If you’re craving something bold and comforting without spending hours in the kitchen, this lemon chicken delivers. Golden, pan-seared chicken cutlets are coated in a quick lemon-garlic-butter sauce that’s rich, savory, and just the right amount of spice. It’s the kind of fast skillet dinner that feels special but comes together without effort—perfect over pasta, rice, or roasted vegetables. Enjoy!
Table of Contents
Recipe highlights
- This chicken recipe is a perfect basic for a weeknight dinner: Quick, easy, and packed with flavor.
- The sauce doesn’t need any additional ingredients other than garlic and hot sauce. Deglazing with lemon juice and chicken broth and scraping the pan are enough to bring back the brown bits and build a rich layer of flavor.
- It works with a large range of sides: pasta, rice, roasted veggies, mashed potatoes, etc…
Ingredients list for the lemon chicken recipe
- 2 medium chicken breasts, cut horizontally to make thin cutlets
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons flour, for dredging the chicken (optional)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, + 1/2 tablespoon
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly minced
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha (optional)
- 2 or 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Directions
Making this chicken recipe is very easy, and the sauce builds itself practically – here’s the breakdown of how to make it:
- Sear chicken – Dredge, season, and cook chicken in oil and butter until golden; set aside.
- Make quick sauce – Sauté garlic with Sriracha, deglaze the pan, and simmer until slightly thickened.
- Combine & serve – Return chicken to coat in sauce, garnish, and serve hot.
Check the detailed instructions and tips below!
Tips for the Lemon Chicken
The key to getting this nice golden crust on the chicken is to cook the cutlets undisturbed for a couple of minutes. The Maillard reaction will caramelize the edges of the meat – and that’s the ultimate flavor builder here!
How to keep chicken leftovers
You can keep any chicken leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 2 days. Gently reheat in the microwave.
More chicken recipes you might also like
- Chicken and Green Beans Skillet
- Garlic Butter Chicken Bites with Asparagus
- Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts in Pepper Sauce
- Creamy Chicken Breast in Spinach Parmesan Sauce
- Chicken and Potatoes Skillet
Lemon Chicken (Quick & Juicy)
Golden seared chicken cutlets tossed in a bold, garlicky sauce — quick, punchy, and weeknight-perfect!
- 2 medium chicken breasts, cut horizontally to make thin cutlets
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons flour, for dredging the chicken (optional)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter + 1/2 tablespoon for when turning the cutlets
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly minced
- 1 tablespoon Sriracha (optional)
- 2 or 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a shallow plate, season the chicken cutlets with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, then dredge in flour.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat and melt 1 tablespoon of butter. Cook the chicken cutlets until golden on the edges and cooked through – about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Add a small dollop of butter on top when turning to cook the other side. Remove chicken cutlets to a plate and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add minced garlic and Sriracha to the rest of the cooking oil, give a quick stir, then deglaze little by little with lemon juice and chicken broth, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. The key here is to add liquid progressively: it will combine and reactivate the flour that is stuck to the bottom - making the sauce thicken.
- Add garlic powder and more black pepper, and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet and reheat for a couple of minutes. Coat the chicken with the sauce, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately over pasta, rice, or roasted veggies. Enjoy!
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