One Skillet Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
This post may contain affiliate links. Please check our privacy and disclosure policy.
Say hello to your new favorite one skillet chicken dinner that’s topped with a lemon garlic butter cream sauce! I used thin chicken breasts, but this recipe would be delicious with boneless chicken thighs too!
Hello, hello to my new favorite creamy, garlicky, lemony, delicious skillet chicken!
You guys, I’ve gone completely head over heels for today’s meal (I didn’t mean for that to rhyme.
As many of you have probably guessed, I have a love for white meat chicken. It’s no dark meat for me. But the good news is that today’s chicken dinner is customizable to your chicken needs. Boneless skinless chicken thighs, sure, why not! *Applause* you’ve only just waited half of FOREVER for me to bring you something that could be made with something other than boneless skinless chicken breast.
This one skillet chicken recipe is my go-to chicken dinner of the week decade. Obvi, this recipe requires just one pan. Which means, we make the chicken and the sauce – that’s right – in just uno skillet-o. We’re talking tender chicken, covered in a lemon garlic butter sauce that’s creamier than anything you’ve had before. Someone, please, throw some capers up in the sauce! This only *just* hit me now, but I’m totally doing it next time, pinky promise.
Should I just stop here? Are you on your way to the kitchen, cuz ya should be!
This recipe is somewhat, kinda sorta adapted and inspired by my Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil.
What makes this chicken with lemon garlic cream sauce recipe special?
We’re using a lot of the same ingredients like butter, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, and parsley. What makes this chicken dinner to the next level is chicken broth and a big splash of heavy cream. The sauce has a nice creamy consistency that would taste AMAZING tossed in some angel hair pasta. The pasta-abilities are ENDLESS. See what I did there.
How to make one skillet chicken with lemon garlic cream sauce:
Get those chicken breasts cooking on both sides. You don’t have to worry about cooking the chicken all the way through. We’re just looking to get some color on the chicken and for all those wonderful flavor bits to form in the bottom of the pan. The ‘flavor bits’ are going to be deglazed with chicken broth and lemon juice to make the lemon garlic cream sauce for this skillet chicken.
If you’re using chicken breasts or boneless skinless chicken thighs, just make sure that all of them are about the same thickness. Mine were about ½-¾ inch thick. I browned each side of the chicken for just 2 minutes. Don’t worry about cooking the chicken all the way through as we’re going to finish the sauce and the chicken together in the oven for a quick 5 minutes.
To be honest with you, I was a little intimidated by the idea of adding heavy cream to a lemon sauce. I had the biggest fear of it curdling on me. I find the trick is to use just a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice and to reduce it with the chicken broth. Once that’s done, I lowered the flame and melted some butter into the sauce. Finally, taking the sauce off the heat completely, I whisked in the cream and placed it back on the flame for just a couple of seconds. Don’t let the sauce come to a boil. And it worked, beautifully! And can I say something? This is the best lemon garlic cream sauce I’ve ever had! A big pat on the back. Checking the cream sauce off my culinary bucket list! Hooray!
But with victory came pain! I pulled the skillet out of the oven, placed it on the store and lost in thought, a few seconds later I decided to grab the handle WITHOUT an oven mitt. UMM… OUCH! NOT FUN! Hand burning! Feels like fire ants having a picnic in my palm! That’s definitely going to leave a mark!?
So once the pain finally subsided from my burning hand, I topped off this one skillet chicken dinner with a handful of chopped parsley and a little basil. Use whatever fresh herbs you’ve got on hand, you really can’t go wrong!
I served it up pretty simple this time around. Just a little steamed broccoli and a side salad. You could always do a little rice to catch all that sauce. Pasta is always perfect with a lemon garlic cream sauce.
One skillet chicken dinners and conquering kitchen fears. Just a regular old Wednesday around here! 😉
shop this chicken with lemon garlic cream sauce post:
One Skillet Chicken with lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
Say hello to your new favorite one skillet chicken dinner that's topped with a lemon garlic butter cream sauce! I used thin chicken breasts but this recipe would be delicious with boneless chicken thighs too!
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ⅓ cup finely diced shallots (or red onions)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley or basil
Instructions
- Using a mallet, pound down the chicken breasts/thighs into ½ inch thickness. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper on both sides of the chicken.
- In a 2 cup measuring cup or a small bowl, combine the chicken broth, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes.
- Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken and allow to brown on both sides for 2-3 minutes per side. Don't worry if the chicken isn't cooked completely, we'll finish it in the oven. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Reduce the flame to medium, add the shallots to the skillet along with the chicken broth mixture. Using a whisk, scrape the bottom of the pan so all the brown bits are loosened. Kick the heat back up to medium high and let sauce come to a simmer. Continue to cook the sauce for 10-15 minutes or until about ⅓ cup of the sauce remains.
- When the sauce has thickened, remove from the flame, add the butter and whisk until it melts completely. With the skillet off the flame, add the heavy cream, whisk to combine. Place the skillet back over the flame for just 30 seconds, DO NOT allow the sauce to boil. Remove from heat, add the chicken back into the pan and drizzle the sauce over the chicken. Place the skillet in the oven for 5-8 minutes or until the chicken is completely cooked through. Top with chopped parsley or basil and serve warm with additional lemon slices.
Notes
- Use boneless skinless chicken breasts/thighs that about the same thickness. I pounded mine down to about ½ inch.
- After a few comments from readers, I've adjusted the amount of time it takes to reduce the sauce (step #5). Keep in mind, the key is to reduce it to ⅓ cup and that I can only provide an estimate. It may take you more or less time than what is actually listed.
If you like this chicken with lemon garlic cream sauce recipe, you might also like:
We are a participant in both the RewardStyle and Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, which are affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com and through RewardStyle.
325 Comments on “One Skillet Chicken with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce”
I changed mine up this way: I doubled the lemon (because I love sour), added a spoon of honey (to cut the acid of the sour) and a glug of dry white wine (because what is chicken without wine?) and . . . WOWZER!
I’m making this recipe again for dinner tonight. This is probably the 5th or 6th time. This dish is absolutely amazing. I have VERY picky eaters and they gobble it down. The only thing I change is that I triple all the ingredients except the chicken and the red pepper flakes. It takes significantly longer to reduce due to the volume, but it’s well worth the wait. The sauce is the best part of the meal, we make angel hair pasta or rice (sometimes both) and top it with the chicken and sauce.
Lovely flavors , I did my own take on this ,used veg stock because I was out of chicken stock .
Nailed it! I’m a chicken psycho so I overcooked it a tad but my fam didn’t notice. I added the capers and bam! They soaked the sauce up with a spoon! Broiled some asparagus which paired nicely. I was scared of the volume of sauce when I let it reduce, but it was perfect! Will make again!
So glad to hear it was enjoyed, Sara! And love that you added capers 🙂
Family loved this! Only problem- sauce never thickened at all. Was I supposed to use flour or corn starch?
Hi Tracy! No flour in this recipe, you needed to let the sauce reduce for longer than 10 minutes if it didn’t thicken. Hope that helps in case you decide to make it again 🙂
Delicious recipe and so easy to make! I substituted oat milk for cream and vegetable butter for dairy and it turned out so good. I forgot to take a picture.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your substitutes!
This is now a card night favorite with my besties! Adjusted a little by dicing the chicken, doubling the sauce and using egg noodles or penne. Been adding squash also since my garden has been abundant. Yum!! Thanks for this recipe!!
Yum! Sounds delish!
Could you please add the nutrition values and calories for this recipe
I don’t have that information calculated, but if you plug the URL of this page into myfitnesspal it will automatically calculate it for you!
I love this! I enjoyed it so much that I made extra sauce and tossed with angel hair pasta and the chicken. Delicious! So glad I found your recipe.
Love that you doubled the sauce and tossed it with pasta – how delicious!
Does anyone know the nutrition facts on this? Specifically, Protein, Fiber, Carbs, Fats, and calories?
This sauce was sooo delicious! Will definitely make again
That’s awesome, happy to hear it, Jill!
This was the BEST! One of my daughters wanted to put the sauce in a glass and drink it!!! I WILL BE MAKING THIS AGAIN! THANK YOU! I had a thought for the next time I cook this. I’m going to add artichoke hearts to it! It will be fantastic! 5 STARS!
LOL! I’m so happy to hear it was a hit, Dee! Great idea on the artichoke hearts – I have a recipe similar to this one that uses spinach and artichoke hearts here in case you’re interested in trying it 🙂
I have made this recipe probably about 10 times now lol my husband LOVES it. It was actually his Fathers Day Dinner request! The sauce is soooo delicious, we put it on our broccoli as well. Lol! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Love hearing that! So glad to hear you make it so often! 🙂
Made this for a party at home last week and it turned out really really good! Everyone has been talking about it ever since and today, I am making it again for my family. thank you so much! Looking forward to your other recipes!
So glad to hear it was a hit, Vidya! Appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave a comment 🙂
I made this recipe about a month or so ago, I really enjoyed the taste. I already recommended it to my friends. I’m making it tonight for dinner❤
would you happen to know the nutrition on this recipe ?
I loved this! I doubled the butter, cream and stock to make more sauce. I also gave your website a shout-out on the Aldi Keto Nerds FB page!
Go glad you enjoyed it, Chandra! And I so appreciate the shout out ♥ ♥
This was so good!! I have to hide my veggies in my food, so I grated some zucchini in and I ate all of it. Super good!
What a clever idea! Thanks for sharing, Kelly!
Oh. My. God. This was so yummy!
I decided to jazz it up a little by adding some sliced cremini mushrooms, sliced sundried tomatoes, and a bit of lemon zest. A HUGE hit in our house. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It’s going to be in our regular rotation.
PERFECT! My bf literally kept going on about how good it was. I paired it with turnip greens, potatoes. Love it!
I don’t have a skillet that can go in the oven. Would you recommend cooking the chicken through the first time or allowing it to cook in the skillet at the end?
Absolutely delicious, and so easy to make! The whole family loved it, thank you!
Third recipe in 2 weeks from your site and we have another smash hit. I managed in 1.5 hours with prep and doubling the sauce. I also didn’t hammer one of the breasts enough so added bake time. Delicious over mashed potatoes! I’ve made similar recipes with capers which I missed this time, but the overall recipe was much more streamlined than previous attempts. Thank you!!!
Made this tonight for my parents and it was a big hit! Everyone got seconds (including me). That sauce is incredible. I doubled it and cooked some pasta and asparagus on the side. I’ll be making this regularly. Thank you!
Ahmazziinngg recipe. I’ve been surfing the web looking for inspiration and somehow came across this little gem. It’s now a regularly requested item from the super picky hubby. Thank you SO MUCH!
We can’t eat onion, so have been leaving that out. I’ve tried the recipe both cooking the garlic before adding the main liquids, and adding it with the liquids as per the recipe, and didn’t find much difference in that case. Guessing since it’s a small amount and the sauces simmers for a while, but who knows.
I often double the sauce ingredients to serve over pasta with a side of broccoli. Makes great leftovers evidently! I also toss in a random Tbs of baby capers just before adding the butter to the sauce. DELICIOUS.
Finally, purely because I’m lazy, I usually cut my chicken breasts down to 1/4″ – ish thickness rather than pounding them. So far, prepping my own, I’ve had excellent results every time with no dryness.
It’s amazing to me that I can create fine dining quality fora quick (once you get the timing down) mid week meal. Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this recipe!,
This was really good. I added more than the amount of pepper flakes than the recipe called for because we like spicy food. It was better than expected, will definitely make again!
Oh, and I made it completely on the stovetop because my oven is in the fritz, just let the sauce reduce a little more so it wasn’t so watery since I wasn’t putting it in the oven. Really, really good!
Did a quick search of chicken recipes and came across this recipe and decided to give it a try. So glad I did because it is DELICIOUS!! My husband loves it and has asked me to make it a few times!
Came across this whilst looking for low carb recipes, Tried it last night and it was outstanding, full of flavour but so simple to make, this will definitely be a regular dish in our house!
My family and I love love love this recipe. I use boneless chicken breast since its easier to cut up for my children. I double the sauce part cause we just love it. When I ask what my children want for dinner this recipe is asked for weekly.
Can this recipe be made ahead of time – like in the morning, refrigerate, serve for dinner?
This turned out great! I didn’t have chicken breasts, but I followed the same steps for chicken tenderloins. Also, I didn’t have any parsley or basil, but the flavor was still very good! I served with brown rice & mixed veggies.
Sooo good. And very easy to prepare!!
Tasty tasty tasty! It comes together so quick and is smooth and creamy without feeling unhealthy. 11/10 would eat again.
I had to swap out shallots for spring onions and a butter substitute as I’m FODMAP. Also didn’t have fresh parsley so used dried and was still amazing. Cant wait to eat it again!
My favorite chicken dish! Love everything about it.
Wow!! this is delicious! I read some of the comments I tripled the sauce and added Capers to the sauce and this tastes really good!!
Omg!!! This was so tasty!! I found your site by googling “low carb meals” and I’m SO happy I found you. I can’t wait to try your other recipes!!! You got me!!!
The recipe came out great! Hubby was salivating!!! Just used cornstarch to slightly thicken the garlic cream sauce!
Oh my goodness! Sooo good.
This is my favorite chicken recipe! It’s so good! It taste like it came from a restaurant. A great dish to make when you are trying to impress someone.
Great recipe, but definitely needs Capers to take it over the top. Also, if you want to speed things up, grab a lemon pepper roasted chicken from Wally World. Make the sauce as per the recipe except slightly less lemon juice (You may want to double the recipe for more sauce). Cook in a deep stove-top pan, bringing to a low boil then use some flour or corn starch to thicken BEFORE you reduce the heat & add the cream. Add the chopped up chicken toward the end. Works out nicely and makes it a simple 30 min quick meal and you won’t need to heat up the house by using the oven. I serve it over whole grain/wild rice.
Made this dish for my family and they all loved it. They said they felt like it came from a wedding or restaurant. My sides where steamed veggies & brown rice. Thank you so much for sharing♥️
Hi, I am going to make this tonight for dinner, however I can not have milk. I was wondering if I could substitute heavy cream with canned coconut milk?
Yes! I love cooking with unsweetened coconut milk in place of milk!
Literally the best chicken I’ve ever made. I’ve shared this recipe with my extended family and we all love it! Thank you!
Awesome
So…I try to change up my dinners quite a bit. After stumbling across this recipe, I thought lemon? I am not a fan of lemon anything. However, this changed my mind. My husband LOVED it!! My adult daughter too!! This will be a keeper in my dinner repertoire.
I made it exactly the way the recipe is written. I did not have to make changes. The lemon was quite subtle and the sauce was so light, yet very flavorful.
Thank you for this recipe!!
This recipe is AMAZING!! I followed the recipe exactly except two things, I used a cast iron skillet and only cooked the chicken on the stove instead of putting it in the oven and I didn’t have any shallots so I just skipped it. Still turned out delicious! Only thing is I wish I made more sauce lol next time I’m doubling for sure! Everyone got seconds. This one is a keeper for sure. Thank you for posting!
This recipe is delicious!!! Very easy and simple eirh great flavor! I made it according to directions with only one exception, I used onion instead of scallions. This a keeper?Ty so much for sharing.
So easy and delicious! I added sliced mushrooms to the skillet before putting in the oven – soaked up flavor and rendered more liquid to the sauce. Yum!
This was very good. I’m happy to be able to add a new recipe to our dinner menu and even better that is a one pot meal. I made broccoli and spooned the sauce from the chicken on the broccoli. Delicious.