Lemon Butter Chicken
posted by Chungah on December 31, 2014
Easy crisp-tender chicken with the creamiest lemon butter sauce ever – you’ll want to forget the chicken and drink the sauce instead!
Happy New Year! I know I should really be sharing some sort of salad or quinoa recipe with the start of the year but you know me and my chicken thigh obsession. I just can’t get enough, especially when a lemon butter cream sauce is involved.
And if you’re in the need of some clean greens for the new year diet, well, this dish has plenty of baby spinach. Good enough, right?
Plus, these chicken thighs carry quite a bit of punch with that fresh, zingy lemon flavor and that smoky goodness from the paprika. And this cream sauce is absolutely heavenly. Just be sure to have a spoon ready because you’ll want to sip on it straight from the pan!
Lemon Butter Chicken
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Easy crisp-tender chicken with the creamiest lemon butter sauce ever – you’ll want to forget the chicken and drink the sauce instead!
Ingredients:
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Season chicken thighs with paprika, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; drain excess fat and set aside.
- Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, heavy cream, Parmesan, lemon juice and thyme.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat, stir in spinach, and simmer until the spinach has wilted and the sauce has slightly thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet.
- Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size
Servings Per Container 8
Amount Per Serving
Calories 277.5
Calories from Fat 204.3
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22.7g
35%
Saturated Fat 10.0g
50%
Trans Fat 0.2g
Cholesterol 94.7mg
32%
Sodium 125.4mg
5%
Total Carbohydrate 2.6g
1%
Dietary Fiber 0.6g
2%
Sugars 0.4g
Protein 15.9g
32%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
That lemon butter sauce looks incredible, love this!
Such a yummy easy way to start 2015!
do you cover this dish when u put it into the oven.
Nope, no lid needed.
Any tips on reheating the left overs?? Sauce and chicken.
I recommend reheating in the oven – at 350 degrees F until heated through.
What kind of cream was used ?
The recipe calls for heavy cream.
Sry wasnt paying attn lol
Can you freeze it after it has been cooked?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I have found that freezing cream sauces come out gloppy after freezing so I wouldn’t chance it
hi, love your recipes. (Keep up the Fantastic hard work) was wondering…..noticed on a few recipes you are sharing nutritional info (YIPPEE). Are you planning on doing this from now on with all recipes, or only with recipes you consider ‘Good Choices’? Thanks Donna
I will try my very best to provide nutritional info for all recipes!
Yes, I like the addition of nutritional info. Thank you, and this chicken looks delicious! On my to try list-seriously!
I am new to your site but love the recipes that you have sent.I love lemon chicken and can’t wait to try this one
Looks wonderful. The photography is great. Since discovering your blog on Pinterest, I’ve said many of your recipes on my Copy Me That app and have made (and shared) several of your recipes. They are as delicious as they look! Thank you.
This looks wonderful 😀 So juicy! Perfect start to the new year ^ ^
Thank you for the nice recipe. Happy New Year!
Do you think you could substitute boneless, skinless chicken tender pieces for the chicken thighs?
Yes, that should work just fine but you may have to adjust cooking time as needed.
This looks delicious. I plan to make it tonight. I have one question though. The recipe says to roast it for 25-30 min. Should I use the roast function on the oven or bake function? I’m afraid it will either burn on roast or cook out all of the sauces.?
Thanks
This should be cooked at 400 degrees F.
How would you adjust it? Lower temp? Shorter cook time? Where would you start?
Thanks!
Yes, cooking time may have to be reduced as needed.
I used boneless skinless chicken breast, garlic powder instead of fresh, no spinach, and put it over penne pasta it was a huge hit! The sauce was out of this world!
I have added lots of your recipes to my collection. Thank you. I have been married for 57 years and have tried lots of recipes over the years and consider yours some of the best I have prepared and collected.
Can you use chicken breat for recipe
Yes, that should work just fine but you may have to adjust coking time, as needed.
I’m new to cooking and was wondering how long would the cooking time be for the breasts?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot advise on the appropriate cooking time. Also, chicken breasts vary quite a bit in size so cooking time will have to be adjusted as needed to ensure that the chicken is completely cooked through.
Being new to cooking, the best thing you can do is to invest in a basic food thermometer (many available on Amazon). Test in the thickest part of the breast and remove from the oven when it reaches 165 deg. Let it rest for 5 mins and you will never serve a dry piece of chicken again!
I made this recipe today for dinner and all I can say is WOW! This recipe was so tasty and amazing! I didn’t have thyme so I used parsley, threw in a splash of dry sherry, and used a whole big bag of spinach because I LOVE spinach and there was still a ton of sauce/broth for everything. I will definitely be making this again, it was so easy and so yummy! Can’t say enough about how good it was. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Made it but it has way too much thyme.
Patty, if you are not a fan of thyme, you can simply reduce the amount as needed or omit it altogether. These recipes here are a base that can be adapted to suit your preferences.
I added more Thyme! Lol!
I agree, too much thyme. Maybe it’s me but I didn’t get the wow factor. Even used almost double the garlic and still nothing. I’m going to boil some pasta, pick the meat off the bones and mix the meat and sauce with it. Hopefully this will bring some wow to my taste buds.
I made this Saturday, AMAZING!!! Perfect… won’t change a thing! A must try for everyone!!!
Thank you for sharing this. ;-}
This looks amazing. I prefer chicken thighs to any other part of the chicken. I have tried 3 of your recipes using thighs. Honey mustard, sundried tomato cream sauce with thighs & I believe one more who’s name is not coming to me. If memory serves, you brown the thighs and transfer to oven. My question is about that. I read somewhere that if you double wrap the handle of your skillet with Tin foil, you can then use that skillet in a hot oven …… is that accurate? If it’s true that would save another pot.
Thank you so much for providing this site. Your recipes are fabulous. Tx, Happy New Year to you, Jason and Butters!!
I’m so glad you have tried so many of my chicken recipes! As for the tin foil wrapping – unfortunately, I have never tried this myself so I cannot answer with certainty if this is accurate or not. It is really best to use an oven-proof skillet but if you do not have one, an oven-safe baking dish will work just fine.
I don’t have an oven proof skillet, if I use a baking dish will I still need to prepare in skillet then switch to baking dish?
Yes, that’s exactly right!
I’m going to make this recipe for my family tonight. I know it’ll be delicious, as all your recipes are a slam dunk! I, personally, don’t let myself use my oven-proof skillet in the oven anymore after badly burning myself by grabbing the handle a few minutes after I pulled it from the oven. With three kids running around, a few dogs underfoot, and the fact that I’m a bit scatterbrained, it’s just too easy for me to forget and grab that handle. Having said that, I find it no trouble to prepare my ingredients stove-top, then transfer to a large or small baking dish, depending on how much I’m cooking.
A cast iron skillet is a good investment. You can take it from stovetop to oven without worry & it browns more evenly than anything else I’ve ever owned. Unlike chemical non-stick, cast iron becomes non-stick through a good seasoning prior to the first use. It’s also a breeze to clean & will last you a lifetime. Just a thought for you if you decide to purchase a pan that can go stovetop to oven as so many recipes in general call for this technique.
Cast iron skillets last more than a lifetime! I’m still using my grandmother’s pan!
My mother always used her cast iron skillets. I would LOVE to use them also but I have a glass top stove and was under the impression that cast iron could not be used on glass tops stoves…does anyone know if am I correct in assuming this?
I use my cast iron skillets on glass top stove. I have not had any problems doing so.
I use my cast iron on my glass cook top no problems. Just don’t slide it around and place it down gently… a friend’s husband shattered hers when he set it down too roughly!
I love my cast iron skillets. Everything cooks better in them. I use them on my glass top stove all the time and I have had no problems
Made your one pot lasagna last night! Tasted yummy. I especially like the crushed red pepper kick!
Now for tonight, I want to try this recipe. Sounds equally as good
Oh my! I cannot wait to try this. Thank you for sharing all of these wonderful recipes!
Perfectly healthy way to start 2015 for those of us on a low-carb diet. Who says healthy food has to be boring? Yummy!
Looks very yummy and can’t wait to try it. Thanks for adding the nutritional value. Makes it easier for those of us trying to follow weight watchers to calculate our points. 🙂
Yum! We loved this! I made half the thighs but the whole sauce and served it over pasta. Great flavors and perfect seasoning. Thanks, Chungah! Looking forward to more great recipes!
I did the same (half the thighs and all the sauce) and served it over rice. It was wonderful!
Oh my yum. Totally making this. Pinned and printed.
I made this tonight for my family and it was delicious! The sauce was incredible and not too lemony like I thought it might be. I used chicken breasts instead of thighs. Thank you so much for the new recipe.
How long did you bake it with chicken breasts? And what temp please?
Mmm… sounds delicious! I’ve made similar things before, but never thought of combining lemon and cream together. Adding this to my “must try” list. Happy New Year!
Hi! I really love all your recipes! So delicious! I have a question about the oven proof skillet part of this one. Is there an alternative to what we can use if we do not have an oven proof skillet?? Thanks!
A baking dish can be used instead.
Would a cast iron skillet be okay? That’s the only oven proof one I have and I think it’ll just turn out better if I don’t switch pans!
Yes, that should work just fine.
I made this last night and it was delicious. I went back for leftovers tonight and it was even better I used organic chicken thighs and served roasted brussel sprouts (there may be a more complimentary veggie but I’m addicted to sprouts!) on the side and it was amazing. I’ve never been thigh fan but with the crispy skin…I think I’m hooked. Even my picky four year old thought it was good. This is the second recipe that tried from your site and thank you for posting such great tasting, affordable and not too difficult to make recipes!
I made this tonight and it was restaurant quality! Served it with part white rice and part wild and brown blend along with grilled veggies. The sauce went so well with the rice. I seasoned my grilled veggies with thyme, salt, pepper and lemon to match the chicken.WONDERFUL!
Oh my this looks so delicious! I On my must-make list for sure.
This recipe looks yummy
Lemon butter chicken is delicious. I served it with baked potato and oven roasted vegetables. DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!
What can I use in places of heavy cream.I have a Issues I have to substitute it. Thank you Dienna.
You can try substituting milk and/or half and half.
how do you stop the cream from separating when you add the lemon juice? Chicken with lemons are a favorite of mine and I really would love to make this!
There shouldn’t be any separation happening here. Have you tried this recipe yet?
I followed this recipe and my sauce definitely curdled (just as I thought it would) when I added the lemon juice. And cooking at 400 for the recommended time would have boiled the pan dry and burnt the chicken to a crisp. Thankfully I checked the oven before the pan was totally dry, but it was a smoky, curdled mess.
I was excited to try this, and wanted to like this recipe, but it was a total bummer. Next time I will trust my own knowledge a bit more…
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested in my own kitchen, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well.
That being said, I worry that your heat source may have been set too high, causing the sauce to curdle. Also, 400 degrees F at 25-30 minutes should not be causing the chicken to burn. I cook chicken thighs on a weekly basis, if not more, all cooking at 400 degrees F at the same time frame and there are no indications of burntness.
It may be best to invest in an in-oven thermometer as your oven may not be calibrated appropriately.
I made this tonight, and my sauce was very thin, and not creamy at all. I think it may have separated, but did not curdle. Chicken was delicious, will make again, but may add some cornstarch to thicken??
Kathy, if this is not as creamy as you would like, please feel free to add in some cornstarch (mixed with water) until the desired consistency is reached.
Hi,
I’ve made this both with the cream, and with no dairy. It is good with no dairy in it, just mix a bit of cornstarch or flour with water and add it to the chicken broth when it’s hot…like making gravy. My lemon didn’t curdle, I fully expected it to! I added the lemon to the broth first, turned down the heat, and slowly mixed in the cream. I despise curdled milk/citrus stuff, that’s why I made it with no cream the first time.
Hi Heather,
The first time I made this dish, the cream curdled, but the dish was so delicious my family ate it anyway. The next time I made it, I doubled the liquid ingredients (we like lots of sauce), and after searing the chicken I added the liquid to the recipe — except the for cream. I simmered the chicken and liquid on the stovetop on low in a covered pan instead of putting it in the oven. Once the chicken had simmered in the liquid for 25-30 minutes, I removed the lid and stirred in some cornstarch mixed with water to thicken the sauce. Once the sauce was thick, I stirred in the heavy cream LAST. It came out perfectly and was delicious with Riesa-brand extra-wide home-style egg noodles. So for me, the curdling issue apparently came from cooking the cream too long rather than using too much lemon juice.
Thanks for a terrific recipe, Chunga!
If you’re getting separation in any recipe using citrus and milk or cream, quick fix is to add a tablespoon of butter, oil– any kind of cooking fat. It attaches itself to components in the dairy product and will prevent curdling.
The Lemon Butter Chicken recipe popped up on my Zite app today, and I made it tonight. My family LOVED it! We were fighting to have the last bit of the sauce… so delicious!! This recipe’s a keeper. I’ll be making it, again, and I might even try it with fish, next time. Thanks!!
If you make fish make a yummie flavoured rice to go..boil normal medium grain rice until cooked….take a pan and fry chopped onions, garlic and a grated carrot (2 for larger portions) and chopped green pepper fry all together with plenty butter (secret again is the butter) once nicely cooked (peppers soft) stir rice in with mixture now keep stirring to mix rice and you will notice rice turns yellow because of carrot. Once all mixed nicely serve with your fish and a lemon butter sauce (I just melt butter and add lemon to taste) and pour sauce over rice and fish. It is delicious.
Gosh this woman can cook and post her recipes as well.
I am a retired widower and do most of my cooking in a countertop oven. I scaled down the ingredients and made a 1/2 recipe but I didn’t make any changes to it. I made some rice on the side to go with it.
This is a “restaurant quality” dish. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I had the same problem,when I added the lemon it curdled,threw it out and started again with out so much lemon and it kind of worked. What am I missing?
Jim, the only problem I can think of is that the heat source was set too high. The amount of lemon juice shouldn’t be the sauce of it to curdle/separate.
Drink the sauce, dunk bread in the sauce, eat the chicken with the sauce…it all sounds amazing! I have got to try this.
YUMMY. Made this recipe exactly as written and it came out perfectly. Great flavor and the house smelled so good. Will make again. Thanks and Happy New Year!
5 star. My only change would be to thicken the sauce a little (cornstarch) and maybe do a whole chicken (cooking it longer) instead of just dark meat (not a fan, I just prefer white). The sauce was awesome and would be great on fish/shrimp – everyone in the family LOVED it – my daughter even made me save the leftover sauce (yes there was some left because I only cooked 5 thighs) so she could use it for something else – what I dont know yet 🙂 Thanks for an easy keeper!!!!!
JS – Your comment “The Lemon Butter Chicken recipe popped up on my Zite app today, and I made it tonight. I had the same thing happen to me, and I also made it the same night. Thanks Chungah, will be using more of your recipes.
I just made this AWESOME dish for my family the other night and it was a hit. This recipe is definitely a keeper. It is so easy to do and I didn’t have to change a thing (except triple the recipe because I have a large family)! With a big household it is often difficult to please everybody’s tastebuds with one dish. My brother is not a fan of lemon chicken of any kind and his actually liked this! I was also excited when my chicken came out just like the pictures. Thank you for sharing!
WOW! Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and I kinda have a thing =) Super excited to try this out!
Made this tonight – fantastic over quinoa (for me) and rice (for the rest)! I only used half the lemon juice at the start of the braise and squeezed the other half over it just before plating. Great combo of flavors and so easy to make!
Thanks so much for this recipe, it was delicious! I did trade out 1/2 cup of broth for white wine and used olive oil and butter, along with 1/2&1/2 for heavy cream. It curdled when adding spinach but out of the oven was perfect! My fussy eaters gave a thumbs up!
I served it with Trader Joes garlic basil noodles. Yummy.
Ok I have never made a sauce like this for chicken ever and without even tasting it, I can say it tastes YUMM!! I am soon going to be making it!! Gorgeous pics as always!!
Looks amazing!! Has anyone tried this with coconut cream? Dairy doesn’t go well with this family…
Made this for dinner tonight. Cut the recipe in half and used chicken breasts as that’s what I had on hand. Also added some sliced mushrooms that I needed to use up. Great recipe for people watching carbs! It was delish! I will definitely make this again!
this recipe was AMAZING!! My husband, boys and parents loved it. I made soup with my leftovers and it was equally amazing. I don’t really ever comment but had to shrare, this is a keeper!!
Hi I made this tonight and the sauce was very runny and thin. Should the sauce have a thicker consistency? I think I might have done something wrong…
I’m not entirely sure what kind of consistency you were expecting but this sauce is not as thick as something like gravy – it’s meant to have more of a creamy texture to it.
I made this tonight and my family LOVED it – my 9 yr old asked if we could have it every night! I was unsure about the lemon, but it is light and not overwhelming. The sauce was so good, and I used chicken tenders so it cooked in about 15 minutes. Delish – will be making this again for sure!
This recipe was okay, but I’ll try it without the skin next time. All the seasoning was on the skin that I don’t eat.
Christy, if you do not consume the skin on the chicken thighs, it is best to use skinless chicken thighs.
This is a wonderful dish. I prepared it the first time with some green chilies and the second time with two tablespoons of Chipotle. Both were a hit and made the dish more South West. Served with a few pine nuts added even another twist.
Easy to prepare and so flavorful. Pardon my ignorance, but do you cover the skillet before putting it in the oven?
Nope, no cover needed!
This is actually perfect for a low-carb diet! It looks delicious, and I’ll definitely be trying it! Thanks!
I came across this today and got interested.
Mind you, Im not a great cook. I do packets and frozen, and it drives my husband nuts, as he’s a wonderful cook, and does recipes from scratch. When Im cooking, everyone is a little scared.
I made this tonight.
IT WAS THE BEST DISH EVER!!
I cant thank you enough! It was creamy, a hint of lemon, such depth in this dish. The chicken thighs..Omgoodness. Tender..
Everyone had seconds. Im almost crying.
I made this tonight with chicken breasts cut up in thigh-sized chunks and it was awesome! No need to bake – just simmer in the same pan. Also, I had no cream so used skim milk and a little extra parm. Thank you!
We made this tonight! It was great! I used boneless skinless breasts because it’s what I had on hand. Also substituted dill weed for the thyme and lots of extra spinach. Didn’t bake it, just covered and simmered until the chicken was cooked throughout. Added rice flour at you’re end to thicken the sauce. Served over pasta. My family loved it! Kids asked if I would make it again!!
I seldom comment, but this dish was amazing!!! I followed it except subbed 1/2 & 1/2 for the heavy cream I didn’t have on hand. It’s one of those dishes I have thought about daily since I made it and DH likes it just as much. We are having the leftovers over pasta for supper tonight, can’t wait!!!
My daughter forwarded this to me so I could make it for her birthday dinner this week. It looks heavenly and I can’t wait to try it! What do you serve this with ~ rice, egg noodles, etc.? I’ll also make a side veggie but wondered what I could use for all that delicious sauce. Thanks!
Barbara, these roasted veggies would be a great side dish but if you want to use some of the sauce, a neutral side dish like rice would be more appropriate.
Omg! I made this tonight and it was absolutely delicious! I used chicken breasts instead of thighs just because I prefer that. The sauce was amazing as well and was great even poured over rice. Definitely making again!
I made this tonight and it certainly was DAMN DELICIOUS! I served it over egg noodles. I will definitely make this again!
Has anyone tried to use a substitute for the heavy cream? My husband has lactose issues…I was thinking greek yogurt might help to make the sauce creamier?
Plain full-fat yogurt work but I would wonder if it would still create lactose issues. I would think greek yogurt would work well but you would want to scale back on the lemon due to the increased tartness of greek-style yogurt. It may also separate using yogurt…but the taste would still be yum. I would suggest beating the yogurt in a small cup with a spoon first (like you would if a recipe calls for a beaten egg) as it makes the yogurt very smooth. I would also wait to add it until after you’ve reduced the heat to a simmer to avoid curdling. Finally, in Indian cooking they often use a creamy paste made of ground melon seeds or cashews to create thickness & richness. You may wish to try those as alternatives to dairy.
Thankyou for these alternatives re dairy free 🙂
I made this last night and the sauce was indeed yummy but I’ll probably try skinless boneless chicken breasts in place of bone-in thighs next time. It might have just been due to the amount of fat and skin on my chicken thighs, but they rendered so much grease that I had to skim quite a bit off the sauce when it came out of the oven. I served it with whole wheat couscous and some roasted asparagus. Next time I’ll try with the boneless chicken and and maybe serve it over pasta!
Just made it for my son and I! Love super easy recipes that won’t kill the waistline 🙂 Smells amazing in the oven!
I just made this recipe. I used coconut milk instead of heavy cream, work it also. This chicken is delicious!
Thanks for comment re coconut milk, I was wondering if it would work. Cheers 🙂
hi can i use fresh thyme and if so how much thank you?
Yes, fresh thyme will work just fine. The ratio for fresh to dry herbs is typically 3:1.
This was amazing! My husband and kids loved it! Thank you!
Anything different I need to do if the spinach is frozen? That is all my store has right now.
Hope you can respond as I am making this very soon. Thank you – it looks wonderful!
Helen
I would recommend thawing and draining the spinach prior to using. Also, please note that by substituting frozen spinach, I cannot speak for how this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish, and it may also lead to a mediocre outcome.
can this dish be frozen?
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I’m with Samantha, can you sub Greek yogurt for the heavy cream?
You can certainly try substituting Greek yogurt but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. Using a substitution may also result in a mediocre outcome.
This may sounds ridiculous but my pan states that it’s “oven safe up 350 degrees” should I… a) Take a chance or b) increase the cooking time?…THANK YOU!!
If your pan states that it is only safe up to 350 degrees F, I would not take the chance and increase the cooking time and ruining that pan. It may be best to use an oven-safe baking dish instead with the appropriate temperature.
I have this in the oven now, can’t wait to try it!!
Wow just made this!! So good!! I made a side of white rice to put some juice on! Delicious!!
This recipe makes my mouth water and I would love to try this BUT my oven broke. So my question is this – can this be also made stove top? If stovetop made I know the skin of the chicken might not crisp as well and the cooking time might have to be adjusted. If I make it stovetop would chicken breast be a better choice? Any suggestions? I truly would love to try this recipe. Thank you!
Doris, I actually have not tried making this without the use of an oven but here is a great article on BuzzFeed that may be of help: http://www.buzzfeed.com/christinebyrne/stovetop-chicken-recipes#.qhNqe5ly3.
Thank you for your reply and thank you for the suggested link. I will check it out. I might even try to do a stove top version. If so, I will let you know how it turned out.
Please do!
I’ve cooked tons of chicken thigh recipes on the stove top before. The key is to let it cook on a medium to medium low flame, add a bit of extra water, and cook with the lid on for 10-15 minutes (or longer if you have big chicken thighs) – stirring every 5 minutes or so. You would want to add the lid when the recipe says to put it into the oven. The chicken won’t be quite as tender but it will work as your steaming/sauteing it rather than roasting it. You may want to hold off on adding the cream though until the last 5 minutes or so though otherwise it can separate. I don’t mind if it separates so I add it in earlier. As for using breasts, if you use boneless/skinless you will lose a lot of the flavor. If you use bone-in breasts, they will cook less evenly, take longer, and get a bit stringy on the stove top. Bone-in thighs (skinless or with skin on) are actually easier than legs or breasts for the stove top because they are the same thickness throughout.
Thank you for this recipe. It was absolutely amazing! You were not kidding about the sauce!
Hi, this looks amazing, just two questions before I attempt to make this. First is there a difference between smoked paprika and regular paprika and second since I do not have a pan large enough to fry all of the chicken at once can I possibly halve it and then transfer all into a baking dish? Thanks in advance,
Yes, there is a difference between the two kinds of paprika. You can read more about it here: http://www.thekitchn.com/whats-the-difference-hot-sweet-68134.
And yes, you can definitely transfer it to a baking dish without any changes to the recipe.
Thanks so much, can’t wait to try!
I made this last night and it was great. Restaurant quality. We are having left overs tonight. YUM!
Looks amazing. I’m making it tonight but I can’t have spinach. Do you recommend any adjustments? Thank you.
Do you have any other greens available, such as kale or arugula?
No. I made it without and it turned out great. We’re making it again but doubling the sauce ingredients because it was so yummy. Thanks!
Hi. I made this twice now. It was awesome! But the second time, I used the bone in skin on thighs and the grease/fat really distracted from the sauce. I wasn’t sure how to remove all that greasy fat. We ate it all, but I think next time I will use skinless boneless thighs? Any other suggestions?
Shey, you can trying draining off some of the fat after the initial sear.
I just made this for the 2nd time tonite. I don’t remember whether I drained the liquid from the initial sear the first time I made it, but I had to tonite. I completely washed my skillet because there was too much black seasoning on the bottom. I love this recipe exactly like it is! Well, maybe i add more spinach because i love fresh spinach. lol I made mashed potatoes (and used the sauce for gravy) and garlic parmesan spaghetti squash. I’m so glad I have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
You can also just pull the fat off the thighs under the skin. I did that and didn’t have too much grease as a result. Great recipe and was delicious. I didn’t bring sauce to boil before adding lemon juice And had no separation of cream and acidic lemon juice. Very yummy and will make again.
Thank you and will check out more entries on your blog !
Love to try this recipe it’s look yummy! Had a recipe very similar! Yummy! Can’t wait!
I’ve never had lemon with spinach before. Thanks to this recipe I intend to incorporate it into spinach (with the garlic, paprika, and a touch of cream) as a side dish. It’s wonderful.
My husband let me have the ‘extra’ piece of chicken because he wanted the rest of the sauce to sop up with crusty sourdough bread. Both elements are delicious. I did make a small change based upon the issues some people were having with the cream separating. I waited to add the cream. I brought the sauce to a boil, reduced the flame, then added the cream. We also used frozen spinach (defrosted and drained) and only 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter divided. The final result was a slightly healthier and less costly dish which still hit all the high flavor points wonderfully.
Next time I intend to aim for more of a gravy rather than a thin sauce. Like many pan sauces, I’ll simply remove the veggies & meat after cooking, place the pan over the heat, and reduce the sauce over a medium flame for a couple of minutes – adding a touch more dairy to finish. Either way it’s a lovely sauce/gravy with flavorful lemony chicken.
Is there anything you could recommend to replace the spinach as I can’t eat cooked spinach?
You can try a different type of green – arugula, kale, etc.
Hi, this recipe looks marvelous. My question, does cooking the spinach in the oven 25 minutes not turn it to mush? Thanks
Not at all!
Sorry if this seems a silly question but what is meant by quicken broth? Is thus the same as stick?
Vicky, are you referring to chicken broth? Chicken broth is simmered liquid food preparation made from the bones and meat of a chicken. Additional flavoring from spices and vegetables is often included in chicken broth as well.
Thank you, sorry for my bad typing there! Do you have a recipe for this? I’ll have a look, if not I’m sure I’ll easy find one on the net. Just one more question, I assume the cup measurement referees to a US measurement, which goigle says I’d equivalent to 236ml?
I do not have a recipe for this at the moment but there are many available online. And yes, the cup measurements refer to U.S. measurements. There are many free online conversion measurements available to meet your requirements.
Many thanks for your prompt replies and inspiration, I can’t wait to try this!
this really looks yummy … I’m gonna try to make this evening
I have a convection oven and would like to know if that would affect cooking time?
I have found that convection ovens are a little bit hotter so I would reduce cooking time by about 5 minutes, or more, as needed.
Hi,
Made this dish for dinner last night. Holy smokin’ paprika, this is one amazing dinner. I think next time, tho I’ll use skinless, boneless thighs since I can’t bring myself to eat the skin. But the flavors are wonderful.
I had this recipe saved in my favs and was looking around for something to do with chicken thighs tonight. This is a keeper! I had to make a few little changes. I had boneless/skinless thighs. No heavy cream, only half and half. No spinach, just kale. Added rosemary as it’s my fav spice for chicken. Added the parm only as a topping just before popping it in the oven. My experience is that any recipe where you stir in parm you end up with more parm on the spoon and skillet than in the dish. Anyway, all done in an iron skillet and it was wonderful! Thanks! Next time I’ll try it with spinach. I agree with another poster…this is a restaurant quality dish!
Looks delicious! Will be making for dinner tonight!
I just made this, and it was absolutely amazing. I did not think I would literally want to drink the sauce as you suggested I would. I may or may not have tipped my plate into my mouth at the end of the meal. Yeah okay I drank the sauce!
I did use boneless, skinless chicken thighs and it turned out perfectly (no adjustment in cooking time needed)
Thanks!
Chungah, this chicken dish was damn delicious!! After making this I came back for more pins! You had me at, “so good you could just drink the sauce”! It was as delicious as you described. Thanks for sharing : ) I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!!
Sounds and looks delicious. However, I never want to vary from a blogers recipe until I have followed it exactly. But, would I get the same results if I used all parts of the chicken. Each family member has a choice as to which piece of chicken they enjoy. Thanks!
It should be fine but you may have to adjust cooking time as needed to ensure that all the chicken parts have been completely cooked through.
Made this for dinner last night and it was a big hit! I used flattened chicken breasts instead of the thighs. I also used white wine in place of the broth. Served the dish over orzo that was cooked in chicken broth. I couldn’t pull myself away from the table. Thanks for sharing.
i made this tonight. It was wonderful, and I know the leftovers will
Be outstanding. The sauce was a bit lemony….I used a large lemon. It
Might be better to to use an exact amount measure. I put it
over brown rice, but next time I’m going to try egg noodles. I
might even double the sauce!
Made this tonight following the recipe on the most part. Thighs weren’t available so I used drumsticks. Followed spices as written and also added garam masala which REALLY goes well with roasted chicken. Added that pop to this recipe.
I’m pretty hard to please so the fact I think this recipe came out very good is saying something.
Great! hugry now, I have to try this this week. Thank you for sharing!
This is awesome. Just had lemon butter chicken for first time.
Adding to my blog.
Thanks.
I follow a gluten free low carb lifestyle and I am so excited to try this recipe. I may have to incorporate this into our family Valentines Day festivities! Thanks for sharing and for posting nutritional info!
I may try this in the crockpIt but cook sauce beforehand. Let you know.
Chanel
I only have chicken breasts, can I use them in this recipe? thank you in advance..
You can certainly use chicken breasts in this recipe but without further recipe testing, I cannot advise on various changes that are needed to accommodate this substitution. Please use your best judgment to ensure that the chicken is completely cooked through.
OMG what can I say? The best chicken dish I’ve EVER made. Thanks for sharing!
Hey there!
I just wanted to let you know I made this chicken last week and it came out so good! It was a hit with my husband and 4 year old as well! Thanks so much for sharing and I hope you’re having a great weekend!
Was wondering if anyone had tried this as a vegetarian dish? I’m thinking about using cauliflower steaks, vegetable broth, and a dash of poultry seasoning to make up for the chicken-ish flavor. Input or suggestions would be much appreciated!
You could use a firm tofu! It would be yummy, I might give that a go next time
I made a healthier twist on this last night, the aromas when cooking were amazing!! We are trying to eat healthier this year, so I ommited the olive oil for coconut oil, used skinless thigh cutlets, and, I replaced the double cream with natural yoghurt!! Deeeeevine! And you still wanted to drink the juices! I am so stoked I stumbled over your web page, everything here is, DAMNDELICIOUS,
Made a couple of small changes..
We didn’t have Thyme on hand.
We didn’t have spinach. (if I did, I wouldn’t bake it, there is no need. It melts under the sauce in 3 mins or less anyways)
I zested the lemon that I juiced. It’s simple and adds a lot more flavor.
I used more cream and chicken broth. I separated the sauce from the chicken and blended it up before transferring. It made it very smooth. I have kids so if they get a piece of garlic, they aren’t thrilled.
It was served over a bed of Jasmine rice. The flavor is incredibly rich.
We loved it.
OMG!!!! I just cooked this for my family of four. I made 10 pieces of chicken thighs instead of 8. It was DELICIOUS!!! I couldn’t believe how good this turned out and for everyone who is saying that there’s didn’t come out right, did not follow the directions thoroughly. I love love love this recipe. I give it 100 stars. And by the way there is only 1 chicken thigh left in the pan!!!! Lol, thank you for this Fantabulous recipe!!! ☆☆☆☆☆
Made this last night using skinless boneless chicken thighs. Dusted them in brown rice flour before browning giving them a crispy coating. Didn’t have half n half so used whole milk. Baked for 20 minutes and it turned out perfectly. I’m so loving your recipes and so does my family. Simple, elegant and delicious. Mongolian Beef was to die for!!!!!!! Every day I’m trying new dishes. Thank you. I appreciate you so much !
Hi, I would love to try this today (Chinese new yer) but i don’t have a baking oven. Is it okay to use microwave? Thanks
I do not recommend using a microwave for a dish like this. It is best to use an oven or a convection oven.
I tried this recipe and when I tell you it was delicious and it came out picture perfect as shown on this web site and the butter sauce I poured over the rice it was so good the kids ask could I do it again this Sunday and I said sure I will.
I made this last night for my boyfriend and I, we loved the sauce but it turned out rather watery for me and I’m not sure why. Hopefully the next time I make it, it will turn out thicker. Thank you for the great recipe.
Going to try this recipie out tommorow . Wish me luck!!!
What side dishes can I serve with this dish?
These garlic parmesan roasted potatoes and/or roasted vegetables would be great accompaniments!
Absolutely awesome! The smoked paprika is absolutely key to this dish. I can’t wait to try it over baked fish and as a shrimp scampi sauce. Thank you!
I made this last night…it was GREAT!! I added garlic powder in addition to the other spices on the chicken. It’s definitely one I’ll be making again soon.
I can’t wait to try this recipe. I just wanted to leave a note- you take the most beautiful pictures. I pin a ton of recipes and I always know which recipes are yours just from the pictures. You are an amazing food photographer!!
My new favorite chicken dish. The second time I made it I increased the sauce because it was delicious over jasmine rice as a side dish. Also I think it is better to throw in the spinach when it comes out of the oven rather than cook it with the chicken. It stays bright green and doesn’t need any other cooking. Thanks for the recipe. Five stars.
Love the chicken thanks
for sharing recipe
I tried to read all the comments to find an answer but didn’t see it.
I do not have an oven-proof skillet. I usually just use my LeCruset casserole dish. Will that work?
Yes, Susie. If you do not have an over-proof skillet, you can transfer the chicken to an oven-safe baking dish.
What can I use instead of heavy cream please. We don’t have it in this country (NZ).
Yu can try substituting milk or even heavy cream but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. Using a substitution may also result in a mediocre outcome.
Could this be made as a freezer meal (freezing before cooking)? I wonder how the cream would do when thawed.
Unfortunately, I cannot answer this with certainty as I have never tried freezing this myself – there were no leftovers left to freeze! Please use your best judgment for freezing and reheating.
I love this dish and can’t wait to try it. I’m a diabetic so I was thrilled to see how low in carbs this dish is! I’m going to make it and cook some more spinach on the side. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi, i’ve cooked this amazing dish twice already and absolutely love it! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I have some guests over friday Night and would like to prepare the chicken a few hours early. Would you recommend baking it in advance or just preparing all steps up to the oven and then bake it right before they arrive? Thanks for your help!
I’m so glad you tried this dish! As for the preparation, I recommend baking right before your guests arrive since this is really best when served immediately.
Made this tonight and the chicken and sauce were great. Easy to make as well. I didn’t have any thyme so I substituted rosemary instead. Wonderful. But I served it with small boiled potatoes and they just didn’t work. The texture was wrong. Next time I think I’ll try rice.
This recipe sounds amazing, i have seen quite a few interesting recipes, but we do not eat cheese of any kind, would this recipe work as well without?
Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. Please use your best judgment.
Looks great! However the print button isn’t working…..Any suggestions?? Very excited to try this and others! But would love to be able to print….
Internet Explorer has recently made some updates that are causing print problems. I recommend using a different browser, such as Firefox, Google Chrome, or Safari. But if you can only use Internet Explore, you can highlight the recipe, left-click, and print from there. Easy peasy!
I copy and paste recipes into a Word document and save them to my hard drive. They are easy to acces at any time and eliminates the paper (my computer is in my kitchen). I group them for ease of finding by starting all chicken recipes with the word Chicken, then add the actual recipe title for the individual recipe, for example. I start pasta recipes with Pasta, soup recipes with Soup, apple recipes with Apple and so on. If a recipe could fall under two categories, such as beef & roasted vegetables, I will change the first word and save it in both categories. This recipe I would group under both chiken recipes and also save it with sauce recipes.
I need to add that I always include the web address below the reecipe title in case I want to view it again to see any new comments.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! I did have a few questions though. Do I make the sauce in the same skillet that the chicken was cooked in, with all it’s juices? My sauce did turn out a little thinner and with a layer of grease on top, maybe next time I’ll try skinless chicken. I will definitely be making this dish again and again. Thank you for sharing!
Yes, it is best to use the same skillet to use up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. That’s where all the flavor is! But if there is too much oil, you can certainly drain some of it before proceeding with the lemon butter sauce.
Looks scrumpious! I was wondering instead of putting this dish in the oven, can i cook it in my crockpot casserole.
Unfortunately, it is very difficult to give exact conversion information to translate a traditional stovetop recipe to be used in a slow cooker without further recipe testing. However, here is an article worth checking out on a possible conversion guide: http://www.thekitchn.com/5-tips-for-converting-recipes-to-the-slow-cooker-189343.
I made this dish last night along side jasmine rice and a simple salad…AMAZING!! I did have the same question as Tiffany on 3/5 and will make that small change next time draining off a bit of the oil before making my sauce. Thank you for helping me make the first time I cooked for my guy a success!! He loved it!!
Can’t wait to try this dish tomorrow, I was wondering since i bought boneless skinless chicken, do i season the chicken and sear it on both sides as like your recipe. Thank You!
It’s really up to you but I recommend still doing the sear with boneless skinless chicken – it brings in so much flavor!
My wife wanted me to make this for her, so surprised her one night and told her i had to work late. I went to the store and bought the ingredients came he while she was upstairs, and prepared the recipe. While I was preparing the chicken, I sent her a text message letting her know i was almost home.
After, I put the chicken into the oven I went up stairs and acted like I just came home from work. Needless to say, she was a tad surprised when I told her I was going back down to get dinner out of the oven. She absolutely Loved it, and I also loved it. Two weeks later, I made it again, she would not leave me alone until I made it again. Thanks for the great recipe.
I made this last night, WOW! It was so delicious!!! I love spinach so I used a whole large container. I served it with organic brown rice and my husband absolutely loved it! I think he had thirds of the rice ans sause alone! The sauce was perfect, although it could have been a little thicker so it stuck to the rice more, needed a spoon to really enjoy every drop. I love lemon and used the juice of one very large lemon. Love is meal!!! Will make the sause with halibut next time. Thanks for the recipe:-)
I don’t know if I had the juiciest lemon that’s ever existed or what, but mine was WAY too lemony. The sauce looked so good, but I literally gagged when I tasted it. I had to triple the stock and double the cream to make it edible. It looks like one other person had this issue as well. I’m hoping this ends up being edible.
Christie, perhaps your lemon was too large? It may be best to start with half a lemon, taste, and add more as needed.
Since I discovered this site less than a month ago, I have cooked several of your recipes. The Lemon Butter Chicken was my first and my favorite of the bunch. I don’t typically like chicken thighs but the chicken was so moist and tasted so good. When I make it again, the only thing I will change is when to add the spinach to the pan. I am going to add it at the end and not put it in the oven so the color will be bright green, instead of the dark green I got. It still tasted delicious though.
Thanks for sharing your recipes!! I have to figure out which one I am going to make tonight.
I first want to say I am a tough critic and I loved this recipe. The only thing I did a little different was I deglazed the pan after I browned the meat with the lemon juice. I also used half and half instead of cream to save a few calories.
I will promote this on: G+, FB, Pinterest and twitter.
I made this today, but after receiving an awesome electric pressure cooker from my Dad, decided to use it for the final cooking phase. I followed everything exactly except I browned my chicken in a separate skillet to accommodate all of the pieces I had (that would not fit in the pressure cooker). Where I don’t think any time was saved using this cooking method, I’d sure bet that there was some extra flavor infusion. Can’t say for sure since I haven’t followed the recipe using the oven, but needless to say, this recipe ROCKS!!
OMG!!!! This was soooo good!!!!we love all the ingredients. I used half and half but I suppose you could use whole milk or and substitute. Just wanted to drink the sauce this is really amazing!!!!sent it to my daughter so she could try it too!!!!
Let me start by saying that this dish was very good! However (oh, come on, you knew it was coming! Sorry!), I had a few issues that could have been totally my fault.
1 – The chicken rendered a LOT of fat (which I should have known it would do, since I cook with chicken thighs on an obscenely regular basis). Part of me KNEW I should pour some of it off, but I didn’t. I should have. The fat floated on top of the sauce (the sauce! dear Lord!) and I spent quite a bit of time trying to skim it off to no avail.
2 – The sauce didn’t thicken the way it should have. I believe it was due to the exorbitant amount of fat that I so ridiculously allowed to hang out past its bedtime. In any case, the flavors of the sauce were spectacular!
3 – The spinach ended up wilting far too much. Once again, I think this was me trying to show off my knife skills (of which I have very little, if any). Instead of a chop, I ended up with a fat, wonky “chiffonade”. Next time I think I will let the leaves go unharmed.
All in all, I think this was a really, REALLY good dish. It’s definitely going to get a second chance – this time with me using my common sense a little more! Thanks for posting! Also, sorry for the novel-length reply.
I was just curious as to what would you recommend to with the chicken? I’ve been dying to make this dish but I was struggling to come up with a good side! All recommendations are welcome =)
You can really serve this with anything but we loved it with these garlic parmesan roasted potatoes and roasted vegetables.
I am not a fan of Parmesan. Can I leave it out. thanks
The Parmesan helps thick the sauce a bit so it would be best to find a suitable replacement (perhaps Pecorino Romano) to compensate.
Can you make this ahead of time and cook it later?
This is really best when prepped, cooked and served immediately.
amazing 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight and it was fantastic! I did drain the fat off after searing the chicken so that was a big help. I also pulled the skin back on the chicken and seasoned the meat directly, then put the skin back in place and seared as directed. The sauce cooked off quite a bit so it seemed more like creamed spinach, which was fine as I love creamed spinach. I added a bit of chicken broth and it ended up perfect. I served it over white rice. My husband was full but couldn’t stop eating it. A keeper of a recipe for sure!
I made this tonight, all I can say is, like the name of your blog, ‘Damn Delicious!’
Hi –
OMG! It was a perfect recipe; however, I believe the cooking time in the oven should be shorter to prevent the chicken from drying out. The sauce was delicious. For those whose sauce curdled, make sure your lemon yields at least 3 to 4 tbsp. of lemon – this does make a huge difference to the sauce. Thank you for sharing the recipe.
i’m sitting here at my computer after having finished a third plate of this recipe… please, my friend, no more recipes that i can’t resist!
I made this the other night for my unusually picky husband and it was an immediate hit. I did thicken the sauce just a touch and he asked to use it as a gravy for the potatoes along side the chicken. He also tried to scoop some for the roasted vegetables! I will absolutely make this again. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful meal!
Hi! I just wanted to thank you for posting so many recepies for all of us to use! You’re literary taught me how to cook. Now I know how to mix and match the flavors for their best potential! Thanks again!
I strongly dislike chicken thighs ( I know… ) would this still taste good if I used breast? I’m not much of a cook , so any info on how long the breasts should cook would be greatly appreciated ! 😀
Yes, chicken breasts should work just fine, preferably with the skin on. As for cooking time, please use your best judgment as chicken breasts vary quite a bit in size.
Thanks for the prompt reply! This looks so delicious can’t wait to try it
Made this for dinner and loved it. Even my daughter who is picky about everything, and checks all ingredients I use loved it. Amazing! 🙂 can’t wait to make it again.
Oh man! I made this last night and just wanted to say, it was fantastic and so easy. This is the kind of dish to make if you’re a guy trying to impress a girl with your cooking skills. Definitely a keeper. Discovered your site by accident on Yummly and have added it as a favorite now. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
This is delicious, I made it tonight, definitely a company dish!! Thank you!
I cannot have cheese or heavy cream is it ok to omit this from the recipe?
You can certainly try omitting the heavy cream and Parmesan but without further recipe testing, I cannot speak for how much this will change the overall taste/texture of the dish. Omitting the ingredients can also result in a mediocre outcome, but if substitutions must be made, please use your best judgment.
About how many pounds of chicken do you use?
Chicken thighs can range in size, but for typical grocery store brands, about four bone-in, skin-on thighs will weigh about 1.5 pounds.
I used 7 and they fit perfectly in my cast iron skillet. 8 might have crowded it too much.
It was delish over whole wheat pasta! I saved some of the butter/fat drippings from the initial searing to smother over the pasta.
Loved it…didn’t change a thing I did add asparagus and some red potatoes. ..will try again
This dish sounds wonderful to prepare for a church event. I have read your comments about preparing and serving immediately. I will be cooking for 75 folks so I need to pre cook and finish up in the oven prior to serving. Do you think it would compromise the crispy skin?
If you are finishing it off in the oven right before serving, it should be fine.
Just made this tonight and my husband who is very picky has cleaned his plate! Love it! so delicious and served it with steamed broccoli
Made this tonight for my family and it was wonderful!!! Didn’t have any issues, made it close to how it is written, except I didn’t have any smoked paprika, so I used a little bit of cumin and a little chili powder, and I didn’t have a real lemon, so I had to use the fake stuff and it was still wonderful!!!! Had some broccoli on the side it was fabulous in the juices of the chicken!! Thanks so much for the recipe!!!
Can i add shiitake mushrooms to the sauce? I recently bought a pack and they’re just lying in my fridge. I was wondering how it’d taste if i added chopped shiitake to the sauce.
Yes, that sounds like a great addition!
i made this last night, it was so good! There are only two of us so I only used four chicken thighs but followed the rest of the recipe as it was written ,I served it with baked potatoes but I think next time I will make pasta to spoon the sauce over!
I have a question about the amount of smoked paprika to use in this recipe. I used a tablespoon as the recipe instructed but it overpowered the dish. You couldn’t taste the lemon, butter or cheese and the chicken, although tender also had a very strong taste of paprika. The sauce was red and didn’t look anything like the lemony, buttery picture. I used organic smoked paprika. Would that make a difference?
Using organic shouldn’t have made too much of a difference. Although I worry that you may have used super tiny chicken thighs, resulting in too much paprika per chicken.
Thinking about trying this tonight but using boneless chicken breasts as a substitute. That should be ok right?
Yes, many of my readers here have tried using chicken breasts with great results!
Yeah I went for it and it came out great. It very well may have been one of my favorite things I ever made. I made rice pilaf and green beans with it and it was perfect! My neighbor tried it and said that it was “restaurant quality”. Which was funny because I had told my wife that it tasted and looked like something you would get at a restaurant. Thanks again for the GREAT recipe!!!!!
I am sitting and eating this *right now* and had to comment. I made it with legs (skin on, bone in) and breasts (skinless, boneless) because that was what I had in the fridge – it is fabulous!
Served it with the spinach over cous cous and the whole family loves it. This one is a keeper!
I’m about to go share it with my Facebook foodie friends. 🙂
I made this tonight and it was AMAZING! Probably one of my favorite dishes I ever made! I used 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts and doubled the paprika/salt/pepper rub since they were thicker cuts but did everything else exactly as the instructions stated. I will be making this often!!!
I have made this numerous times since finding the recipe and we LOVE it!! But to be honest I had to make one change…I use a whole bag of spinach. It is so easy to make and so good!
Malinda in Mississippi
I absolutely LOVED this recipe. However, I made some adjustments as I used what I had available:
I used boneless skinless chicken breast- as Chungah noted, adjust cooking time as needed (I wound up cooking them for about 30 minutes as they were thick cut…just take out and cut into them to make sure juices run clear)
I omitted the paprika because paprika and I do not get along…added a few dashes of cayenne instead.
I used the zest of the lemon as well because I just love all things lemon-y.
I did not have spinach so I used broccoli instead-however, broccoli should be added within about 10-15 minutes of taking out of the oven or else it will burn.
Overall I LOVED this. Even without the paprika it was so flavorful and juicy. The sauce was delicious. Everyone loved it. I will DEFINITELY be making this again. Perhaps next time I’ll serve with quinoa or rice, but it is so good that it doesn’t even need the starch. Thanks for the recipe!!
Hi. I am serving this tomorrow night- it sounds delish. Would it be ok to cook it the night before? I also do not eat chicken with dairy products ie. cream / cheese. Would it be ok to substitute cornstarch with water to make the sauce thick? I cant wait to try it
Dani, this is really best when served immediately. As for the cornstarch – yes, this is a great substitute for a thickener.
Made last night and was delishhhhhhhhhh! I used fat free half and half for the heavy cream and used skinless and boneless chicken thighs. Came out fine. Would definitely make again.
Hey just wanted to say this reicpe was a HUGE hit at my household. I truly love love love to cook been using my twitter as a food blog pretty much lol. Here is a picture of mine once it was done. Absolutely loved it and will def make it again! http://imgur.com/FJGunY4
Any suggestions on what to serve with this dih?
Leslie, please feel free to browse through these side dish recipes: http://damndelicious.net/recipe-index/side-dish/.
I made this for dinner tonight, it was soooo good! Made it with boneless skinless chicken breasts and just adjusted cooking time. I made it just how the recipe states, the only thing I will do different next time is double the sauce. This sauce would go good with fish or pork also I think. Thank you for a wonderful recipe, as some one else said it is truly restaurant quality!
Found this recipe on Pinterest and made it tonight. I served it with rice and corn (since I already had them both on hand). I think this would be really good with asparagus too. 🙂
I have been making this once a week since I found it. My husband and kids (8,5,2) are completely obsessed! Not only is it an awesome dinner, but it reheats SO WELL – I love it for lunch the next day! One night I made it for a larger group – I used my electric skillet to sear the thighs, made the sauce and put it all together in two glass baking dishes in the oven. Thanks for another awesome recipe!
I’ve made this 3x and it keeps getting better! I use coconut milk and just eyeball the cheese. I put less thyme than the recipe and just taste while cooking. I’ve shared with so many people. It’s one of my FAVORITE recipes to cook with. I use kale and zucchini or whatever I have in the fridge. Thank you!!!
Damn Delicious!!!!
Made this tonight, used skinless boneless thighs and wanted to drink the sauce. Heavenly! I have made many of your recipes – always delish. Thank you for sharing.
WOW. Made this last night and it was “damn delicious”. In the next batch I would prefer a thicker sauce. Wish there was more spinach. This is my favorite thing I have made.
Hi does anyone have any ideas for side dishes
Desiree, please feel free to check out possible side dish ideas here.
OMG! This is damn delicious! Seriously!
Unfortunately fresh spinach does not agree with me – can I use kale instead?
Yes, absolutely. Kale would be a great substitute.
I was looking for a new recipe for chicken thighs and found this one as well as your Garlic Brown Sugar and the Sun Dried Tomato Cream recipes. Each one sounded delicious and I had a hard time deciding which one to make first. Obviously, I made this one first. It was outrageously delicious!! The only changes I made was to add a whole bag of spinach (unchopped) and fresh thyme. I cannot wait to make the next two! Thanks for sharing your recipes =)
Served with jasmine rice. Damn. Delicious.
I forgot to come back and leave a review…. I’m not the cook in the family. My fiancé is . Cooking to me is popping a frozen pizza in the oven , for him it’s about dirtying up every pan , every spoon and using every herb in the house . Well it was his birthday so I wanted to fix him a dinner that wasn’t frozen (which I did have frozen pizza on back up just in case haha ) . I found this recipe and wanted to give it a try …. We both loved it! The sauce didn’t thicken for me but I think that was my fault. We still poured it over the chicken tho and it was amazing!
Thank you for the recipe!
I just made this – exactly as the recipe was written. Delicious!!! It will be my go-to chicken dish from now on. With the left overs (I made it for myself so there are a lot of left overs) I will make sure to have a french baguette to soak up all that fantastic sauce (this time I just used a spoon). Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Finally made it today. Soooo good. Sauce was a little thin but it was really good on some white rice. How it turned out http://imgbox.com/PPKdynj0
Messy plate 😛
do you bake the chicken in the sauce? (i.e could i transfer the whole cast iron directly from the stovetop to the oven, or do i have to pull the chicken out of the pan and place it in a pan to bake separately from the sauce?)
Yes, you can transfer the oven-proof skillet directly from the stovetop to the oven. Easy peasy!
Oh my gosh. I made this the other day and it has to be the most easy and delicious recipe ever. I made the 8 thighs. Ate two right away, froze the rest in little baggies with a bit of broth and then heated it up for lunch.
Gave some to my boyfriend as well and he loves it! So happy to have this recipe. Super easy and SO good.
Can you make these without the skin or with chicken breast and if you can how many breast pieces would you use
Mariam, you can certainly use boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or chicken breasts) but you may have to adjust cooking time as needed if breasts are used instead. I would estimate roughly 2 – 2 1/2 thighs per breast.
I can’t wait to try this! However, I am not a fan of lemon at all even though my sister says I used to suck on lemons as a kid. She is thinking of someone else as I have been a super taster for as long as I can remember. To me when lemon is in anything, all I taste is lemon and nothing else. That chicken I got once at a Chinese restaurant that had lemon slices in the take-out bag even though I asked them to leave them out tasted like I was eating a lemon, I couldn’t taste the chicken at all. I will leave out the lemon. Will let you know how we liked it after I make it.
I made this tonight and I have to say…it was DELICIOUS! I stuck to the recipe with only one exception. I didn’t have any heavy cream. I don’t drink milk or eat yogurt, so I debated for a while what to substitute for the cream. Finally, I decided to try to sub with cream cheese, but I only used half of what was called for. It didn’t harm the dish at all! I wanted to bottle that sauce and drink it later. So good!! Thanks for a great recipe!
Could this work with skinless boneless thighs?
Yes, absolutely, but cooking time may need to be adjusted as needed.
This recipe is AWESOME! I changed it up by using boneless/skinless chicken breasts cut in half and it was VERY good and leftovers heat up just as good!
This recipe is AMAZING!!!!!!!
Made this tonight and it was AMAZING! I did double the sauce portion and made it with boneless/skinless thighs. Hubs loved it as did I, thank you for a yummy, quick, elegant meal!
Hello, I tried this tonight and it was good but I think I messes something up.. I followed it exactly, I just did 4 chicken thighs instead of 8 and didn’t add the spinach. However, my sauce seperate a little (all the butter was at the top) and it was very creamy. The sauce was white and I only added the 1/2 cup of cream. Do you think it’s because I didn’t add the spinach or maybe because I added the cream first and then the chicken broth? Help! Lol
Jessica, unfortunately, it is very difficult for me to say with certainty as to why the sauce was so white. And as mentioned in the previous comments, a little bit of separation is completely normal. But all in all, I hope you enjoyed the recipe!
Made this last night and my family loved it, ate every single piece of chicken. The grease on top of the sauce is really thick though, I had to syringe it off with a turkey baster.
This recipe looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it! Though I’m a little confused about the nutritional info what do you mean by Servings Per Container as I’ve noticed that is what it says on most of the nutritional info you have been posting? That could be any amount. So this one says Servings Per Container 8, is that for the whole recipe? Thanks!
Stefani, the entire recipe yields 8 servings but the nutritional information that is listed is always for one serving.
So amazing. Whole family loved it!
WOW! We made this with 4 bone-in skin-on chicken breasts. I did not drain the fat after removing the chicken, our family eats LCHF (low-carb high-fat). Was perfect amount of sauce for 4 portions 🙂 I would definitely double up the sauce if I was to serve it to more than 8 people. My 9 yr son asked if I could make it every day! Going into our weekly rotation!! Thanks 🙂
Okay this recipe is ridiculously amazing! I made it for my boyfriend and I tonight and he is eating himself into a food coma at this very moment! I made a side of faux potatoes and a salad. I topped my potatoes with the sauce and it was delicious!
Oh, my, this is way better than anyone has posted. I had pork chops, and I thought why not!! I followed the recipe exactly to your instructions, and everything turned out awesome just like l
Was the best cook in my state. I had no trouble with the sauce, just kept stirring and pouring the lemon juice in slowly. Yes, the sauce was magnificent. I had garlic noodles,from trader joes, and a new slaw recipe. Boy, was I brave serving new recipes when having company. Everyone raved about the entire meal. See..you made me a hero. My theory is, let the company suffer also if the recipe is not good. I do not want to eat a failure all by myself. All of the other comments posted about what kind of chicken to use..any kind of meat would work. Just try
Wow this recipe was delicious and so easy! I used boneless skinless chicken tenders and they came out incredibly moist. I doubled the spinach and added a bunch of sliced mushrooms, served with jasmine rice…amazing! My boyfriend straight up inhaled this dish and requested I make it again. This one is now in my regular rotation!
This sounds like a wonderful recipe, but I wonder if you can tell me how critical the garlic is to the flavor? A member of our family has developed a severe allergy to garlic, therefore we have had to learn how to cook all over again… without benefit of garlic. Any suggestions regarding the Lemon Butter Chicken recipe? Thanks!
Liz, you can definitely omit the garlic as needed without compromising taste.
I needed to avoid dairy and nightshades in this recipe to make it AIP. I just left out paprika and black pepper, used duck fat instead of butter, used coconut milk and have also used coconut cream. I’ve made it three times now and it’s lick the plate good. I’ve made it with thigh fillets but I like it much better with the thigh cutlets. Reheats and freezes great. Thank you for the recipe.
This was really good. I loved the flavor.
I wish the lemon cream sauce wasn’t as runny, but I’m going to try again with rice or quinoa. I would use arborio rice, but I think it might take too long to cook.
Sorry not sure if someone asked this question or not, tried to read through but so many. Can you make this with chicken breast or boneless chicken breast? Thank you
Yes, absolutely, but cooking time may need to be adjusted.
Try with great confidence. It is extraordinarily good
Very delicious . Recommended. Eat healthy!
We try out new recipes on a regular basis but yours was amazing. Best regards.
Trying this recipe as I write this and its going wrong, wrong wrong as I go along.
First, I must of added waaaaay to much lemon juice. I added about 4-5 tbls. Dear sweet baby duck it is ridiculously overpowered with lemon.
Secondly ( and again this is MY mistake), I realized I do not own any oven safe skillets so I transferred everything to a baking dish. I’m worried because the sauce was so thin that it’ll burn right up. ***I’m running back and forth to check it.
My main concern at this point is the lemon flavor. We’ll see. I won’t publish this until I’ve tasted the final product.
*****Final Product***
Yeah, no…way to much lemon. While the family and I do enjoy it on some level I’ve decided that I’m going to try the recipe again next week with less lemon. Definitely a recipe I want to work at until I get it right.
Lemon Butter Chicken, family loved it. Grilled whole butterflied chicken on rack over baking dish ( after having brined it and seasoning it with garlic and onion powder, pepper and smoked paprika and thyme). I then deglazed the drippings using 1 cup of water and then defatted the broth after simmering for a few minutes. Then added 4 oz of the cream, 1 tbs of butter, juice of a lemon and 1/4 cup of parmesan. Simmered and thickened slightly with corn starch, Cut up the chicken and put it on a serving platter and poured the sauce over the top. Your ideas, my creative adjustments, Great Dish ! No salt added or needed. Thanks for the recipe
Pop
That sauce…. oh my goodness. I poured it all over the potatoes and green beans I made with it. I actually used half and half bc I forgot to get the heavy cream. Worked fine. Thank you for such a great recipe. LOVE!!!
First of all- I have had nothing but yummy success with all your recipes, keep em coming!! Not sure if anyone asked this in previous comments but if I were using 4 chicken thighs as opposed to 8- do I just divide all ingredients in half? (including the lemon and seasoning???? And would doing so produce enough sauce for that much chicken
Yes, if 4 chicken thighs are used, it is best to halve all of the ingredients as needed.
I’ve made this dish probably 20 times now and have never had the cream curdle. I think those that do may not be using heavy whipping cream. A light cream or even milk may curdle, but not the heavy whipping cream. I’ve also made this dish several times using fish – bass and catfish. I did add cornstarch after cooking the garlic before adding the liquids. I also added some capers. It was FABULOUS! Again – drink the juice!
I don’t have an oven safe skillet . Can I cook this on the stove top then transfer it to an oven safe dish? Bi have all the ingredients! Dying to try…
Yes, absolutely.
I made this last night for my boyfriend, and it was a hit! I was nervous because I typically undercook chicken when I cook it in the oven and have to throw it back in. The wonderful thing about chicken thighs is I feel like you can cook it forever and it will still be juicy. My pan was not big enough to hold 8 thighs (not sure if I had monster thighs or what…the pan is big) so I did four and cut the recipe in half. The wonderful thing is I feel like I can make this without a recipe after just making it once. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
In place of the cream, I will make a simple bechamel out of milk + roux. Roux = equal parts butter and flour. About 2 T for 2 c of milk.
That looks delicious!
This was AMAZING !! Everyone LOVED IT 🙂
Very delicious . I have prepared my boy even this morning and liked very much. Thanks recipe
We really prefer boneless chicken breast, do you think it would come out just as good? It looks delicious.
Yes, chicken breasts will work just fine, although cooking time will have to be adjusted as needed.
Hi, I need to try this recipe non dairy. I can use some kind of butter substitute, but as far as the heavy cream, do you think something like coconut cream would work? thanks!
Coconut cream sounds absolutely amazing. But unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment.
Omg I just made this tonight and it was delicious! I am just getting into cooking so i was pretty impresed. Made half but could’ve used a tad bit more sauce. I also added mushrooms and it went perfect with it! One question:when “searing” the chicken, is it just so the outside cooks or does the whole chicken have to cook or is it done in the oven?
When searing, it’s basically cooking the outside to seal in all the amazing juices and create that amazing crust. The chicken will cook through completely in the oven.
Can you use chicken breasts instead of thighs?
Yes, absolutely.
This is absolutely decadent! The flavors are so wonderful. I didn’t have heavy cream, so used plain Greek yogurt. That worked well. I sauteed the spinach separately. Thanks for posting.
Can’t wait to try this tonight! I would like to add more spinach, can I double the ingredients for the sauce so there’s enough?
Yes, absolutely.
Thanks for the prompt response!
I cannot get enough of bone in, skin on chicken thighs. Beautiful photos by the way. I love everything you have on your blog. I’m aspiring to be as big as you are someday!
xo,
Brooke
Do you think we can substitute boneless chicken breasts for the thighs?
Yes, that should work just fine but you may have to adjust coking time, as needed.
I followed the recipe, but halved everything, and used chicken breasts instead of thighs.
The Chicken Breasts tasted great, but 30 minutes in the oven caused all the sauce to evaporate and spinach to burn to a black charred crisp. Any suggestions on how to do it better next time? It came out very disappointing with no sauce or spinach.
Matt, perhaps there was not enough sauce to begin with? I recommend halving all of the ingredients but leaving the sauce proportions the same. Hope that helps!
I made this tonight for my best friend’s birthday and she absolutely loved it! Served it along with some rotini pasta and made a second helping of sauce so it could be poured on top. Can’t wait to try your other chicken recipes!
I made the chicken tonight a it was SO GOOOD!! I made it exactly as recipe except I used chicken breasts (4). I couldn’t get enough!! Next time I am doubling the sauce/spinach part. (you’re right….I could drink it). Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!!
Can other pieces of the chicken be used? I’m not really a fan of thighs.
Yes, absolutely.
Made this tonight and it was delicious! Thank you. Any ideas for the leftover sauce? I hate to throw it away it was so yummy 🙂
I tried this tonight – was very rich, but very delicious – I hope you don’t mind but I reviewed it as I’m always trying, often unsuccessfully to find a dish that both my kids will eat! This ticked enough boxes for my two to at least eat, which is a bonus as often they’ll prod a food and declare that it’s utterly inedible or poisonous, rather than actually try it!
http://mummycrochetry.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/foodie-monday.html
this is so simple and delicious! I make this probably every other week and my husband always loves it. I use 2% if that’s all I have and sometimes think I like it better a bit lighter. This is the first and so far only chicken dish in my house good enough even for a sunday dinner!
OMG! Your photography alone is soooo great! I can almost smell the chicken on the computer screen.
This will be the next chicken dinner for us!
This was amazing. I suggest doubling the sauce recipe so there’s plenty to serve over noodles
Was unable to get chicken today and was disappointed that I wasn’t going to be able to try it…until my husband brought out a pork steak cut of meat. Wasn’t sure how it was going to turn out, but smelled amazing while it was cooking…by my hubby nonetheless! Oh em gee, best sauce I’ve ever had!!! I even considered using it again tomorrow night and I’ve never liked repeat dinners. And the meat turned out perfect! Although it was pork, the searing made it more like a beef-style steak. Love love love this sauce and so did my picky 10- yr old who never liked any sauces!
I made this last night and have to say it was incredible! Very easy and practical ingredients wise! A lot of times these dishes are so intimidating to make because of the 1,987,657 ingredients! Only change I would make is not chopping the spinach, and maybe adding a bit more so it’s more of a 2 in 1 if that makes sense 🙂 Love love love! Checking out many of these recipes and they all look great! You’ve found a new follower for sure! Keep them coming!
Need to make these immediately! My mouth is watering!
Greets,
Need to make these immediately! My mouth is watering!
Greets,
I make this recipe so often. We love love love it. Thank you.
Chungah, do you think an enameled dutch oven could be used in place of a skillet for both the stove-top and oven parts of the recipe? I don’t have a large enough skillet that’s oven-safe, and it seems like the dutch oven would serve the same purpose.
Yes, absolutely.
Made this for dinner tonight. It was delicious. I added flour when I coated chicken in paprika to thicken the sauce 10/10!.
I made this tonight for dinner… I live alone and only had 1 chicken breast, so I scaled down the recipe…. Amazing!!! If it wasn’t 18 degrees outside if run to the grocery store to get more chicken! I’ll def made a full batch of this very soon!
OH.MY.DELICIOUSNESS!!! I made this just now and had to post RIGHT AWAY! I loved it. I barely tasted the sauce and I’m in heaven…I close my eyes and groan with every bite while me husband looks at me like…”really?”….Yes, really. I am not a fan of thyme usually but lemon and cream and butter, uh yes! This was a perfect balance of all of them and the sauce…sigh. My new favorite way to eat chicken. THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!
Made this tonight. I felt it didn’t need the cheese, and I would use less cream or cut it out altogether. The flavors of the butter, lemon, garlic, and thyme were terrific. Just felt it was heavier than it needed to be.
Sauce came out oily & thin. Poured it over fettuccini noodles. But didn’t’t care for the greainess
I just made this! I used chicken breasts and put it over thyme seasoned brown rice. Delicious!
OMG! I do not write reviews ever! But this was amazing! Both my kids ate every bite! Will definitely be making this again!
Delicious! I added Italian seasoning instead of Thyme and added diced onion in addition to the garlic. And I added some Ginger powder and Tumeric powder to the sauce. That was just cause I like the mixture of those two flavores. I also thickened up the sauce a bit with some flour cause I like my sauces a little thicker. It was really good!
In addition, I used the extra sauce to make a pasta side.
i cooked it yesterday and my bf really like it. thank you for the recipe.
Just made this tonight. It was DamnDelicious! My husband loved it and it is really hard to get him to try anything new. Just found your site. Can’t wait to try the next dish!
This is absolutely an epic! so delish! Thank you Damn Delicious.
You can toss out the chicken and just eat the sauce over rice…its that good!!
Can I use boneless skinless chicken thighs? And do I need to adjust the cooking time?
Yes, absolutely. Cooking time should relatively stay the same but as always, please use your best judgment.
Just made this and it looks & smells incredible! Gonna dig in!
I just made this tonight for my parents and in-laws. It was really good! I made a combination of chicken breast and chicken thighs. I think the chicken breast really soaks up the sauce well because it was very juicy and tender. Bravo on a fabulous recipe!
I made this with shrimp instead of chicken, and served with fettucine. It was a hit.
THANK YOU!! Just made this with pan seared baby potatoes & carrotts with rosemary & lemon thyme. Super yummy! Love that it goes from stove to oven in my cast iron pan! And mind you we’re renovating so I used a hot plate and toaster oven! Loved by all!
I was disappointed – next time I would eliminate the spinach and serve the chicken over rice with parsley and peas.
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested in my own kitchen, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well.
But I understand that failures and mishaps can happen. With a little bit more information, we can troubleshoot what went wrong to have a successful turnaround next time.
So I must ask – did you follow the recipe exactly as written without any substitutions?
I pinned this awhile ago and made it….a big hit! Tonight I only have drumsticks on hand so hopefully that will do! I’m going to check out more of your recipes 🙂
I have been looking at this recipe for a while now and finally made it today. It was so flavorful, my whole family enjoyed it. Thank you!!
OMG, this really is damn delicious! Made it wit roasted cabbage as a side (for husband and son). I ate it with a let and chicory and poored the sauce all over it. I actually drank some of the sauce, soooo gooood!!! 😉 Thank you for this wonderfull recipe!
I made this for the first time a few months ago and now it goes on to our menu plan at least once a month. It is SO good, I have claimed all leftovers for every time I make this dish and my family knows I am not kidding. 🙂 I LOVE the sauce for it.
How to get more sauce it seems to disappear?
You can double or triple the sauce portion as needed.
Can I use bone in chicken breasts? Also, if I cut the recipe in half should I keep the cooking time the same? I’m assuming if I cut the recipe in half then I should cut the ingredients in half as well?
Yes, if the recipe is halved, all ingredients should be halved as well. But cooking time will have to be adjusted as needed to suit this substitution.
I have tried 4 of your recipes since the weekend and all have been excellent. This one was a hit tonight – especially for the toughest of food critics, my 5YO son and 18 mth daughter! I will continue to frequent this site for more ideas!!!
I made this tonight, OMG….it’s so delicious, see link to the finished product. I put the spinach in dry, poured the sauce on it, put the chicken on top, then baked it….didn’t have enough room in my skillet. Also I had to sacrifice a piece of the chicken for the broth because I didn’t have any. My family loved this….A TOTAL HIT IN MY HOUSE
https://goo.gl/photos/cQC43cpD3AXNewH3A
You still used everything that was requested we use? Only step you change was cooking the spinach in the oven? Did this change your cooking time? How long did you leave in the oven?
This is a really easy and tasty meal! I used chicken breast instead of thighs as a personal preference, and the chicken was so juicy and yummy!
I followed the recipe to a tee and it didn’t come out creamy, the taste was off and the sauce was a great mess. Was really looking forward to this but unfortunately we won’t be trying this one again. I’m having to salvage what I can tonight. The chicken is moiste so that’s a plus but the sauce isn’t edible 🙁
I’m sorry that this recipe did not turn out the way you had imagined. I only post recipes that have been successfully tested in my own kitchen, and as you can see from the comments here, many of these readers have had great outcomes in the final dish as well. However, I understand that we all have different taste preferences, and I really appreciate your honest feedback.
This recipe is a winner — absolutely fantastic! You could put this sauce on a dishtowel and it would taste great. You are so talented at developing easy to make, delicious recipes. Thank you!
My sister and I love this chicken, and have made it twice in two weeks! We cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and make extra sauce, then mix it all up into a bunch of bow tie pasta. So good!
OMG, made this tonight and the only complaint is wish there was more sauce! It was so damndelicious!! will double the sauce next time. Thank you.. I put it over penne pasta.
I like spicy and was thinking I make it spicy by adding Cayenne or Jalapenos? Will that ruin the recipe?
Not at all!
I took the skin off of the thighs and trimmed the fat underneath. I think this brought the cholesterol and fat content down. I did everything else according to the recipe. Delicious!!! I’ve tried other lemon and thyme chicken recipes before. This was the best and the easiest!
How much broth (from the 4th step)? thanks!!!
1 cup.
Just made it – it’s delicious
Used coconut milk instead of heavy cream and added baby tomatoes when I added the spinach to the mix for some colour. Used a combination of spinach and rocket
Thanks !
I am hooked
Sounds amazing! 🙂
Absolutely delicious, even better leftover! I did use boneless, skinless thighs and worked perfectly!
This dish was delicious! I followed the recipe as written and wouldn’t change a thing the next time. Thank you for contributing to our fine dinner.
Based on the number of comment, I can see I’m not the only fan of this recipe! 🙂 Truly – this dinner is not only delish, but a serious family favorite! Love your page — keep the yummieness coming! 🙂
Made this for dinner tonight. Even our picky 4-year-old loved it, and it was so easy to make. We already had everything on hand. Thanks!
I made this last night, although I didn’t have any heavy cream, so I used ordinary cream and it was so yummy! My daughter said there wasn’t enough sauce, so I am making it again tonight with triple quantity of sauce! Still only have ordinary cream lol.
I have made this dish 3 times………..LOVE IT. I served it with rice. YUMMY.
I must have a couple of hundred recipes, this one is always delicious,one of our favorites. Thank you for how yummy this is!
I’ll tell you about my experience. your mileage may vary. I knew going into this recipe that i had to make some substitutions. I had finely grated thyme rather than dry thyme, granulated garlic rather than fresh, and grated parmesan romano blend rather than fresh parm. I was also using boneless skinless thighs sense my wife balks at the skin. The first problem came when i put the butter in my preheated-to-medium-high cast iron skillet. it turned black almost as soon as it melted. I set a lower heat, wiped out the skillet and tried again. just above medium worked much better. I have a huge cast iron skillet, i cant recall if it is 14 or 16 inches, but it is heavy as hell, wide as all get=out and still was crowded with 8 chicken thighs. I soldered on. the thighs crisped up as nice as can be expected without the skin. I made sure to dry each side of every thigh with paper towels before administering three grinds pepper, one grind salt, and a scant sprinkling of smoked paprika to each side. At this juncture the recipe instructs to remove excess grease. What is excess? All but enough to coat the pan? All but enough to make a grilled cheese? Since we are building a sauce I only removed about half before adding three teaspoons of granulated garlic. It began to burn almost immediately. I reduced the heat and added the wet ingredients, but the ensuing slurry just tasted like burnt garlic and thyme. I rinsed the pan (you’re not supposed to put water on cast iron! whatever man, i gotta make dinner for my wife who has been working all day.) and wiped it down gently making sure to leave a little bit of the baked on particles from the chicken; as much as I could. I seemed to have removed all visible burnt garlic. I tried again, adding wet ingredients and cheese first and then adding thyme and garlic to taste. Now we have a thin sauce that tastes like romano cheese. It needed richness and acid to balance out the salt and build it up. I probably would have accepted this sauce as a middle schooler’s first attempt at alfredo, but I certainly was not getting out the sauce drinkin’ mug.I added sour cream as a good source of both fat and acid. It improved the balacne, but the main flavor was still salty cheese. I tried adding some drippings from the resting chicken. This move resulted in more flavor from the paprika and chicken fat, but still overshadowed by salt. I then kept adding more heavy cream until i reached about quadruple the amount listed in the recipe.The resulting amalgam was a bland cream sauce the color of walnut shells. I added the rest of the drippings from the chicken, and the chicken itself and baked the whole concoction for 20 minutes. I checked and the internal temp of the thickest piece of chicken was 150 degrees F. I let the dish bake another 10 minutes. The thermometer now read 145. There was barely any sauce left in the pan, and the chicken was fork tender, so I decided my thermometer was defective, and removed the chicken. I tasted the thick sludge that was left, and found that a slightly smoky flavor mixed with thyme and romano was my reward. I added about 3/4 of a cup of heavy cream and the juice of another half a lemon to this paste, tasted it, and decided to add a dash of paprika, and a half a teaspoon of garlic. after coming to a boil, the sauce was finally good, but i felt a little more spice would put it over the top. Three grinds of black pepper later, and voila, I finally wanted to drink the sauce. This turned out to be more a smoky cream sauce than a lemon butter sauce. the ramano, and granulated garlic seem to have confounded my results profoundly. However, i feel that regardless of the ingrediends, this recipe has entirely too little cream to make any adeqyate volume of sauce for the end product. you would never be able to add so much as a tablespoon of sauce to each chicken thigh with the listed quantities. I think the moral of my story is, if you don’t have the exact ingredients, beware of making substitutions in an unfamiliar recipe.
Made this this other night and served it over spaghetti noodles – – it was delicious! I didn’t have a pan that went from stove to oven, so after I seared the boneless skinless chicken breasts I made the sauce. Placed the chicken in a 9×13 pan and poured the sauce over it. I baked it at 400 for 30 minutes (uncovered) and it came out perfect! Kinda reminded me of Chicken Picatta a little bit minus the capers. My DH told me to put this recipe in the “definitely you need to make this again” folder! 🙂
So I tried this in my iron cast skillet (I’m just learning how to cook), and when I put in the butter and garlic, it fried the garlic and I couldn’t get the cream, lemon, cheese to mix because the skillet has grill lines on it. So then I made it the next day in a regular pan and it came out better, but I feel that I over cooked the garlic due to it being on medium high heat. And, the cheese didn’t melt so the sauce wasn’t smooth, it had little crumbles of cheese. Almost like a tapioca. And, it was a bit watery. And, I didn’t put it in the oven, just let it simmer. I ended up turning down the heat. What am I doing wrong ? Though it was still delicious ! But didn’t look as yellow as in the picture.
What kind of cheese did you use? Also, some brands of butter are more yellow than others. Which brand did you use?
I made this Saturday just as the recipe says… Results, AMAZING….I wouldn’t make any changes.
Thank you for sharing this!
Wow, I can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow. This was absolutely delicious over rice! Thank you.
I can’t wait to try one on my own now! This is way luscious!
Made this tonight for my family and it was wonderful!!! Even our picky 4-year-old loved it, and it was so easy to make. We already had everything on hand. Thanks!
Can’t wait to try this. No one in my family likes Thyme. Should I substitute with something else, or would it still be flavorful if I completely omit it? BTW, I love the simplicity, yet still fanciness of your recipes. There is rarely one I see posted that I don’t want to try! I also just bought your cookbook! Keep up the great work!
You can substitute with another herb to your liking. Hope that helps!
I’ve made this without- still comes out delicious.
This dish was soooooo incredible! Thank you sooo much! I stumbled onto it and now I am subscribing to you and your talent! Thank you for making me look like a rockstar!!
I made this tonight with boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I seared them as directed and then put in microwave for about 20 minutes as they were large, thick breasts. It was absolutely delicious!
Oven not microwave, oops!
The sauce was SO good. Mine never thickened up at all, though, and was very thin (the consistency was like water). Is that correct, or should it have been thicker? I did double the recipe for the sauce because we wanted extra to put over spaghetti which I made on the side. Could that have affected how thick it got?
Yes, it should be a little bit thicker but not as thick as gravy-like consistency.
In the process of making Lemon Butter Chicken. The recipe calls for 8 chicken thighs. I browned 4 at a time then made the sauce. I ended up putting the chicken in a 9 x 13 baking pan with the sauce over the top. Couldn’t fit 8 thighs in my large skillet. Also, your video shows only 4 chicken thighs. Any insight would be helpful. My house smells Delicious!
The video is a reduced version of the full recipe. If the skillet is not large enough, searing in batches (as you did) works perfectly!
Amazing !!!
Hi, like your dishes. Maintain the Fantastic hard work as well as The photography is great. Given that uncovering your blog on Pinterest, I have added lots of your dishes to my collection. Thanks.
awesome, i want eat it now 😀
Made this last night for dinner and it was beautiful . Flavour spot on. I did not have spinach but served with steamed broccoli. I would go as far to say this is the best chicken recipe I have tried on Pinterest, and so easy. Many thanks
My husband and I just started Keto. This recipe was amazing! My husband LOVED it and my super picky 11 year-old really loved it too.
I did use only 4 large organic chicken thighs but the same amount of sauce it calls for. When I removed the chicken from the cast iron pan I used, I put the garlic in when it was still on medium high & it immediately burned, so if you are using cast iron, be careful, turn the heat down before you add the garlic. I ended up having to use a mesh strainer to get the burned garlic from the sauce and replaced it with a generous dash of garlic powder. Otherwise the only change I made was to use 2 tablespoons of bottled lemon juice (I didn’t have any fresh lemon on hand). I also added another tablespoon of butter and an additional dash of cream near the end of the summer just to thicken it up a bit and make it a little more creamy (but we are on Keto and trying to get fats in!).
Thanks for an awesome recipe! Husband is already talking about making it again for company.
OMG! I do not write reviews ever! But this was amazing! Both my kids ate every bite! Will definitely be making this again!
The autoplaying video is so annoying. Could you turn that off? I like to have a *choice* as to whether to watch a video and not have it shoved down my throat, and blasting my ears off. THANkS!
Yes, you have the “choice” to turn them off by simply clicking the “close” button.
This is actually perfect for a low-carb diet! It looks delicious, and I’ll definitely be trying it! Thanks!
My food came out burnt. lol. put it at 400 for 20 minutes too and the chicken was over 165 degrees internal also the spinach was dried up and black.
Hi
Can I cook this without oven ?
Like, can I just cook it in my stove ?
Asking this, as I dont have an oven.
Thanks
Yes, it’s definitely possible!