Lemon Butter Chicken
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details.
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
Video
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
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Season chicken thighs with paprika, salt and pepper, to taste.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Working in batches, add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.
- Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the Dutch oven. 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 Dutch oven.
- Place into oven and roast until completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious!
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.
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!!
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 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 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. 🙂
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 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.
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!
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!
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!!!
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
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.
Loved it…didn’t change a thing I did add asparagus and some red potatoes. ..will try again
It was delish over whole wheat pasta! I saved some of the butter/fat drippings from the initial searing to smother over the pasta.
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.
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.
This is delicious, I made it tonight, definitely a company dish!! Thank you!
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!
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.
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