Lemon Garlic Chicken
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure policy for more information.
This Lemon Garlic Chicken is pure comfort food with a fresh twist. Thin-sliced chicken breasts are lightly coated in seasoned flour, pan-seared until golden, then simmered in a velvety lemon garlic sauce with Parmesan and cream. The sauce is rich yet bright, making it perfect to serve over pasta, mashed potatoes, or even rice.
I tweaked this recipe to make it into a creamy lemon garlic chicken, I worked from my chicken scampi which isn’t just a family favorite, but also a reader favorite too! While scampi has that light, buttery garlic-lemon flavor, this version adds a creamy sauce that is extra luscious! It’s an easy one-pan dinner that looks like restaurant food but comes together quickly in your own kitchen.
Quick Bites About This Recipe
Flavor: Bright lemon, savory garlic, and a creamy Parmesan sauce.
Skill Level: Simple and beginner-friendly.
Swaps: Use apple juice instead of white wine, or swap in chicken broth for all the liquid. You can also omit the heavy cream and use more chicken broth if you don’t want it creamy.
Make Ahead: Sauce reheats well, just thin with a splash of broth or cream.
Freezer Friendly: Best fresh, but leftovers can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Variations & Substitutions: Try serving over mashed potatoes or rice instead of the typical pasta.
Lemon Garlic Chicken Ingredients
- Thin-sliced chicken breasts: Quick-cooking and tender. If starting with regular breasts, slice them in half horizontally. You can also use chicken tenderloins like we do with our chicken scampi.
- All-purpose flour and cornstarch: For dredging the chicken, giving it a light golden crust that the sauce clings to.
- Seasonings: Basil, oregano, parsley, granulated garlic, kosher salt, and black pepper add flavor to the coating.
- Butter and olive oil: For searing the chicken and building the sauce.
- Garlic: Six fresh cloves, minced, give the sauce its bold flavor.
- Chicken broth and white wine (or apple juice): A mix of broth and wine (or apple juice if you avoid alcohol) makes the base savory with a bright lift.
- All-purpose Flour: Helps thicken the sauce into a silky consistency.
- Heavy cream: Adds richness and creaminess.
- Parmesan cheese: Melts into the sauce for a savory depth.
- Lemon juice: Fresh and tangy, balancing the creamy sauce.
- Parsley: Fresh chopped parsley for brightness and garnish.
How to Make Creamy Garlic Lemon Chicken
In a shallow bowl, whisk flour, cornstarch, and seasonings. Dredge the chicken lightly in the mixture, shaking off excess.
Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Sear the chicken in batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through to 165°F (USDA safe temp for chicken). Set aside and cover to keep warm.
In the same skillet, melt butter and sauté garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux.
Slowly whisk in chicken broth and white wine (or apple juice/broth). Bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits.
Add cream, Parmesan, and lemon juice. Stir until smooth and creamy, simmering for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened.
Return the chicken to the skillet, spooning sauce over to coat.
Sprinkle with parsley and serve over pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.
Storing and Reheating
Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freeze: Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop or microwave, adding a splash of broth or cream to loosen the sauce.
How to Serve Creamy Garlic Lemon Chicken
We like to serve with pasta, but you can also serve over mashed potatoes or even white rice.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Thin-sliced chicken cooks fast, so don’t overcrowd the skillet.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for the smoothest sauce.
- Taste and adjust salt and lemon juice at the end to your preference.
- Save a little pasta water if needed when serving with spaghetti, it helps loosen and bind the sauce to the noodles.
Lemon Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 60 grams
- 1/8 cup cornstarch 15 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds thin-sliced chicken breasts 680 grams
Lemon Garlic Sauce
- 8 tablespoons butter divided, 113 grams
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 24 grams (for sauce)
- 2 cups chicken broth 480 milliliters
- 1/2 cup white wine or apple juice 120 milliliters
- 1/3 cup heavy cream 80 milliliters
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese grated, 30 grams
- 1/4 cup lemon juice 60 milliliters
- 1/3 cup fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, parsley, basil, oregano, granulated garlic, salt, and pepper. Dredge chicken in the mixture, shaking off excess.
- In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons butter with olive oil. Cook chicken in batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden and cooked to 165°F. Remove and cover to keep warm.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in the skillet. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in 3 tablespoons flour and cook 1 minute.
- Slowly whisk in chicken broth and white wine (or apple juice). Simmer, scraping up browned bits.
- Stir in heavy cream, Parmesan, and lemon juice. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Return chicken to the skillet, spooning sauce over the top. Garnish with parsley.
- Serve over pasta, mashed potatoes, or rice.
Notes
Reheat: Warm gently with a splash of broth or cream to loosen sauce.
Variations: Swap apple juice for white wine, or serve with roasted vegetables on the side.
Delicious! We had some leftover red wine so used that, it turned the sauce a darker color but still tasted good. It’s very forgiving and I eyeballed quite a few of the amounts and used a couple pounds of chicken. Thank you!
Thanks so much for trying! I’m so glad you enjoyed!