Lemon Pepper Chicken (Printable)

Pan-seared chicken breasts in a zesty lemon-pepper butter sauce. Ready in 30 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner.

# 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 blend
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, approximately 3 tablespoons
10 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

# How To Make It:

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 ensure light coverage.
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 loosely cover with foil.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet and allow to melt completely. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.
05 - Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper. 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 piece. Heat for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
07 - Transfer to serving plates and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour cooking, but you're done in thirty minutes flat.
  • The lemony butter sauce is so good you'll want to lick the pan.
  • It's flexible enough to dress up for company or keep casual on a weeknight.
  • You probably already have everything you need in your pantry right now.
02 -
  • Don't skip patting the chicken dry or it will steam instead of sear, and you'll miss out on that golden crust.
  • If your chicken breasts are really thick, pound them to an even thickness so they cook evenly and don't dry out.
  • Taste the sauce before you add the chicken back in, because lemon intensity varies and you might want a tiny pinch of sugar to balance it.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness instead of guessing, because overcooked chicken is dry chicken and nobody wants that.
  • Let the chicken rest for a minute or two after searing before you slice into it, so the juices redistribute and every bite stays moist.
  • If the sauce tastes too sharp, a tiny pat of butter stirred in at the end will mellow it out and make it even silkier.
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