Creamy Parmesan Lemon Chicken (Printer-friendly)

Tender chicken in a velvety lemon-Parmesan cream sauce, bursting with savory flavor and bright citrus.

# What you'll need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
04 - ½ cup all-purpose flour
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Sauce

07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
09 - 1 cup heavy cream
10 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
11 - 3 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
12 - ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
14 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

# Method:

01 - Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper, then dredge each piece lightly in flour, shaking off any excess coating.
02 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter foams. Add chicken breasts and sear for 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with aluminum foil.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic to the same skillet and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
04 - Pour in chicken broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let the mixture simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
05 - Stir in heavy cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Bring to a gentle simmer, then gradually whisk in the Parmesan cheese until fully melted and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2–3 minutes.
06 - Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, spooning the sauce generously over each piece. Simmer for 3–4 minutes until the chicken is heated through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and crushed red pepper flakes before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like something youd order at a nice Italian restaurant
  • Everything happens in one pan, which means maximum flavor and minimum cleanup
02 -
  • Don't rush the searing step, that golden crust is where most of the flavor lives and it can't be rushed
  • The sauce will thicken as it cools slightly, so don't panic if it looks thinner than you expected
03 -
  • Use a microplane for the lemon zest, it catches only the bright yellow part and leaves the bitter pith behind
  • Room temperature cream incorporates more smoothly than cold cream straight from the fridge

Go back