Lemon Pepper Chicken with Lemon Pan Sauce

This easy Lemon Pepper Chicken features tender pan-seared chicken in a bright, buttery lemon sauce. A quick, flavorful dinner ready in just 30 minutes!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword How Do I Make Lemon Pepper Chicken, How To Make Lemon Pepper Chicken, Lemon Pepper Chicken, Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 403kcal

Author Kathleen

Ingredients

1 3/4 to 2 pounds chicken breasts thin-cut
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Sauce:

1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Garnish:

1 lemon sliced thinly
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley chopped

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix together flour (1/4 cup), lemon pepper (1 tablespoon), and salt (1 teaspoon) in a shallow bowl or plate. Dredge chicken breasts (1 3/4 to 2 pounds) in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
Heat oil (2 tablespoons) in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the chicken breast in a single layer, without crowding the pan (may need to brown in 2 batches), and cook 2-4 minutes per side until golden brown and there is no longer any pink. Remove the chicken to a plate and loosely tent it with foil to keep warm.
Add chicken broth (1 1/2 cups), lemon juice (1/4 cup), and sugar (3/4 teaspoon), and bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil then add cornstarch/water mixture and continue to boil until thick, about 1 minute. Remove from heat, and add butter (2 tablespoons) and stir to melt. Return chicken to pan. Garnish with chopped parsley and lemon slices and serve.

Notes

Sauce: Do not use a non-stick pan in this recipe! The brown bits from cooking the chicken aren’t created if the chicken doesn’t stick a bit in the pan. You want to get those brown bits for deglazing, as we talked about above! That’s when you get the nice crisped-up brown bits incorporated into your sauce for an extra flavor boost.
Chicken: I use thinly cut chicken breast. It cooks quickly, and I love all the surface area that gets coated with the velvety sauce. You can buy chicken already prepared this way, or, if you have a good sharp chef’s knife, feel free to slice a boneless breast horizontally in half yourself. This works best when it’s slightly frozen.
But those chicken wings and other pieces: If you want to use some other cut of chicken you already have on hand, particularly ones with bones in them, I suggest searing them on the stovetop and finishing them in the oven.
- Just season and bread the pieces like the recipe calls for, then brown the pieces on all sides.
- Once they’re browned, remove the pieces to a foil-lined baking sheet and finish them in a 375ºF (190ºC) oven. The time will vary based on what cut of chicken you use – 15 to 20 minutes for thighs, for example, but the juices should run clear with no more pink in the middle. You can prepare the sauce using the leftover bits in the pan just like in the original recipe.

Nutrition