Lemon Garlic Butter Chicken (Printer-friendly)

Pan-seared chicken in a zesty lemon garlic butter sauce, ready in 35 minutes.

# What you'll need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
02 - Salt and black pepper, to taste

→ Coating & Sautéing

03 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

→ Lemon Garlic Sauce

06 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
07 - Zest of 1 lemon
08 - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
09 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
10 - 2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

# Method:

01 - Season chicken breasts evenly with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece lightly in flour, shaking off any excess coating.
02 - Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the fat is shimmering, add the chicken breasts and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil to rest.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet and let it melt. Sauté minced garlic for about 1 minute until fragrant but not browned.
04 - Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce simmer for 3 to 4 minutes to reduce slightly.
05 - Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Spoon the sauce over each piece and simmer for an additional 2 to 3 minutes to meld flavors.
06 - Scatter freshly chopped parsley over the chicken and serve immediately, spooning extra sauce over each portion.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like something from a restaurant
  • It uses pantry staples you probably already have sitting around
02 -
  • Do not move the chicken around while searing or you will not get that proper golden crust
  • The browned bits stuck to the pan are where half the flavor lives so scrape them up enthusiastically
03 -
  • Pound the chicken to an even half-inch thickness so every piece finishes at the same time
  • Have all your sauce ingredients measured and ready before you start searing because the garlic can go from fragrant to burnt in seconds

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