Add this one to the list of comfort foods that don’t make you feel uncomfortable. Creamy Lemon Chicken balances bright, acidic flavors with just enough creamy goodness to make a summer dinner worth standing over a stove for. Simple, clean ingredients like white wine, fresh cream, chopped shallot and freshly-squeezed lemon juice elevate your chicken to star status while creating endless possibilities for your supporting cast of side dishes.
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Before diving into this recipe, let’s address a couple of the elephants in the room.
I know some of you are heaving a sigh at another chicken recipe. And believe me, I know some of me heaved a sigh at another chicken recipe too. Those of us with mouths to feed and budgets to stick to are well aware of the place chicken holds in the hierarchy of frugal meal prep, but one of our goals here at OSK is to make chicken something you want to serve, not just something you need to serve. So make my mantra, your mantra:
Chicken is not boring.
Chicken is a blank canvas.
I am the Van Gogh of chicken.
N-ohm. (Get it?)
So now that we’ve gone down that little zen-like path, some of you may need to go just a bit further and let go of your fear. “What fear?” you ask. Why, the fear of mixing citrus and cream. I have long avoided Orange Julius for just such a reason (and so many more…), but I experienced zero curdling while testing this recipe.
Slow and steady wins the race when it comes to making sauces. I promise you will not wind up with makeshift buttermilk if you savor the process as much as the result. This sauce is divine, and that’s not just the wine talking.
It is a rare recipe indeed that fully satisfies a comfort food craving without making you ask your spouse to roll you to bed in a wheelbarrow after eating. This is one of those dishes. It may be even rarer to want to cook, much less eat, anything cream-based without the word ‘ice’ in front of it during the warm summer months. This is also one of those dishes.
How to Make Creamy Lemon Chicken
A classic chicken breast in cream sauce gets a zippy summer makeover with a little help from lemon, white wine, garlic, and shallot. Creamy Lemon Chicken is rich and comforting without being heavy. By taking a wee bit of extra time to pound out the meat and properly deglaze, you’ll have spectacularly juicy chicken in an even more spectacular sauce. And I don’t want to undersell the chicken itself, but one of the best things about it is that it pairs with almost any side – be it vegetable or starch – you can think of.
- Sear chicken breasts in olive oil until golden brown on all sides. They won’t be fully cooked through at this stage, and that’s okay – they’ll finish cooking through in the sauce. Do keep them warm by tenting with foil.
- Sautee shallots and garlic in butter until soft and very fragrant.
- Add white white and lemon juice, then simmer until reduced by half. Don’t rush the reducing! This develops the zippy, intense lemon flavor in the finished sauce.
- Add two tablespoons of cold butter and whisk into the pan sauce until emulsified.
- Add chicken broth and heavy cream to finish the sauce. Bring it to a simmer, then return the chicken to the skillet. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, a further 5 minutes or so. Check the internal temperature using a digital thermometer.
What to Serve with Creamy Lemon Chicken
- Sop up that sauce: serve over white rice or egg noodles
- Round our your veggies with lemon garlic asparagus or simple roasted potatoes
- Keep it low carb: serve with a simple tossed salad and snap peas with bacon and mint
Tips for Making This Recipe Perfectly
- Always pound chicken breast to an even thickness – this helps the chicken cook evenly, and tenderizes the meat for the juiciest chicken you’ll ever taste.
- Simmering the white wine and lemon juice intensifies the flavor – don’t rush this step.
- Cook with wine that’s drinkable (ie. nothing you could mistake for vinegar), even if it’s not a wine you’d normally drink.
- If you prefer not to cook with wine, substitute half a cup of chicken broth.
- Opt for fresh squeezed lemon juice over the bottled stuff for best flavor.
- Unless you’re experienced line cook, always check for internal temperature using an instant read thermometer.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Chili Lime Chicken
- Caprese Chicken
- Grilled Balsamic Chicken Thighs
- Artichoke Chicken
- Crispy Chicken Thighs with Burst Tomatoes
Did you make this Creamy Lemon Chicken? I’d love to know how it turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe
Creamy Lemon Chicken
Print Recipe Rate this RecipeIngredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded even
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp cracked black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter, divided
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ c dry white wine
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ c chicken broth
- ½ c heavy cream
- chopped parsley, to taste
Instructions
- Place one chicken breast onto a sheet of parchment paper, then fold the paper over the chicken. Use a rolling pin to pound the chicken breast to an even thickness of about 1”. Set aside and repeat with the remaining chicken breasts. Season chicken on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat a 12” skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil, heat until it shimmers, then add the chicken breasts in a single layer. Sear 5 minutes until golden brown, then flip and sear on the other side 5 minutes more. Transfer chicken using tongs to a plate; tent with foil to keep warm.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add 2 tbsp butter and heat until it melts then foams. Add shallot and saute, stirring frequently, until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add garlic, stir to toss with shallots, and saute 1 minute more.
- Add white wine and lemon juice to deglaze; gently scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
- Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and whisk until emulsified into the sauce. Add chicken broth heavy cream and whisk for 30 seconds, until smooth. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then return chicken to the pan. Simmer in the sauce until cooked through and the chicken registers 165°F using an instant read thermometer, 5-7 minutes. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Notes
- Cook with wine that’s drinkable (ie. nothing you could mistake for vinegar), even if it’s not a wine you’d normally drink.
- If you prefer not to cook with wine, substitute half a cup of chicken broth.
- Opt for fresh squeezed lemon juice for best flavor.
- Always check the internal temperature of chicken using an instant read thermometer.
- Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken considerably once cooled, but will thin out after reheating. This is best reheated by simmering the sauce and chicken in a covered skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until warmed through.
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