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!
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.
As many of you have probably guessed, I love 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. This means we make the lemon garlic chicken and the sauce all from start to finish in one skillet. We’re talking tender chicken covered in a lemon garlic butter sauce that’s creamier than anything you’ve had before.
And if you love capers, don’t be afraid to throw some into the sauce right before you turn the knob to off and serve up this delicious lemon garlic chicken.
Should I just stop here? Are you on your way to the kitchen, cuz ya should be!
One Skillet Lemon Garlic Chicken Video:
This recipe is somewhat, kinda sorta adapted and inspired by my Garlic Butter Salmon in Foil. Today’s Lemon Garlic Chicken recipe is inspired by the same sauce, only we add a splash of cream at the end and deck the whole thing out in an abundance of chopped fresh parsley.
What makes this lemon garlic chicken recipe special?
We’re using many 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. To get the chicken cooking evenly, I like to start by pounding down the chicken breasts or thighs into a 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. If you’re a big fan of garlic, you can even sprinkle with a little garlic powder!
- Make the sauce. In a measuring cup or small bowl, stir together the chicken broth, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Feel free to add a dash of Italian seasoning or anything else that you normally like to add to your chicken recipes. You’ll also want to preheat the oven so that we can go right from the stovetop to the skillet when we want to cook the chicken through.
- Saute the chicken. Add a drizzle of olive oil to an oven-safe skillet. You want to make sure it’s hot before adding the chicken so that it instantly starts to brown and develop flavor. Flip the chicken and sear on the other side. Remember, the goal is to gain color on the outside so that the chicken won’t be done yet. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Reduce the flame first. Then add the shallots. If you don’t have shallots on hand, feel free to swap them for minced red onions. Add the chicken broth as well and whisk. The natural acids found in the chicken broth will help pick up the stuck-on brown bits. This is free flavor! Then kick the heat up to medium-high and let the sauce simmer and reduce. This is what really intensifies the flavor of the sauce. The chicken broth reduces down, concentrating the flavor of the sauce. Feel free to toss in a few lemon slices while this is happening so that the lemon flavor really intensifies.
- Add the butter, this is a restaurant secret. This is how all the results that have the most addicting sauces make it taste so luxurious! Melting in a couple of tablespoons of butter into the sauce elevates the dish a few notches.
- 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. 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! Place the skillet in the oven and let it cook for a few minutes so that the chicken can finish cooking all the through and soak up a bit of that sauce. Garnishing with fresh parsley, basil, lemon zest, or any other fresh herbs you’d like is a must; we do eat with our eyes first! Serve with garlicky roasted potatoes, pasta, or rice. You can even sprinkle on a little parmesan cheese or add some capers if you’d like!
Not that you’ll actually have any leftovers because that sauce is actual dynamite. But if you do, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, toss in the microwave, and you’ve got a weeknight-friendly, protein-packed dinner on the table in no time!
Leftovers can also be kept in the freezer; I would just reheat them in the microwave slowly, stopping and stirring often so that the sauce doesn’t break!
What to serve with lemon garlic chicken:
You could take this in so many different directions!
- A zucchini stir fry
- With garlic bread or with fluffy coconut rice
- the most amazing crisp roasted potatoes, with mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, or even rosemary potatoes
- with cauliflower casserole
- creamed or sauteed spinach
- sauteed garlic broccolini
- sauteed or air fryer green beans
- roasted or sauteed asparagus
One skillet chicken dinner and conquering kitchen fears. Just a regular old Wednesday around here! 😉
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
- One Skillet Chicken with Fiesta Cream Sauce
- One Skillet Chicken with Garlicky Mushroom Cream Sauce
- One Skillet Chicken with Tomato Basil Cream Sauce
- Cheesy Baked BBQ Chicken
- Garlic Butter Tomato Baked Chicken with Mozzarella
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
- Prepared broccolini, for serving
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 it to brown on both sides for 2-3 minutes per side. Don't worry if the chicken isn't cooked thoroughly; we'll finish it in the oven. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Reduce the flame to medium, and 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. Serve with prepared rice, pasta, or sauteed veggies on the side.
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.
I’ve made this 3 times now and it’s perfect every time. I do not have a stove to oven skillet so I did everything per directions except I had to transfer to a baking dish to finish.
Great dish for family or company!!!
This was amazing!! I did have to use a tiny bit of corn starch because i was about to loose all my liquid and that worked perfectly to thicken just enough! The sauce was was the best part and so great drizzled on some roasted red potatoes and asparagus. Will make this many many times to come! 🙂
Oh my goodness, this recipe is amazing!! I have made it twice now already and my husband loves it! We actually just put the leftovers on top of a salad tonight which was fantastic as well. I think the red pepper flakes really make this dish!
This is the first thing I ever made for my boyfriend, a year and a half ago. Needless to say… he stuck around.
Depending on what I have, I like to fancy this up a bit and turn it into a Chicken Scalopinne with some bacon (prosciutto, same thing), artichokes, mushrooms and capers over angel hair. But it all starts with this sauce. If I’m adding the extra stuff, I try to double the sauce. Honestly, I’ve made this so many times, I don’t even use the recipe anymore… I just eyeball it.
So what I’m saying is… I owe you a tip of the hat for this recipe!
Hi! Had a query about the portion size. When you say 4 chicken breasts, do you mean 4 chicken breast halves or 4 whole chicken breasts (which means 8 pieces)? I am planning to make this for about 6 people so was wondering if I should double the recipe or not?
4 chicken breast halves, so for 6 you would need to double the recipe.
This may be a really dumb question but if I double the recipe since I’m making it for 8 how much do I reduce the sauce too? 1/3 of a cup doesn’t seem to be enough but will it be reduced enough if I reduce it to 2/3 a cup?
That’s correct – you’d reduce the sauce to 2/3’s cup rather than the 1/3. Since you’re doubling the recipe, it may also change the time it takes to reduce the sauce. I would think it would be in the ballpark of 30-35 minutes but this is me just guesstimating, just don’t want you to be alarmed if it doesn’t happen in the 15 minutes listed! 🙂
So delicious!! Used chicken tenders (because that’s what we had)….amazing!!
Oh my gosh-so yummy! I didn’t change any ingredients but I had to use a baking dish b/c my oven proof skillet is too small. The red pepper flakes add just enough heat but it isn’t painful. My husband loved it! Thank you for this one!
I modified this recipe by using Carnation evaporated milk instead of the heavy cream as it’s better macro wise. I didn’t use butter, as that would make the recipe too high in fat. I whisked in a little tapioca starch to thicken.
Just did a quick search on Pinterest for a low-carb chicken recipe with FLAVOR! Found this recipe in less than 30 seconds and am on my way to the kitchen to make it right now! LOVE these flavors and that I always have the ingredients on hand!
OMG!! This is so easy to put together & full of flavour… my partner said it was the most delicious meal I’ve EVER made! I did add some capers as recommended & it was fantastic… easy to double up if you’re cooking for a crowd, this will definitely be one of my go to favourites…. so thank you!
Love this recipe left out the onions but still amazing taste and my kids and nephews even ate the chicken which is surprising.
This was super delicious. I made exactly like the recipe and it turned out amazing!
This was delicious! The sauce was a perfect blend of creamy, garlicky, and lemony. Thank you so much for sharing this.
It was so easy and good. I added cilantro and parsley and a little more heavy cream for a little more thickness Thank you for sharing ? I also made some minute rice that called for pretty much ingredients like your recipe
I made this recipe Tonight in my cast iron skillet and the flavor was spot on. My only issue is my sauce did not get creamy and I followed the instructions to a “T”. Any idea what went wrong?
Hi Amanda! I’m not sure what you mean when you say the sauce didn’t get ‘creamy’, could you please elaborate? Do you mean the sauce was too thin thus lacking in richness? If so, did you reduce the chicken broth to 1/3 cup before adding in the cream? I find that step really makes or breaks this recipe. If you add the cream before the sauce was reduced, it never quite has that creamy zing. I hope that helps!
It was delicious! The sauce so yummy. Loved it and definitely will do again!!
This came out perfect! I cooked the chicken in a skillet instead of oven. I just like the skillet taste better than the oven chicken. But I followed the directions and it was perfect!
I made this recipe before and loved it. I want to make it tonight but don’t have any cream, is there anything I can substitute?
Hi Stephanie, glad you’ve enjoyed this recipe in the past and plan on making it again! A few readers have tried milk + cornstarch slurry in the past with success, not sure how it would taste in comparison to the version with cream but that might be something you can try. Unsure about the quantities for each of those ingredients as I haven’t tried it myself.
I just made this for dinner, my husband and I loved it, so tasty, thank you so much for the recipe.
This looks delicious! The main picture shows rice pilaf. Any suggestions on how to make that in the pan with everything? Also, I don’t have an oven safe skillet. Would it be OK to finish it off on the stove? Thanks!
Just made this – I was worried as it looks a bit more brown and muddy than in the pictures, but it’s delicious! Definitely one I will revisit. Thank you for the recipe!
Made this tonight after finding it on Pinterest – THANK GOODNESS! This is AMAZING! So easy, inexpensive and healthy, it’s just perfect and full of flavors that my family loves. I served it with couscous and peas and it was truly wonderful. This will DEFINITELY be going into our regular rotation, and definitely made when we want to impress guest! AWESOME!
I’ve made this twice. The first time was just ok, nothing I was excited about. I didn’t have a safe pan for the oven and had to transfer it to a Pyrex dish. It didn’t look anything like the pic posted and it tasted just ok.
Well about a year later I tried it again and this time with the proper cookware and omg It was amazing!! I really feel like having the oven safe pan made the difference. I bought the thin chicken breast and followed the recipe closely and it turned out perfect! I wish I had taken a picture because it looked just like the featured photo. The only thing I did a little different was that I took the sauce and put it in a measuring cup to make sure I had 1/3 cup like instructed (which surpringly I had just that perfectly). While that was sitting to the side, I put my onions in and let those get soft and then I threw the sauce back in and then the chicken. Threw it in the oven for about 15 mins. I let it sit for about 10mins to cool and that’s when it started to look like that pic. I drizzled the sauce over the chicken when serving. My picky 10 yr old cleared his plate and wanted more. My husband said we should open a restaurant, LOL. I served it with linguine, olive oil, parmasean, garlic pasta, oh and garlic knots. Thank you for such a great recipe. This will be a dish served much more frequently now.
Stumbled across this recipe on Pinterest & made for dinner last night. I didn’t know I could make food that tasted so good! Our family loved it! My husband who rarely compliments my dinners, couldn’t stop saying how great this was! Thank you for sharing your talent and recipe!
This is absolutely fantastic! Soooooo flavorful and relatively easy. Put the chicken over angel hair pasta. Highly recommend!
This was amazing!! I did have to use a tiny bit of corn starch because i was about to loose all my liquid and that worked perfectly to thicken just enough! The sauce was was the best part and so great drizzled on some roasted red potatoes and asparagus.
Very nice meal, will make again. Served with cauliflower mash and steamed greens.
Hi i was wondering if you can make this dish ahead of time. Cooking for a crowd and wanted to make it the day before and heat up!
Hi Noelle, you can make this ahead of time, but you’ll definitely need additional broth to help thin the sauce the day of. It’ll thicken significantly as it sits. Another reader had made this a few hours in advance and she still needed a little more broth to help thin in (and that was just a few hours!) Hope everyone enjoys the chicken! 🙂
Very easy, follow the instructions, incredibly flavorful, couldn’t ask for a better lemon herb chicken recipe and the cream sauce is absolutely to die for definitely do this again thank you.