Creamy Lemon Chicken Skillet
This Creamy Lemon Chicken Skillet features tender, pan-seared chicken in a silky garlic-lemon cream sauce, perfect for a cozy dinner with minimal effort.
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 4 pieces boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 2 lbs total, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup half-and-half or whole milk
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- Juice of 1 medium lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 small lemon, thinly sliced
Instructions
Preparation
- Pat chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
Cooking
- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken (in batches if needed) and sear 6 to 7 minutes per side until deeply golden. Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium and melt the butter. Add shallot, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook 1 minute until softened.
- Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir to coat. Cook 1 minute more.
- Pour in half-and-half (or milk) and chicken broth, whisking until smooth and scraping up browned bits from the skillet.
- Bring to a boil, then lower to a gentle simmer. Return chicken to the pan and cook 3 to 4 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Stir in the lemon juice, then garnish with parsley and lemon slices.
- Serve immediately with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread.
Notes
Pounding the chicken creates even cooking and better browning. Use half-and-half for a richer, silkier sauce. Add spinach during the last few minutes for extra freshness. Adjust lemon juice to taste for extra brightness. Reheat leftovers gently with a splash of broth to loosen the sauce.