Lemon Chicken with Lemon Butter Sauce

Served in a rich, garlicky sauce, this lemon chicken with hints of thyme is the easy weeknight dinner that’ll put all bland chicken recipes to shame once and for all.

Creamy Lemon Butter Chicken

If you’re looking for a new fancy dinner you can pull off any day of the week to treat yourself after a hard day’s work, this lemon chicken is it! Every bite is extremely juicy and coated in a lemony, garlic butter sauce with herby notes.

Whether you’re having dinner on your own or are expecting someone over, it’s a relief to know you won’t have to take a hundred trips to the grocery store. With some lemon, garlic, butter, and chicken broth, you’re just about ready to get cooking. Even with extra ingredients like heavy cream for richness, it’ll still be ready in less than an hour.

Once sliced and served with lots of homemade sauce, this dish looks like it’s straight out of a fancy restaurant. You get bonus points for adding a thyme sprig on top to make it look extra pretty with no added effort. Now that’s my kind of recipe, what about you?

What You’ll Need

It’s flavor upon flavor for this zesty chicken. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full ingredient amounts.

For the Chicken

• Avocado oil – Olive and coconut oil are great swaps.
• Chicken breast – Make sure it’s boneless and skinless.
• Salt and pepper

For the Lemon Butter Sauce:

• Butter – I prefer unsalted, but salted works too.
• Shallot
• Garlic cloves – Feel free to use 1 teaspoon of garlic powder for every clove in the recipe.
• All-purpose flour – Cornstarch is a good swap.
• Chicken broth – Veggie stock works too.
• Lemon juice – Please don’t use lime juice for this. It’s too sour.
• Lemon zest
• Fresh thyme – If using dried thyme, reduce the amount by 50%.
• Red pepper flakes – Cayenne pepper works too.
• Salt and pepper

Recipe Variations

You’ll be glad to know that you can get away with a couple of extra ingredients or swaps for an extra yummy recipe.

• Use chicken thighs. Skinless chicken thighs are a great if you’re not a fan of chicken breasts.
• Add veggies. Broccoli and cauliflower are great ways to add a bit of vitamins and minerals to your meal. Cook them with the melted butter mixture until done to taste.
• Make it creamy. Adding 1/3 cup of heavy cream when you pour in the chicken broth is an easy way to transform this recipe into a fancy, creamy one.
• Go gluten-free. For a GF version of this dish, change the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free choice.

How to Make Lemon Chicken with Lemon Butter Sauce

As long as you don’t burn the garlic or flour, everything will be fine!

• Prep the chicken. Pat chicken dry with a paper towel. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper to taste.
• Cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add in avocado oil and let it heat for 1 minute. Don’t skip this because cold oil doesn’t brown chicken. Add the chicken breast and saute for 5-6 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pan when the internal temperature has reached 165°F and set it aside.

• Melt the butter. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the same cooking pan along with shallots and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Don’t let them burn.

• Cook the flour. Add in flour and whisk into the butter-shallot mixture for 1 minute or until the flour is slightly browned. 

• Make the sauce. Slowly pour in the chicken broth, whisking the entire time until the lumps are gone. If you’re worried it’s too lumpy, you can always strain the sauce.

• Season it. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes. Add in lemon juice, lemon zest, fresh thyme, red pepper flakes, salt,  pepper, and the remaining butter. Whisk together and keep it at a slow simmer for an additional 3-4 minutes. Stir constantly.
• Return the chicken. Add chicken back into the pot and cook for 1 minute.
• Serve. Garnish with lemon slices and chopped parsley. 

Tips for Success

Making this recipe is quite simple if the chicken is the same thickness and you use the right pot for reduced clean-up.

• Pound it. Make sure your chicken is more or less the same thickness, otherwise, it won’t cook evenly. If it’s not the same thickness, use a meat mallet or a rolling pin to flatten it out.
• Use a pot. The walls of the pot will reduce splattering all over your stove, making it a favorite recipe for me.
• Season it. Sprinkling the chicken with 1/2-1 teaspoon of smokey paprika or Italian seasoning are easy ways to give this chicken more flavor.

What to Serve with Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken

This dish is amazing when served with salads and veggie sides. For salads, try my Fattoush Salad and Green Goddess Salad. For a slightly more impressive but simple salad, go for my Classic Wedge Salad with Light Blue Cheese Dressing.

As for sides, I just love it with my Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus and Air Fryer Roasted Potatoes. You can also never go wrong with Creamy Mashed Potatoes or white rice!

How to Store & Reheat Leftovers

Once fully cooled, refrigerate this dish in an airtight container for up to 4 days. To reheat it, sprinkle it with 1-2 teaspoons of water or milk and microwave it for 1-2 minutes or until warm. You can also heat it in a pan over medium heat for 4-6 minutes with a lid on.

Fortunately, it’s also freezer-friendly. Transfer the dish to a freezer-friendly bag or container and freeze it for up to 3 months. Pop it into the fridge a day before serving so t has enough time to thaw. Reheat it as usual.

More Easy Chicken Recipes To Try

• Chicken Street Tacos with Mexican Street Corn
• Asian Chicken Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
• Tangy Honey Mustard Baked Chicken Wings
• Incredibly Juicy Air Fryer Chicken Breast
• Grilled Chicken With Mango Salsa

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