Earlier this week I shared baked lemon chicken, which is seared on the stove then finished in the oven with a buttery lemon sauce. We love some lemon chicken ALL the ways in my house. I have an Instant Pot lemon chicken recipe too that uses chicken thighs and has an amazing sauce! Oh, and my grilled lemon chicken recipe is perfect for summertime! Today, we’re making dinner even faster and easier with this skillet lemon chicken. This recipe is 5 basic ingredients (OK, with a few gimme’s like salt and pepper) and ready in 15 minutes! I have a thing for 15-minute chicken dinners. Check out my honey garlic chicken, quick chicken curry and southwest chicken skillet for more quick chicken recipes. Let’s celebrate the lemon today though. I’ve always got at least a couple of lemons in the fridge. They stay good for a long time and are a great way to add a bit of freshness to dishes before serving. Those bright lemon flavors are taking center stage today though. The lemon zest and fresh lemon juice gets combined with some oil and butter, a bit of chicken broth to create a simple but scrumptious sauce for these chicken strips. So much yum! You might also like this lemon pepper chicken (with both stove top and slow cooker versions) for a slight twist. So let’s get cooking. Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up below on how to make skillet lemon chicken. Just tryin’ to be helpful. If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes:
Chicken: The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are cut into 1-inch strips. This helps them cook more quickly - and evenly - in the pan and speeds up the dinner. You could certainly substitute chicken thighs if you prefer, but you may need a longer cooking time. Lemon: Lemon zest and fresh lemon juice are necessary here; this dish won’t taste the same if you use bottled lemon juice. Herbs: Feel free to sprinkle some fresh chopped herbs, such as parsley, over the cooked chicken if desired.
Also, if you want some extra richness, you can add an additional tablespoon of butter to the sauce just before you remove it from the heat. Ready to eat? Me too. Let’s bring this meal home.
Serving Ideas:
This chicken goes great with steamed rice, mashed potatoes or creamy polenta, all of which would benefit from a drizzle of some of the extra sauce. You could also serve it with some quick microwave baked potatoes or roasted potatoes if you prefer. Don’t forget the veggies! Steamed broccoli or asparagus, green beans or a roasted veggie mix would all be good choices.
And feel free to drizzle some of the sauce over the vegetables as well. The whole plate can sing of this lemony deliciousness! Finally, let’s talk any leftovers you may have.
Tips for Leftovers:
Leftovers will store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4-5 months. Store the chicken with extra sauce too! You can reheat the chicken in a skillet over medium low heat. Be sure to add some leftover sauce as well to help keep the chicken moist. Or you can reheat the chicken quickly in the microwave. This helps prevent it from drying out.
Use the leftovers for a main dish another night, or use as part of a grain bowl or on top of a salad. You could even mix the chicken into some pasta and add some peas or asparagus for a whole new meal. And there we have it. The next time you need a quick and easy chicken dinner that uses on-hand ingredients, I hope you give this a try. And please tag me on Instagram when you do - I love seeing your creations! Enjoy! XO, Kathryn P.S. Stay tuned because I have some more delicious ways to make lemon chicken coming up for you soon. You can sign up for free e-newsletter to get all of my new recipes delivered straight to your inbox so you never miss a thing. I’ll even send you my free e-cookbook, Healthy Weeknight Dinners, as a thank you! The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts that are cut into 1-inch strips. This helps them cook more quickly - and evenly - in the pan and speeds up the dinner. You could certainly substitute chicken thighs if you prefer, but you’ll need a longer cooking time. Lemon: Lemon zest and fresh lemon juice are necessary here; this dish won’t taste the same if you use bottled lemon juice. Herbs: Feel free to sprinkle some fresh chopped herbs, such as parsley, over the cooked chicken if desired. Butter: Also, if you want some extra richness, you can add an additional tablespoon of butter to the sauce just before you remove it from the heat. Serving: This chicken goes great with steamed rice, mashed potatoes or creamy polenta, all of which would benefit from a drizzle of some of the extra sauce. Leftovers will store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 4-5 months. Store the chicken with extra sauce too - it helps keep the chicken from drying out when reheating. You can reheat the chicken in a skillet over medium low heat until it’s warmed through or you can reheat the chicken quickly in the microwave. Enjoy over rice or mashed potatoes again, use for a grain bowl or serve as a protein over a salad. You could even mix the chicken into some pasta and add some peas or asparagus for a whole new meal.
