Name: Skillet Chicken with Lemon Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless); salt and pepper; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 tablespoons butter (cold, divided); 1/2 cup onion (finely diced); 2 cups chicken broth (divided); 3 tablespoons lemon juice; fresh parsley (chopped fine)

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If you’re looking for a go-to meal that tastes incredible and can be prepped and on the table in 30 minutes, this lemon chicken sauce recipe is absolutely perfect.

This dish tastes even better than it looks, which is saying a lot considering how fancy this lemon butter sauce for chicken appears.

It’s a great dinner dish to serve up to guests for that WOW factor without all of the energy-draining work of a complicated meal.

This skillet chicken in lemon sauce can be prepared any number of ways. My favorite is by cutting the chicken breasts into smaller vertical slices or horizontal depending on how big the breasts are.

You can do it either way, but the goal is to make them as close to the same size as possible so that they cook evenly (and quickly).

You’re going to love this lemon sauce for chicken too! With the braised chicken breasts inside, there’s a lot of depth and flavor.

With the chicken broth, lemon juice, and butter, you can get a luxurious sauce that comes together quickly and looks worthy of a restaurant.

Table of Contents

Ingredients for lemon skillet chicken:

Chicken breasts
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Butter
Onion
Chicken broth
Lemon juice
Parsley

How to make lemon skillet chicken

Slice your chicken breasts into similar sized pieces.
Pat them dry with a paper towel and then season each side with salt and pepper.
In a skillet over medium heat, heat your oil until shimmering.
Add in the chicken and then cook until browned. This takes about 5-7 minutes per side.
Remove the chicken from the pan and then cover it with foil. This prevents the chicken from drying out.
Add one tablespoon of butter to your skillet.
Add in the onion, seasoning it with salt and pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent (about 2 minutes).
Add 1 ½ cups of chicken broth and to the pan along with the lemon juice.
Bring the liquid to a simmer, scraping up any of the browned bits at the bottom of the pan as you do.
Return the chicken to the pan along with any of the accumulated juices.
Cover the pan and simmer the pan for 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through to a temperature of 165F degrees.
Check the chicken a few times while cooking to make sure it isn’t drying out, and add in the remaining broth if needed.
Once the chicken has finished cooking, add in 1 tablespoon of butter and gently stir it into the sauce.
Garnish the top of your dish with freshly chopped parsley and lemon slices if desired.

What goes well with lemon butter chicken?

This skillet meal would be great served alongside some fresh and fluffy cooked white rice. The sauce alone would be amazing over the rice to help add flavor! Yum! Of course, cooked pasta is also a fantastic idea (and similar to my Spaghetti with Lemon Cream Sauce).

Some great vegetable side dishes to try include green beans, cooked spinach, or even lemon and parmesan roasted broccoli! With so many great and flavorful options there’s no limit to the creative pairings you can make.

How long is leftover lemon skillet chicken good for?

Food safety states that leftover chicken should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for no more than 5 days.

For the best results, it’s better to eat it within 3 days. If you can’t possibly finish it so quickly, consider freezing any leftovers for later as that will extend the shelf life by a few weeks! Simply reheat and eat!

If you’re looking for another great chicken recipe, try this Lightly Smothered Chicken!

a close up of skillet chicken with lemon sauce

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