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This easy lemon pepper chicken recipe has a bright, peppery, tart, and silky cream sauce. It’s made with just a handful of everyday ingredients and comes together fast!
Try my Easy Chicken Francese or Creamy Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup next.
Why you’ll love it
Just in case you’ve never tried it before, lemon pepper is a seasoning blend made with granulated lemon zest and cracked peppercorns. It tastes lemony and zesty with a peppery finish! It gives the tasty sauce in this simple chicken recipe plenty of personality.
In this elegant 30-minute dish we’ve got golden pan-fried chicken. This isn’t an overly rich dish, but it is satisfying. If you serve it with a vegetable, it’s definitely not too heavy, in my opinion. A hint of cream is the perfect final touch for the lemon pepper sauce!
What you’ll need
- Chicken – we’re using two boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise for quicker cooking, and they’ll stay more tender
- Olive oil and butter – for pan frying
- Garlic – for more savory goodness
- Flour – to thicken the sauce
- Chicken broth – for more depth of flavor. Use low-sodium if salt is a concern.
- Heavy cream – a hint of real cream gives the sauce the best taste and velvety texture
- Lemon pepper – our signature ingredient
Pro tip
Often the store-bought kinds of lemon pepper seasoning do contain added salt, so I would definitely taste the sauce prior to adding extra salt. You can buy it in the herbs/spices aisle at most grocery stores. I buy McCormick brand, but various brands make it.
How to make lemon pepper chicken
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise, and season with salt. Heat the oil and half the butter, then sear the chicken on both sides. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining butter to the pan, then the garlic and flour. Stir and cook for about a minute.
Whisk in the chicken broth, cream, and lemon pepper until the sauce is smooth. Add the chicken back to the pan, and continue simmering it until it’s cooked through and the sauce thickens up.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- Using an instant read meat thermometer never leaves you in doubt whether chicken is properly cooked or not. It’s safe at 165F. I love my kitchen tongs to quickly and easily turn chicken.
- A garlic press makes mincing the cloves effortless. No sticky fingers!
- This is the skillet and simple wire whisk I use for making the sauce.
Substitutions and variations
- As always, sub ingredients at your own discretion. I use heavy cream because it’s less prone to curdling and offers a thicker and richer sauce. Something with a lower fat content may not give you the best results.
- You can definitely sub the chicken breasts for chicken thighs if you prefer (adjust cooking time as needed).
- Try to use fairly large chicken breasts since they’re cut in half to make thinner pieces. If your chicken breasts are on the smaller side, feel free to keep them intact, but you may need to cook them for a bit longer.
What to serve with lemon pepper chicken
- Try my Stick of Butter Rice, these Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes, or pasta. If you want a richer side, pair it with my Alfredo Gnocchi that’s ready in only 15 minutes.
- For veggie sides, I like Roasted Green Beans, broccoli or broccolini, or my Easy Glazed Carrots.
- If you’re in search of a salad, try this Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad.
Leftovers and storage
- Leftovers of this lemon pepper chicken will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days in a covered container.
- Reheat in a saucepan over a low heat slowly until warmed through.
- As with any cream sauce, I don’t recommend freezing leftovers of this recipe.
Please leave a star rating and review below if you made this easy lemon pepper chicken! You can also find me on Instagram and tag me if you made this or any S&L recipe.
Lemon Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts cut in half lengthwise
- Salt to taste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2/3 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon pepper
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you've got 4 thinner pieces. Sprinkle them with salt (some lemon pepper blends contain salt so don't go overboard).
- Add the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Let the pan heat up for a few minutes.
- Sear the chicken for 4-5 minutes/side, then transfer it to a plate.
- Add the remaining butter to the pan and let it melt, then add in the garlic and sprinkle the flour in. Let it cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute (stir it a couple times).
- Add the broth, cream, and lemon pepper to the skillet. Whisk it for a minute or so until the flour dissolves.
- Add the chicken back to the pan (and any juices from the plate), and let it cook for another 4-5 minutes or until the chicken has cooked through (165F) and the sauce has thickened a bit. You may need to turn the heat down if it's boiling like crazy (you want it to bubble fairly gently). Season with extra salt & pepper if needed and serve immediately.
Notes
- If you’re particularly sensitive to salt, use low sodium chicken broth, and look for a low or no salt brand of lemon pepper.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on January 3, 2021. It’s been updated with new photos and better instructions but is the same great recipe!
Super easy and so tasty!! I even forgot the garlic and it was still great. Just the right amount of sauce, not heavy. Loved it!! My first try of one your recipes and am sure it won’t be the last!!
Thanks, Laura!! 😀
This is soooo good. You are saving our week night dinners every single day!!
Thank you so much, Patricia!! 😀
Made this and it was a big hit with everyone. Making again tonight.
Glad to hear that, Betty!! 😀
It was delish ! Thanks for the recipe ! I didn’t have heavy cream so I substituted yogurt instead . I upped the garlic a bit too.
You are welcome!
Love your recipes…always so delicious and light
Thank you so much, Rita!
This was good, but I the second time I made it, I made a few changes that we felt helped a lot.
First, doubled the recipe and added the juice of one whole lemon and several good rotations of freshly ground black pepper. The lemon juice made a huge difference. Also, I was really hesitant the first time to sear the chicken for that long as I thought it would dry the chicken out – and it did. The second time, we grilled the chicken and it was delicious.
If I was going to make this during a “non-grilling” season, I would marinate the chicken for about 30 minutes in buttermilk to help tenderize it.