Description
This Creamy Lemon Chicken Breast recipe features tender, thinly sliced chicken breasts pan-fried to a crispy golden finish and smothered in a luscious lemon-parmesan cream sauce. Quick and easy to prepare, it’s perfect served over linguine or mashed potatoes, garnished with fresh parsley for a bright, flavorful weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Crispy Chicken
- 600g (1.2lb) chicken breasts (2 large, each sliced horizontally to make 4 thin steaks)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 40g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 1–2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/4 cups chicken broth/stock
- 3/4 cup heavy/thickened cream
- 3–4 tbsp lemon juice (start with 3 tbsp and adjust to taste)
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3/4 cup finely grated or finely shredded parmesan cheese
To Serve
- Pasta of choice (linguine recommended)
- Finely chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Prepare Chicken: Slice each chicken breast horizontally to create two thin steaks, resulting in four thin pieces total. Season each side with salt and pepper, then coat evenly with flour, shaking off any excess.
- Cook Chicken: Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the floured chicken steaks for about 2 minutes on each side until they become golden brown and crispy. Remove from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Begin Sauce: If the pan is dry, add a touch more butter (usually not needed). Add minced garlic to the pan and stir for about 10 seconds until fragrant.
- Add Liquids and Flavorings: Pour in chicken broth, heavy cream, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard. Bring the mixture to a simmer, scraping the pan bottom to release any browned bits. Use a whisk if necessary to dissolve the mustard completely into the sauce.
- Incorporate Parmesan: Add finely grated parmesan to the simmering sauce. Continue simmering rapidly for approximately 3 minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken slightly. Season with salt and pepper, and adjust lemon juice to your taste preference.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Return the cooked chicken breasts to the pan along with any accumulated juices. Turn the chicken pieces to coat well in the creamy lemon sauce.
- Serve: Place the chicken on serving plates over your choice of pasta or mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley and spoon over extra lemon sauce. Bread on the side for dipping is optional but recommended.
Notes
- Chicken: Use two large breasts cut into thin steaks or four smaller breasts (~150g each) pounded to about 1.5cm (1/2″) thickness. In Australia, these are sometimes sold as ‘chicken schnitzel’ without breadcrumbs.
- Cream: Heavy cream is preferred for sauce thickness. To reduce fat, evaporated milk can be used though the sauce will be less rich. Light cream will not thicken as well.
- Parmesan: Use finely grated fresh parmesan or the store-bought finely shredded type. Avoid coarse or ‘sandy’ parmesan as it doesn’t melt properly into the sauce.
- Nutrition: Nutritional values are approximate per serving considering chicken and sauce, assuming 4 servings total.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving (including sauce)
- Calories: 410 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 580 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 34 g
- Cholesterol: 115 mg
