Lemon Butter Chicken
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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
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?
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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. ;-}
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.
I’m with this lady. I keep coming back to this site. I didn’t notice I bought boneless, skinless thighs. It’s so Devine I wept because the skin would be even more wonderful. Can’t wait to make it again. Guess I best go subscribe
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!
Thank you for the nice recipe. Happy New Year!
This looks wonderful 😀 So juicy! Perfect start to the new year ^ ^
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.
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
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!
Thank you because I have to be very careful of the amount of sodium.
You just adjust the sodium to how much you want or can have…. I’m limited as well but have never added any, so I don’t miss it.
Hope this was what you did.
Adjust what you need to.
Hi there what if I don’t use the heavy cream ?
Hi Heidy! Did you want to omit completely or substitute with something else?
FYI: I made this several times with heavy cream, but then I cut out dairy. I tried it yesterday with coconut milk (1 full can) and I didn’t taste much of a difference (sauce was just a bit thinner). I also used butter flavored coconut oil instead of butter.
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.
It’s in the oven right now I’m so exited and nervous. . I hope I did everything right!! Smells homie and soo gooood!!!
Can you substitute half and half for the sauce?
Yes.
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
Yes!!!!
It froze well and thawed/ reheated most deliciously! This is one of my favorite recipes. I cook for myself only as a Keto-er so I enjoy freezing portions . Works great,!
That lemon butter sauce looks incredible, love this!