Lemon Pepper Chicken (Print version)

Pan-seared chicken breasts with a tangy lemon-pepper butter sauce. Ready in 30 minutes, gluten-free options available.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5.3-6.3 oz each)
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
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 chopped fresh parsley, optional

# How to Make:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
02 - Lightly coat each chicken breast in flour, shaking off excess to ensure even coverage.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken breasts in the pan and cook 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet and allow to melt completely. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper to the skillet. Simmer for 1-2 minutes while scraping up browned bits from the pan bottom.
06 - Return chicken breasts to the skillet and spoon sauce over top. Heat for 1-2 minutes until chicken is warmed through.
07 - Transfer chicken to serving plates, pour sauce over top, and garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It tastes fancy but uses pantry staples you probably already have.
  • The pan sauce is so good you'll want to lick the skillet clean.
  • Everything happens in one pan, which means less cleanup and more time to relax.
  • The brightness of lemon cuts through the richness of butter in a way that never gets boring.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the chicken, wet meat steams instead of sears and you'll lose that golden crust.
  • If your skillet isn't hot enough when you add the chicken, it will stick and tear when you try to flip it.
  • Add the garlic after you lower the heat or it will burn in seconds and turn bitter.
  • Taste the sauce before adding more salt because the butter and chicken drippings already add some saltiness.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer to check doneness instead of cutting into the chicken and losing all those juices.
  • Let the chicken rest for a minute or two before slicing so the juices redistribute instead of running all over your cutting board.
  • Save a little pasta water or chicken stock to thin the sauce if it gets too thick while reheating.
  • For a richer sauce, swirl in an extra tablespoon of cold butter at the very end off the heat.
Go back