How To Make Lemon Butter Chicken
This savory lemon butter chicken is super easy to make and over the top in taste! Full of flavor, every bite is unforgettable. The lemon butter sauce is hands down the best homemade sauce you'll ever make at home and pairs perfectly with the tender and juicy chicken!
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 420kcal
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- 4 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- splash of dry white wine, optional
- ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Season the chicken with ¼ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and ½ teaspoon paprika. Set aside.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large ovenproof dish (dutch oven or deep cast iron works best) over medium high heat.
- Add the chicken and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and set chicken aside on separate plate.
- While the chicken is resting, return the chicken back to the same skillet and melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the skillet. Add 4 cloves of chopped garlic and saute for 2 more minutes.
- Stir in 1 cup of chicken broth, ½ cup heavy cream, ⅓ cup Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, ¼ teaspoon thyme, and a splash of wine.
- Bring sauce to a boil and reduce heat.
- Add in the 2 cups of spinach and 2 Tablespoons of fresh parsley and simmer until the spinach and parsley has wilted and the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Continue to cook the sauce about 5-7 minutes so the sauce becomes thicker.
- Once the sauce has reached the desired thickness, return the chicken to the ovenproof dish.
- Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dish and let sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Top with fresh chopped parsley. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- The sauce will be a little thin. To thicken the sauce, add a cornstarch slurry in step 10 above. To do this, add one tablespoon of cornstarch to one tablespoon of water into a small bowl. Whisk the ingredients together until it forms a slurry. While the skillet is still on medium heat, slowly whisk the cornstarch slurry into sauce and continue to whisk until it has slightly thickened.
- If using thick breasts, use a meat tenderizer to pound the meat. This helps break down the fibers making the meat extra tender.
- Don't use flour to thicken the sauce. It adds a pasty flour flavor and will ruin the sauce. The cornstarch slurry I mentioned above works best.
- Depending on the size of the breasts will determine how long it takes to fully cook. Use a digital thermometer to check for doneness. When the breasts reach 165°F, it's done.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Do not freeze.
- Use a stove top and oven safe dish when making this recipe. A shallow dutch oven works well.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Chicken Breast | Calories: 420kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 29g | Sodium: 292mg | Iron: 0.4mg