This is Lemon Chicken Cilantro! Tender seasoned chicken breasts in the most delicious creamy lemon cilantro sauce! Season the chicken generously, then saute it in a pan with mushrooms and make a quick and easy pan sauce! So good for weeknights!
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon seasoning salt (such as Lowry’s)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 8 ounces white or baby bella mushrooms, cleaned + sliced
- ¼ teaspoon mushroom powder (umami seasoning), optional
- Drizzle of avocado oil
- 6 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- MARINATE: Add the chicken pieces to a bowl and season with the seasoning salt and garlic powder. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 20 minutes and, ideally, for 4-12 hours covered in the refrigerator.
- SAUTE: Add 1 tbsp of butter to a saute pan and allow it to melt over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and let them cook for 4-6 minutes or until slightly golden. Season with umami seasoning (if using or a pinch of salt) and then remove to a plate.
- BROWN: Add 1 tbsp of butter to the same skillet and a small drizzle of avocado or other high heat oil. Lower the skillet temp to medium and add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook them or 2-4 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove it to the same plate as the mushrooms.
- SAUCE: Add the remaining tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Sauté the garlic in the butter for 30 seconds, then add the flour and continue to cook the flour for 45-60 seconds. Add the chicken bouillon cube and slowly pour in ¾ cup of water. Using a spoon or a whisk, allow the bouillon to dissolve and whisk or stir out any flour lumps.
- FINISH: Add the lemon juice and stir to combine. Pour in the heavy cream and stir everything together. Taste and adjust with more salt as desired. Add the mushrooms and half of the cilantro and stir them into the sauce. Place the chicken pieces in the sauce, and pour the sauce over the chicken using a spoon. Let the chicken simmer in the sauce for 1-2 minutes, then sprinkle the remaining cilantro over the chicken. Serve warm with fluffy basmati rice or rice pilaf.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 531Total Fat: 38gCarbohydrates: 9gFiber: 2gProtein: 39g
The nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is just an estimate. To get the most accurate information, please input the ingredients you've used into a nutrition calculator.
