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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!
This was PHENOMENAL. I have 4 boys and they devoured it!!! Going on the regular rotation. Easy too!
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.
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
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. Seriously. Serve with buttered noodles and some air fryer broccoli for a delicious dinner.
How to make one skillet chicken with lemon garlic cream sauce
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!
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
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like This? Leave a comment & rating below!
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!
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.
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!
So delicious!! Used chicken tenders (because that’s what we had)….amazing!!
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! 🙂
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 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!
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 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! 🙂
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!!!
Hi! I made this tonight, (have not yet tried it) but i cannot get my sauce to get thick! i added the right amount of everything and let my broth boil. any advice?
Hi Yajaira, the key is to just allow the sauce to simmer/boil and reduce. If you notice it’s taking too long, you can kick the heat setting up to the highest setting and just keep a close eye on it until you’re left with 1/3 cup of liquid. It may take more time than what the recipes says, it just depends on how hot your burner gets (mine actually reduces the sauce in less time than indicated). You also want to make sure to not continue to the next step until the sauce reduces to the indicated amount as this may alter the recipe. Hope that helps!
I have to admit, I am TERRIBLE at cooking chicken breasts. They always come out dry, so I was afraid to try this recipe. But I’m SO GLAD I did! The chicken was tender and the lemon garlic cream sauce was seriously like buttery, lemony, garlicky heaven. I actually closed my eyes the first time I tasted it. This is a must try! And pretty easy too!!
Awesome awesome awesome recipe! <3
Cooked it on the stove and still tastes really good. Did a little tweaking though 'cause we don't have an oven at home. Cooked chicken in the broth, removed the chicken, and added the rest of the ingredients of the broth mixture, cooking it separatedly. Worked!
Fresh or bottles lemon juice? Thanks!
Hi Abbie! Bottled lemon juice will work in a bind but I suggest using freshly squeezed juice for any recipe that calls for lemon as a main ingredient. I feel the bottled stuff won’t give you that same zing. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
I want to make this for company dinner. At what point do you think I could pause it to make it ahead and finish at the last minute?
Hmm.. thats a tough one as it would be unsafe to leave the chicken cooked halfway through. You could however prepare the recipe all the way through then add just a few tablespoons of water or broth to the sauce before reheating/serving. The sauce will thicken a bit as it sits so the additional liquid brings it back to the original consistency. Hope that helps!
Double thumbs up. I made this for the first one for a quick dinner. Absolutely delicious! Next time I think I’ll add mushrooms.
It was delicious, sauce is amazing, a little kick to it but I added lemon pepper seasoning so I’m sure that didn’t help, other than that awesome will try again.
How would go about adding red potatoes in this recipe? Would you have to double the sauce? Would you have to cook them for a bit in the oven beforehand so they get cooked through all the way?
Hi Breigha! I’m glad to hear you want to give this recipe a try! Unfortunately, without further recipe testing I don’t know how you’d go about adding potatoes to the recipe. I’d suggest roasting the potatoes separately and then serving them with the sauce. You could double the sauce ingredients (this will however affect the simmering time) and use the sauce to serve on top of the potatoes. Hope that helps!
I love this recipe! I did a little tweaking for my family’s taste. I added a generous splash of dry white wine in addition to the chicken broth mixture. I find this usually helps speed up the sauce reduction time and it tastes delicious. Taking another commenter’s advice and cooking the shallots and garlic together before adding in the broth mixture. Served over zucchini noodles (I heated up oil, threw in some garlic until almost crispy, “zoodles” on top with some salt, pepper, lemon juice and shredded parm cheese)
Made this tonight. Quick, easy and delicious!