This savory Lemon Butter Chicken is just over the top! Full of flavor, every bite is unforgettable. The lemon cream sauce mixed with fresh garlic and Parmesan cheese pairs perfectly with the tender and juicy chicken. So savory…this dish will leave you coming back for more!
Lemon Butter Chicken
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Let’s talk about the simple ingredients in this dish because we all need a little bit of easy and simple. Chicken breasts, fresh garlic, fresh spinach, paprika, lemon, fresh cracked pepper and heavy cream. Easy! Oh and in the ingredients you will see a splash of white wine…this is totally optional. You don’t have to add the wine…I promise it still tastes fantastic without it so leave it out if you want! Totally fine!
You’ll start off by sauteing the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side. When it’s finished sauteing, you’ll set the chicken aside while you make the sauce. This dish works perfectly in a Le Creuset Dutch Oven, but I used a rockcrok from Pampered Chef and it worked just as well!
It’s really fun to make this sauce because it’s so easy to throw together and it’s super yummy! When you make the sauce, you are literally going to saute fresh minced garlic with butter, then add in the chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice and thyme. Once you bring the sauce to a slow rolling boil, you’ll add in the fresh spinach until it starts to wilt. Oh and this step in the process smells SO GOOD! It’s mouthwatering!
When the sauce slightly thickens, you’ll add the sauteed chicken into the juices so you can bake everything in the oven to finish up the cooking process. The paprika helps this chicken saute beautifully! The sauteed garlic mixed with these juices of the chicken and other ingredients makes you want to eat it at this stage…but please don’t! It’s worth the wait, I promise!
After the chicken bakes in the oven, your dish is ready to eat! Look how savory this dish turns out! Full of flavor and this chicken is crazy juicy! I love to pair this dish with Ono Rice and a Brussels Sprout Salad! I like to mix the rice with the lemon butter sauce…it makes every bite so divine!
This dish has easily become a family favorite! It looks and tastes like it took a long time to make, but it’s super easy and absolutely fantastic! I promise, you will devour every single bite down to the last drop! Happy Eats on this Lemon Butter Chicken dish!
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Lemon Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut in half
- 1/2 Tablespoon paprika
- 3 Tablespoons butter divided
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Splash of dry white wine optional
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups baby spinach
- Dash salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Set aside.
- Melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in a large oven-proof skillet (a Le Creuset Dutch Oven works well or a RockCrok or cast iron skillet) over medium high heat.
- Add the chicken and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and set chicken aside on separate plate.
- While the chicken is resting, return back to the same skillet and melt remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Add garlic and cook stirring frequently about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken broth, splash of dry white wine, lemon juice and thyme.
- Bring to a boil and reduce heat and let the sauce reduce and thicken.
- Continue to cook the sauce about 5-7 minutes so the sauce becomes thicker. You don't want the sauce to become too runny!
- Add the heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, turn temperature down and cook for a minute or two.
- Add in the spinach and simmer until the spinach has wilted and the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Once your sauce is to the desired thickness, return the chicken to the skillet.
- Place in the oven and cook for about 15-20 minutes until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
- Remove the dish and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving.
Video
Notes
However, one reader noted: For those who are having trouble getting the sauce to reduce (thicken) try adding the lemon juice first over medium heat. Once it looks like it's about to disappear completely, add in COLD cream, whisking the entire time over low heat. Then add chunks of cold butter, 3 at a time, so as to not cool the sauce too fast. Once the sauce can coat the back of a spoon, then add your chicken broth, thyme, spinach, parm, etc.
Nutrition
Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.
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Nancy says
Delicious 😋.
I did skip the wine.
Family of 4, 4 thumbs up.
Thank you for sharing.
Katy says
My whole family loves this chicken recipe! We make it every week!
Melissa says
OMG this so so good! Recipe is amazing as written. Next time I made it I tweaked it a bit by doubling the sauce part and added a little flour to thicken a little more and serve over pasta. Definitely a family favorite!
Rachael says
Oh I love doubling the sauce! Thanks for sharing.
Angel Barnett says
SO DID I. I also added shitake mushrooms AND my pasta was 3 cheese tortellini!!!! Was a big hit!!!
Bre says
I don’t have anything that can go in the oven with a lid (I know I need to get something!) could I bake it in a dish or should I just cook it in a skillet and add it to the sauce after cooking the chicken?
Rachael says
A baking dish would be fine. Or you can just make it all stove top. Either way works.
Rachelle says
Made this last night (Minus the spinach) with seasoned rice and it was amazing! The flavor and sauce consistency was great and chicken was very juicy! Added a little flour to sauce to help thicken before baking. I accidentally covered the pan when baking which it didn’t say to do but it was delicious! Definitely making again!
Tracy says
I love this recipe so much!!! My family loves it. Quick question, when it goes into the oven, should it be covered?
Rachael says
I like to cover it, yes! Thank you so much.
Eileen says
Hi, when it says “juice of a lemon”, is that a half cup approximately?
Rachael says
3 Tbs is approximate. Could be a little more or less.
Hannah says
I liked the recipe, next time I might make a roux or add a starch slurry to thicken it up. And more spinach! I mixed mine up with rice to use up the liquid.
Rachael says
Great ideas, I am glad you enjoyed it.
Clara says
I am a fan of lemon butter chicken but never quite got it right before. When I was almost on the verge of giving, I came across this recipe and gave it a last try. The useful tips here made it so easy for you to understand the trick of making it perfect.
Rachael says
I am so glad you loved it. It is a favorite chicken recipe at our house for sure.
JJ says
Looking forward to trying this.
Would you say its freezeable?
Rachael says
Yes, you can freeze it, but the sauce may separate some when reheated.