Make this easy creamy lemon chicken tonight! Ready in just 30 minutes or less in one pan – yes, really! The secret to a great weeknight dinner isn’t just a short ingredient list, it’s about keeping prep straightforward.
It’s made with simple ingredients you may already have handy. The chicken is pan-seared until golden and tender, then finished in a rich, tangy lemon cream sauce that tastes so delicious, fresh and vibrant.
Quick Look: Creamy Lemon Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Method: Easy one pan on the stovetop
- Main Ingredients: Chicken cutlets, fresh lemons, heavy cream
- Flavor Profile: Fresh, lemony, so creamy and balanced (not sour!)
- Ideal for: Weeknight cooking, a comforting dinner the whole family will love!
Jump to:
The Garlic Lemon Cream Sauce
It’s creamy and rich with balanced savory flavor, never too tart, but still full of bright lemon flavors. A few tips to keep in mind before you begin:
- Use heavy cream! Not milk, not half-and-half. It’s more than just about “how thick” it is. Heavy cream has high fat content, which prevents the sauce from curdling after you add the lemon juice.
- Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. Don’t use bottled juice. The star of this creamy lemon chicken recipe is the sauce. You want it to taste fresh and free of any artificial flavors.
If you love creamy lemony flavors, my Lemon Chicken Orzo too is another weeknight fave!
Ingredient Notes
For the pan-seared chicken:
- Chicken cutlets: Use either pre-sliced chicken cutlets from the store, or split 2 large chicken breasts into 4 thin cutlets. Using cutlets rather than thick chicken breasts, cuts down the cooking time significantly.
- All-purpose flour: The chicken is dredged in flour to 1) create a nice golden brown crust, 2) lock in moisture, and 3) help the sauce cling better. So, don’t skip the flour!
- Seasonings: Italian seasoning (love the aromatic flavors!), salt, pepper. Plus olive oil for the pan.
For the lemon cream sauce:
- Fresh lemon juice: Fresh makes a huge difference, and you don’t need much anyway. Don’t use bottled juice. You’ll also need lemon slices for garnish.
- Heavy cream: To thicken the sauce, add creaminess, and balance out the acidity from the lemon.
- Chicken broth: The liquid base for the sauce to adjust the consistency and for balance.
- Minced garlic and unsalted butter: Fresh garlic is my recommendation here. Butter adds richness.
- Other: Salt, pepper, Italian parsley to finish.
As always, ingredient quantities are listed in the recipe card down below.
Substitutions and Variations
- A note on heavy cream: Do not substitute with milk or half-and-half. In general, acid (lemon juice) can cause dairy to separate, but heavy cream is stable.
- Chicken cutlets: I’ve also made this recipe with boneless chicken thighs and they turn out just as great! Sear for an extra 1-2 minutes.
- If you’d rather use full chicken breasts rather than cutlets, cook longer or finish it in the oven. See how to cook juicy pan-seared chicken breasts!
- Seasoning for the chicken: When I have time, I often season with fresh herbs (thyme and rosemary) and let it sit for 20 minutes for the flavors to absorb.
- Stir in freshly grated parmesan cheese for a touch of savory richness at the end.
- Add greens: Add baby spinach as the cream sauce simmers.
How to Make Creamy Lemon Chicken
Step 1: Season chicken cutlets. Season generously on both sides. I use Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, but you can also add garlic powder or your favorite blends.
Step 2: Dredge chicken with flour. This is crucial. The flour will give it a golden brown crust and allow the chicken to absorb more of the sauce. Shake off any excess.
Step 3: Sear. In a 12-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and cook chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side fully cooked through (internal temperature 165ºF). Tip: Sear each side undisturbed to get a uniform golden crust and even cook.
Step 4: Aromatics. Sauté minced garlic with butter, scraping any browned bits from the pan. If needed, add a splash of broth to help them release. This will add tons of flavor!
Step 5: Add liquids the sauce. Turn down to low heat. Add chicken broth, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and a slice of lemon if you’d like. Taste it and add more to taste (I always end up using 2 tablespoons of lemon juice). Season to taste. Bring to a very light simmer on low heat to prevent curdling; high heat can break the sauce.
Step 6: Return chicken. Return the chicken and simmer for another 3-5 minutes, again over low heat (it should be bubbling slowly) until thickened, spooning some of it over the chicken. You should see gentle bubbles popping up on the surface relatively slowly.
That’s all! I like to garnish my creamy lemon chicken with fresh Italian parsley and, of course, lemon slices and zest.
Tips for Success
- How to fix a curdled sauce: I get this question a lot! If your sauce broke, immediately lower the heat, then add a splash of cream and broth and whisk until it’s even again. Don’t use milk or half-and-half.
- Mixing the lemon juice with the broth before the cream helps temper the acidity, reducing the chance of curdling.
- Use low heat. High heat can cause the sauce to break.
- If your sauce is too sour: Stir in more broth and cream. As a rule of thumb, I always start with less and add more later. For this recipe, I often end up using about 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
- Juicy, tender chicken: The key is not to overcook it, about 4-5 minutes per side. Pound each to an even thickness with a meat mallet, as even cutlets often have a thicker end.
- Do not wipe the skillet clean! Searing the chicken leaves browned bits in the pan. This is pure flavor.
Recipe FAQs
Immediately lower the heat, then add a splash of heavy cream and broth, and whisk until it’s even and smooth again.
After you return the chicken to the pan, let it simmer over low heat for another 3 minutes and it will absorb the sauce and thicken on its own. If you’d like it thicker, stir in freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Yes, absolutely! Use boneless chicken thighs, adding another minute or 2 to the searing time.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
Having made this creamy lemon chicken recipe more times than I can count, I can confidently say that anything that soaks up the sauce makes the best side dish!
Potatoes: These Herb Roasted Potatoes are my go-to almost always! I love how well they absorb all the flavors without getting soggy. Mashed potatoes are great too – you can’t go wrong with fluffy mashed potatoes!
Pasta: I love it with al dente thin spaghetti or angel hair pasta. For an upgrade, try my Lemon Garlic Pasta or Buttered Egg Noodles, which is one of the easiest recipes on my site.
Rice: Try it with my Garlic Butter Rice!
Vegetables: Parmesan Roasted Asparagus or Lemon Green Beans!
Make Ahead and Reheating
Make ahead and reheating: Once you finish cooking the creamy lemon chicken, let it cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Reheating: The easiest way is in the microwave oven, adding a splash of milk or broth (to thin the sauce, it will thicken when stored). Alternatively, gently reheat in a skillet over medium-low heat, adding a splash of liquid.
Freezing: I would not recommend freezing for this recipe since it contains a good amount of dairy.
More Weeknight Chicken Recipes
Love lemony chicken flavors? Try my Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup!
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Easy Creamy Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken cutlets:
- 2 large chicken breasts - or 4 medium chicken cutlets
- 1 teaspoon Italian herb seasoning
- Salt and pepper
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- Olive oil
Fro the creamy lemon sauce:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed - plus more to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream - do not substitute, see notes
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh chopped Italian parsley - for garnish
- Lemon slices - for garnish
Instructions
- Prep chicken cutlets: Slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to get thinner cutlets. Over plastic wrap, slightly pound the chicken to even thickness as needed using a meat mallet. This is for even cooking and to tenderize the chicken.
- Season and dredge chicken: Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning (per chicken cutlet, use about ¼ teaspoon each: Italian seasoning, Kosher salt, and ground black pepper). Dredge the seasoned chicken in flour and shake off any excess.
- Sear chicken: Heat a few generous drizzles of olive oil in a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Sear the chicken on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side undisturbed, until golden brown and fully cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Start the sauce: Don’t wipe the skillet clean. Melt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, then sauté garlic until fragrant. Add the chicken broth plus 1 tablespoon lemon juice until warm. Taste it, and add the second tablespoon of lemon juice if desired (I ended up adding 2 tablespoons).
- Add heavy cream: Turn down to low heat. Bring to a very light simmer. Then, stir in heavy cream, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Return chicken to pan and bring back to a low simmer. Simmer for another 3-5 minutes until the sauce has thickened a bit.
- Serve with lemon slices, a few grinds of black pepper, and freshly chopped parsley. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Always use heavy cream. Do not use milk or half-and-half. Heavy cream is stable and high in fat content, which is what prevents lemon sauces from breaking when combined with dairy. If you want a thinner sauce, add more broth instead.
- Use FRESH lemon juice, not bottled, for best flavor. Also, start with less to adjust for your preferred level of tartness. You can always add more.
- Use low heat and low simmer. High heat will cause the sauce the break.
- Pound chicken to even thickness: Even chicken cutlets have thicker ends. Use a meat mallet to pound them to uniform thickness for consistent cooking and so they stay tender.
- Do not wipe the brown bites! Deglaze instead. This is what makes the sauce so flavorful.
- Do not skip the flour dredge for the chicken. Not only does the coating create a golden crust, it also helps the sauce cling to the sauce better and helps it thicken.
- Make ahead and storage: Let the finished dish cool down, store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Microwave or skillet over low heat, adding a splash of broth to loosen up sauce.
- Freezing is NOT recommended (cream sauce separates).
- If it curdled: Lower the heat quickly, then whisk in a splash of cream and broth until re-emulsified.
- Too tart: Add more cream or broth.
- Too thin: Simmer a little longer gently until thickened (it will thicken as it cools down too), or stir in freshly grated Parmesan.
- Boneless chicken thighs work too; sear 1 to 2 mins longer.
- Full chicken breasts need longer cooking or finish in the oven first.
- Extra seasoning for chicken: Try fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary) for 20 min before cooking.
- Stir in freshly grated parmesan cheese for extra richness.
- Add greens, such as baby spinach, as sauce simmers
Kim Heslop says
Absolutely outstanding. Thank you
Tania says
That’s great to hear, Kim! Thank you for trying my recipe.
Donna says
I made this tonight because I happened to have all of the ingredients on hand. It was outstanding! So good! I served it with a medley of roasted veggies, also because I had them on hand—Brussels sprouts, green beans, summer squash, carrots, onions, and baby red potatoes. I will absolutely make this again.
Andrea W says
I made this tonight for dinner. My family loved it! They asked to have it in our regular rotation of dinners. I served it over angel hair pasta. We also had a side of green beans. A very delicious dinner! Thanks for the recipe!
kazy says
This came out so good. I loved it. So enjoyable to eat. I seasoned the chicken with my own combination of herbs, not Italian herbs. I did salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and I alternated each day that I baked it with different All Purpose Seasonings, like Mrs. Dash one night, Trader Joe’s Everyday Seasoning another night and Trader Joe’s 21 Seasoning Salute, even Ac’cent seasoning. Each night the chicken came out wonderful. I wanted this to last the week but rather than cook the sauce every night and saute the chicken in a skillet, I made enough creamy lemon sauce for 8 servings, pulled it out from the fridge about an hour before cooking, prepared 2 chicken breasts in the afternoon, seasoning it, dredging it in the flour and placing it in the baking dish and refrigerating until about an hour before baking it at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Much less labor and dishes to clean. I served it with a Greek salad and about 1/4 cup of leftover Basmati rice. I hummed every time I ate it. Thanks so much.
Jennifer says
Would it matter if I don’t put the chicken back in the pan and just simmer the sauce on it’s own until it thickens?
Tania says
That’s totally fine!
Sherla says
My family loves this recipe!! It is so much easier to make than an original recipe I have. Thank you. Making it tonight with fettuccine noodles and baked asparagus spears. Third time making it. Only change is doubling amount since I am 5; 2 picky eaters who also love it! Thanks again for sharing.
Jenna says
BEST creamy lemon sauce and chicken I’ve ever had! And it’s so easy to make. Excited to put this in my cycle of dinners.
Cee says
This was absolutely delicious! The lemon flavour is not overpowering and adds a nice acidic component and brightness to what could otherwise be a heavy or rich sauce….I also added some garlic paste and cilantro paste for another depth of flavour. This sauce would be fantastic on fish or pasta!
Larisa says
Made this for dinner and the chicken turned out great, but the sauce did not. I used whole milk instead of heavy cream and it curdled when I added it. I even strained it, and added some milk again (not in the skillet) and it still curdled. Was my pan or sauce too hot? Or can’t you substitute whole milk for the heavy cream? The creamy sauce looks delicious, but it did not work for me. I’d love to try this again if the sauce will turn out.
Tania says
Hi Larisa! Milk and lemon together tend to curdle, but that doesn’t happen with heavy cream. If you try again with heavy cream, I’m sure it will turn out!
Alicia says
This was great and easy for a last minute weeknight dinner! My husband and I loved it, and I just served with microwavable brown rice. I ended up using 3 tablespoons of lemon juice which had a really strong flavor, but lemon is a huge pregnancy craving of mine so I loved it. Well done!!!
Tania says
Thank you, Alicia!!
Dana says
This recipe is delicious. I used lemon pepper seasoning and a little extra lemon juice in the sauce (I am a big fan of bold lemon flavor). I served over zucchini noodles that I added into the sauce and simmered until tender.
Kristina says
Made this for dinner tonight and it was a hit. The recipe made enough for my husband and I and he went back for seconds. We made it over rice noodles (the type you’d use for pad Thai) and sprinkled some pecorino Romano on top. The sauce covered the noodles perfectly without having to double. Delicious.
Gerard Ward says
I used sour cream instead of heavy cream and it tasted absolutely delicious.
Rob says
i also replaced heavy cream with sour cream, Delicious!!
Amanda says
We have tried several recipes from Cooking for My Soul now, and everyone is a hit. Made this last night for the first time and it is definitely going in the regular rotation. I doubled the sauce and made some fettuccini for a creamy pasta side, and roasted broccoli in the oven while everything else cooked on the stove. Came together in 30 minutes (as promised by Tania!) and the whole family loved it.
Tania says
Thank you so much, Amanda!
Renee says
This was delicious and so easy to make, with simple ingredients. Family loved it.