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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Jessica says
Found this recipe on Pinterest today and made it for supper!! This was so delicious! Will definitely be making this again!
Rachael says
Thank you Jessica! So glad you enjoyed it.
Alyssa says
What pan did you use can you use a slow cooker?
Rachael says
I just use a heavy dutch oven type pan, one of those that has the enamel coating. I have not tried this in a crock pot.
Rebecca says
Recipe sounds delicious! Just one question regarding the heavy cream… Any suggestions on what can be used in place of the cream? My new husband has dairy allergies and have been trying to find different opinions in place of heavy cream. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Vickie says
http://www.godairyfree.org/dairy-substitutes/how-to-substitute-cream
Jennifer says
Coconut milk is a great substitute!
Rachael says
I agree. Thanks for adding that!
Casieopea says
Coconut cream?
Kristyn says
You could try unsweetened cashew milk. It has a thicker consistency. But coconut milk is probably the best you could do ?
Wendy Bromley says
I make his all the time and use coconut cream instead as I also have a dairy allergy
Cle says
The canned coconut milk. It’s thicker, and it tastes more like cream than any of the other milk substitutes that I’ve tried.
Steph says
Looks delicious!When you call for 4 chicken breasts, do you mean 4 individual breasts, cut horizontally, to make 8 thin breasts, or 4 double breasts (really 8 breasts), cut in half to make the 8 individual breasts?
Rachael says
Great question. It is 4 pieces, so 2 full breasts or 4 half breasts
Cheryl says
So cut breasts horizontally to make thin cutlets?
Amanda Mason says
Hi! It’s Amanda! I wanted to chip in here and comment to offer some clarification. Chicken breasts today tend to be SUPER thick….so you can either cut them in half OR you can buy the thinly sliced chicken breasts. You also have the option to pound the chicken breasts with a meat tenderizer….the point is if you buy really large chicken breasts…you will want to make them smaller or your chicken will take forever to cook through! Hope that helps!
Amanda
MARYFORD says
i AM EXCITED TO COOK THIS, BUT SAME QUESTION ABOUT CHICK AS ABOVE. iS IT 4 HALF BREAST 0R 4 WHOLE BREAST? WHEN YOU CUT THEM IN HALF DO YOU CUT THEM TO MAKE THEM THINNER OR HORIZONTAL?
Rachael says
Yes, 4 half breasts
Yvette says
HI Rachel, any suggestion on what to serve it with?
Bobbie says
Rice or pasta is what I used and used the juices to go over the rice or pasta
Rachael says
Rice and a nice salad is always a good plan with something like this. We also love it with linguine
Amanda Mason says
Hi Yvette!
I love to pair this dish with Ono Rice and a Brussels Sprout Salad! You can check them out on my site at recipesworthrepeating.com. This dish also works well over mashed potatoes!
Lisa Sokol says
I use zucchini spirals, squash spirals, or baked spaghetti squash instead of pasta for my noodles. It’s a lot more delicious than it sounds, and you can either buy the zucchini or squash spirals at the store already made up (I recommend doing it the day you’re going to use them) or you can get one of the veggie spiralizers and make your own.
I also found this website for alternatives to dairy when cooking, and some of them are also gluten free: http://gfreefoodie.com/2011/01/12/g-free-foodie-guide-to-dairy-substitutes-cooking-with-dairy-alternatives/
Rachael says
Thanks for the great info Lisa!
Amanda Mason says
Hi Maryford! See my answer to the comment above. You really just want to ensure your chicken breasts are not too thick. You can buy the thinly sliced chicken breasts or just cut them in half (horizontally or vertical is fine) – you just dont want the chicken to be too thick because it will take forever for them to cook! Hope that helps!
Nancy says
This was delicious, I did not have any spinach, so I used baby arugula, it worked out great!
Rachael says
Oh good to know, thank you!
Sherri says
I am excited to try this, but I don’t care spinach at all. Can it be omitted? 🙂 Also, any recommendations for a spinach substitute.
Thanks!
Amanda Mason says
Hi Sherri,
You dont have to use spinach, or any vegetable for that matter. Just simply leave it out and the recipe will still be fantastic!
Edith says
Add frozen peas in with the rice just before it is finished.Gives you a nice presentation.
Terri says
This is so delicious!! I’m making it for the third time tonight. Huge hit in my house! Thank you so much.
Rachael says
So glad to hear it! Thanks for sharing.
Donna says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was really good. I Impulsively added sauteed portobello mushrooms and they turned the sauce brown instead of that lovely orange color. But the flavor was still wonderful. Next time I’ll make it as written! Thank you. 🙂
Rachael says
Yum, that sounds like a great add. Thanks for sharing.
J. Schulz says
I made this last week and it was delicious. Easy to make but really full of rich flavors. It’s a new favorite. Thank you for the recipe.
Rachael says
So glad you like it!
k. hess says
Can this be made ahead and baked in the oven when guests arrive???
Rachael says
I am not sure, as I have not done it that way, but my guess would be yes.
Amanda Mason says
Yes! You can absolutely make this ahead! The sauce is only going to get thicker and that is never a bad thing!!
Terri says
This sounds amazing! I live in the south (where it’s still super hot) and I’m not ready to run the oven yet…once everything is ready to bake….do you think it would cook nicely in the crock pot? If so, how long?
Rachael says
I am sure you could cook it in the crock pot, but as I haven’t done so, I can’t say to how long.
Amanda Mason says
hi Terri – Good question about the crockpot. The chicken is going to change in consistency if you cook it in the crockpot. It’s going to turn into more of “shredded chicken”…which might be what you want! I’ve not made it in the crockpot before but it should be ok….just the consistency will change. If you try it,put all the ingredients in the crockpot and put it on low. Let us know how it turns out!
Christine says
I dont see why you couldn’t just simmer in a frying pan on the stove.
I am sure it would taste just as good.
Katie says
Would like to use bone in thighs..would I increase or decrease cooking time?
Rachael says
Increase. But as I have not cooked it that way I can’t say how much. I would say test internal temp of chicken to get to 165 degrees F.
Laurie-Ann says
I tried this recipe last week and it’s awesome! Just what I wanted it to taste and even better!! 🙂 My boyfriend loved it as much as I did! Gonna keep the recipe in my top list! Thank you!
Rachael says
Thanks for sharing! I am so glad you liked it.
Jessica says
I don’t have any baby spinach. Do you think kale would be good?
Amanda Mason says
Hi Jessica – kale would be great, yes! Let us know how it turns out! Or you can omit from putting the vegetable in…it’s going to taste fabulous regardless!
Jessica says
The kale turned out great! The whole family loves this recipe. I served it with rotini with butter and garlic salt. They went great together.
Mary says
Do you mince the garlic?
Brad says
I thickened my sauce on the stove and then cooked everything in the over for 25 minutes and the sauce disappeared! Please let me know what I did wrong because everything tasted great before the oven.
devan says
same problem idk
Maria says
I use the Dutch oven…do you put a cover when it goes into the oven?
Madison Strickland says
I have the same question!
Rachael says
Yes, You put the lid on, sorry I missed this question.
Joanne says
I didn’t put a lid on my dutch oven and it came out great.
Diana Teague says
Holy Moly!! Just finished dinner and it was amazing. Next time I will make more sauce though because we all wanted more. Thanks for sharing.
Dana says
This has become a huge favorite in my house. All I say is, ‘ I made the chicken ‘ and all is well….
Many thanks!
RLSCM says
Thank you for this delicious recipe. Made it for dinner tonight and it was a hit with the whole family. Served it with orzo pasta and steamed asparagus. There was enough sauce to drizzle over everything. DH said the sauce had the perfect combination of flavours.
Barbara KarrPP says
Guess what dinner is tomorrow night? I am drooling on my keypad right now.Thanks for great recipe. Maybe you should post some more of your other favorites.