Weeknight Lemon Chicken Breasts
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So quick, so easy. And the garlicky lemon herb sauce is THE BEST. Serve with a light salad + crusty bread!
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It’s all in the name. Weeknight chicken goodness. Yup, we can absolutely whip this out on those super busy weeknights when dinner just feels utterly impossible.
So thaw those chicken breasts and let’s get to it! It comes together fast – lightening fast.
The only time consuming part is letting those chicken breasts cook through completely. From there, you can melt some butter in those pan drippings alongside some garlic, fresh rosemary and lemon juice for all that saucy saucy goodness.
tips and tricks for success
- Use a cast iron skillet. Cast iron skillets retain heat much better than a nonstick skillet, allowing for even cooking and a better sear.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- Let your meat rest. Let your chicken rest for at least 5 minutes prior to serving, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover chicken can be rubbery when reheated. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
what to serve with chicken breasts
Tools For This Recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Weeknight Lemon Chicken Breasts: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This recipe will work with boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs (and even tenderloins), but please be mindful of cooking time. Thighs and tenderloins will require less time to cook through.
Absolutely! But because dried herbs are often more potent/concentrated than fresh herbs, you need less when using dry. The correct ratio is 1 tablespoon fresh herbs to 1 teaspoon dried herbs.
While freshly squeezed lemon juice is always recommended, bottled lemon juice will work just fine in a pinch with such a small amount in this recipe (2 tablespoons).
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Weeknight Lemon Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts, about 1 1/2 pounds
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ medium shallot, diced
- 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Instructions
- Season chicken with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet in a single layer and cook until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low. Using tongs, flip and cook, covered, until cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, an additional 8 minutes; set aside and keep warm.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet over medium low heat. Add garlic, shallot and rosemary, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 2 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken stock, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened, about 4-5 minutes.
- Stir in lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon butter; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Return chicken to the skillet.
- Serve immediately.
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I have actually made this multiple times, without modification and always with good results. Tonight I followed another review’s comments and used half white wine and half chicken broth. I don’t know if I tasted a different but it was good. Another reviewer suggested serving with Angel Hair Pasta (SCORE!) so I did that as well, but I doubled the amount of sauce which was a good call. The other modification I made tonight was using fresh basil instead of rosemary because I was too lazy to go out in the rain to clip some rosemary :-). It was good. The basil provided just a hint of flavor along side the lemon.
Question for Chungah: my basil-flour mixture never browned. Is that because basil doesn’t brown like rosemary?
Easy to make and so yummy and tasty!! The lemon rounds out the flavors. I will definitely make this again!! Thank you for this recipe. 🙂
Yet again, we have another recipe from Damn Delicious on our rotation! So delicious and quick. Served just as you suggested with a light salad and some crusty bread, and dipping that bread in the delicious sauce was just.. well damn delicious. Thanks for another favorite!
This was fantastic. I doubled the sauce and served the whole thing over angel hair pasta with some chopped spinach mixed in. The fresh lemon flavor was so nice and the sauce was light and bright. Thank you so much for creating this.
This was just fantastic! Followed recipe exactly as written and it made a delicious Valentine’s day dinner.
This was a new hit in our house tonight! Even my picky eater 10 year old was scraping up every bit of the sauce from his plate. Delicious! Thank you!!
Loved this recipe! Am dairy-free and gluten-free so used vegan ghee for the butter and tapioca flour for the flour and it was a hit with the whole fam!
I made a gluten free version of this recipe and my husband loved it. It’s so easy yet very delicious! Thanks for sharing! I always enjoy your recipes.
Just made this tonight and doubled the sauce, because you can never have too much sauce! It’s so good. Serving with brown rice and veg for lunches this week. How decadent, right? This is on par with the teriyaki meatball recipe.
Made these for dinner and they were wonderful! So easy and delicious!!
I made this and was worried because I used gluten free flour but it turned out great. my husband is not a fan of chicken and he said “it’s ok” right as he was taking a second serving. LOL. I will be making this dish again!
Delish!!! Such an amazing, quick weeknight option that everyone loved. I made this with garlic sticks (which ended up being dipped in the sauce because it’s so awesome!) and a romaine salad with cucumbers and Italian dressing. Definitely will be a new addition to the weeknight recipe rotation!
Girl, I’m currently making this right now. My kitchen smells SO good. I was using a recipe similar to this. But THIS honey tops that other recipe. I’m using the rest of the gravy on some mashed potatoes. So excited to take my first bite! You’re the reason I know how to whip in the kitchen!!
This was amazing. Emphasis on using freshly squeezed lemon juice and I would double the lemon sauce next time because YUM!
Finally found the perfect recipe for this! Thank you so much! My family loved it!!
Sooo good! I meal prepped this for my lunch today at work and I wish I had more. I made with green beans, next time, I will add mashed potatoes.
Perfect amount of lemon taste in this recipe! Thanks for sharing.
Easy and yummy. I had one thick chicken breast that was taking forever to cook all the way through so next time I will either slice thick pieces or pound them. I served the chicken with steamed broccoli and with couscous because that is what I had on hand. The lemon sauce spread over to the couscous and the broccoli which was fine with me.
Husband and I were both big fans! We’ll be making it on repeat.
This is our favourite dinner recipe! So easy and so delicious!