Lemon Pepper Chicken
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It’s so easy to make the most flavorful Lemon Pepper Chicken on the stovetop with this delicious recipe! It only takes 20 minutes to make, and after just one bite, you’ll fall in love with the zesty flavors of this simple chicken recipe, perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
Table of contents
Whenever I’m looking for an easy dinner recipe that I know will be a hit, I turn to this lemon pepper chicken recipe. It’s so easy to make and incredibly flavorful!
I like to toss a side like mashed potatoes or white rice in the Instant Pot before beginning this recipe, then as soon as I’m finished making the chicken, the side dish is also ready to go. All together it only takes 30 minutes, or less, to make a complete meal!
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour – to make this recipe gluten free, you can use cornstarch, or a gluten-free flour blend.
- Lemon pepper seasoning – click the link to whip up my homemade seasoning blend in less than 5 minutes, or pick up store-bought lemon pepper seasoning on the spice aisle at the grocery store. If purchasing premade seasoning, be sure to check the ingredient list. Some lemon pepper seasonings use citric acid, instead of actually lemon zest, and contain added sugar and cornstarch. I recommend looking for one with a more natural ingredient list that includes black pepper, lemon zest and salt as the main ingredients.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts – you could also make this recipe with chicken thighs, but I prefer chicken breasts. They’re a lean protein option, and they cook quickly when sliced in half through the middle. For this recipe, you want the chicken breasts to be about a half inch thick. If needed, use a meat tenderizer to pound the chicken breasts thinner before starting this recipe.
- Butter – used both to cook the chicken and brown it on the outside, and to make the delicious lemon pan sauce.
- Garlic – I always recommend fresh minced cloves for the best flavor.
- Chicken broth – just a quarter cup is added to deglaze the pan and make the base of the pan sauce.
- Lemon juice – I recommend fresh squeezed lemon juice, so that the bright, fresh flavor will really shine through in this dish.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Season the chicken. Slice two large chicken breasts through the middle, so you have 4 pieces of chicken. In a shallow bowl, combine flour with lemon pepper seasoning. Dredge each piece of chicken in the seasoned flour, until the chicken is covered on all sides.
- Cook the chicken. Heat butter in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the butter is melted and the skillet is hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it on a clean plate or cutting board.
- Make the pan sauce. Add more butter to the skillet. Once melted, add minced garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, making sure the garlic does not burn, or it will become bitter. Pour chicken broth and lemon juice in the pan with an additional tablespoon of lemon pepper seasoning. Stir to combine everything, scrapping up any little browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer the pan sauce for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the pan. Cook the chicken in the pan sauce for 1-2 minutes per side, then remove the skillet from the heat and serve immediately. Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley and lemon zest on top of the chicken, as an optional garnish.
Recipe tips
- Do not add the chicken to the pan until it’s hot! If you add the chicken to the pan when it’s cold, it will not sear on the outside and get the beautiful brown crust that we’re looking for. It also won’t cook fully in 5 minutes on each side.
- I always recommend using an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken to make sure it reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the breast. Since chicken breast sizes vary greatly, it might take 1-2 more minutes on each side to cook the chicken breast fully. Be sure the chicken breasts are fully cooked before making the pan sauce. They will only get heated up in the pan sauce later. They will not cook further.
- You can make this recipe with chicken thighs, but you will need to cook the chicken longer. Prepare the recipe as instructed, with boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but cook the chicken for 7-8 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet, and prepare the pan sauce, when the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 170°F.
- Feel free to cook veggies in the pan sauce after removing the chicken from the skillet. Add a few cups of fresh spinach leaves and toss them in the pan sauce over medium heat for 2-3 minutes to make a delicious and simple, healthy side dish to pair with the chicken.
- To make this recipe gluten free, replace the flour with cornstarch, or an all-purpose gluten free flour blend.
What to serve with it
This chicken pairs perfectly with salad, rice, cooked pasta, mashed potatoes or veggies. Check out all of these deliciously perfect pairings for some side dish inspiration!
Storage and reheating
Store leftover lemon pepper chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I recommend reheating the chicken in a pan on the stove with a little bit of olive oil, over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, or until heated through. You can also eat the leftovers cold, this is perfect for topping a salad for an easy meal.
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Lemon Pepper Chicken
It's so easy to make the most flavorful Lemon Pepper Chicken on the stovetop with this delicious recipe! It only takes 20 minutes to make, and after just one bite, you'll fall in love with the zesty flavors of this simple chicken recipe, perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning, divided (click link for homemade recipe)
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half through the middle to make 4 pieces of chicken
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh-squeezed
Instructions
- Slice two large chicken breasts through the middle, so you have 4 pieces of chicken.
- In a shallow bowl, combine the flour and 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning. Dredge each piece of chicken in the seasoned flour until they're fully coated.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat.
- Once the butter has melted, and the skillet is hot, add the chicken and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a clean plate or cutting board.
- Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter to the skillet, once melted, add the minced garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds.
- Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning, stir to combine, making sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
- Simmer the pan sauce for 3-4 minutes, then add the chicken back to the skillet and continue cooking the chicken for 1-2 minutes per side.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and optionally garnish the chicken with fresh chopped parsley and lemon zest before serving.
Notes
- Do not add the chicken to the pan until it’s hot! If you add the chicken to the pan when it’s cold, it will not sear on the outside and get the beautiful brown crust that we’re looking for. It also won’t cook fully in 5 minutes on each side.
- I always recommend using an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken to make sure it reaches 165°F in the thickest part of the breast. Since chicken breast sizes vary greatly, it might take 1-2 more minutes on each side to cook the chicken breast fully. Be sure the chicken breasts are fully cooked before making the pan sauce. They will only get heated up in the pan sauce later. They will not cook further.
- To make this recipe gluten free, replace the flour with cornstarch, or an all-purpose gluten free flour blend.
- Store leftover lemon pepper chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I recommend reheating the chicken in a pan on the stove with a little bit of olive oil, over medium heat for 2-3 minutes per side, or until heated through. You can also eat the leftovers cold, this is perfect for topping a salad for an easy meal.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 210kcal (11%)Carbohydrates 10g (3%)Protein 14g (28%)Fat 13g (20%)Saturated Fat 8g (40%)Polyunsaturated Fat 1gMonounsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 67mg (22%)Sodium 212mg (9%)Potassium 300mg (9%)Fiber 1g (4%)Sugar 0.3gVitamin A 392mg (8%)Vitamin C 4mg (5%)Calcium 32mg (3%)Iron 1mg (6%)
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2 Comments on “Lemon Pepper Chicken”
Won’t the butter burn at medium-high heat?
Hi Lesley, if your stove runs on the hot side, you should turn it down to medium. I tested this recipe multiple times on my stove at medium-high heat and it did not burn the butter, but I do know that everyones stovetop temperature runs a little different.