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This easy lemon pepper chicken recipe is made with a handful of everyday ingredients and comes together fast! The bright lemony sauce is so comforting.
Lemon and chicken go so well together. Try my Easy Chicken Francese next for another dish with this delicious duo.
Why you’ll love it
Before coming up with this simple chicken recipe, I hadn’t used lemon pepper seasoning in forever. It’s a versatile seasoning that makes the most deliciously zesty sauce, so I’m pleased I resurrected it!
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.
What is lemon pepper?
- 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 peppery and zesty!
- Often the store-bought kinds 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 offer it.
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 – use even more than suggested if you’re a garlic lover
- Flour – to thicken the sauce
- Chicken broth – for depth of flavor as the base of the sauce
- Heavy cream – adds a rich quality
- Lemon pepper – the star of the sauce!
How to make lemon pepper chicken
This is an overview, and full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Season the 4 cutlets with salt. Heat the oil and half the butter in a skillet until hot, then sear the chicken on both sides.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the remaining butter to the pan and then the garlic, followed by the flour. Cook for about a minute, stirring occasionally.
- Whisk in the chicken broth, cream, and lemon pepper until the sauce is smooth. Add the chicken back to the pan, and continue cooking it until it’s cooked through and the sauce thickens up.
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 that cut of meat (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.
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.
- A garlic press makes mincing the cloves effortless. No sticky fingers.
- I love my kitchen tongs to quickly and easily turn chicken.
- A simple wire whisk is used for making the sauce.
- This is the skillet I use to make many of my stovetop chicken recipes.
What to serve with lemon pepper chicken
- Try rice, 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.
If the blog post didn’t answer your questions about this easy lemon pepper chicken recipe, ask me in the comments below! I’d love it if you left me a review. You can also find me on Instagram.
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.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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.