Lemon Pepper Chicken (Printer-friendly)

Tender pan-seared chicken breasts finished with a bright lemon-pepper butter sauce. A simple, elegant main dish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5-6 oz each)
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Lemon-Pepper Butter Sauce

06 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - Zest of 1 lemon
09 - Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
10 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

# Directions:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with salt and black pepper.
02 - Lightly coat each chicken breast in flour, shaking off excess flour to prevent clumping.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet and allow to melt. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper to the skillet. Simmer for 1-2 minutes while scraping up browned bits from the pan bottom.
06 - Return chicken to the skillet and spoon sauce over each breast. Heat together for 1-2 minutes, then remove from heat.
07 - Transfer chicken to serving plates and drizzle generously with sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It takes half an hour from start to finish, which means you can actually make it on a weeknight without losing your mind.
  • The lemon butter sauce clings to the chicken in a way that makes every bite taste bright and rich at the same time.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients already, so no special trip to the store required.
  • It looks impressive enough to serve to guests but easy enough that you won't stress over it.
02 -
  • If your chicken breasts are thick, pound them to an even thickness before cooking so they cook evenly and don't dry out on the edges.
  • Don't walk away during the garlic step, it goes from fragrant to burnt in seconds and there's no coming back from that.
  • Let the chicken rest for a minute after searing and before you slice into it, otherwise all the juices run out onto the cutting board instead of staying in the meat.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer to check doneness instead of guessing, it's the easiest way to avoid dry chicken.
  • If the sauce reduces too much or tastes too sharp, whisk in an extra tablespoon of butter at the end to mellow it out.
  • Zest the lemon directly over the pan so those essential oils go straight into the sauce and nothing gets wasted.
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