Lemon Chicken is one of the best–and easiest–ways to prepare chicken! It’s big on lemon flavor, and the chicken is moist and tender.

This is one of the most delicious ways to cook boneless skinless chicken breasts so they are moist, tender, and loaded with flavor. We get the deep lemon flavor we love here, three ways: with fresh lemon juice, lemon zest, and lemon slices. The chicken comes out perfectly every time with just a couple of tricks to ensure even, tender cooking. Learning how to make great Lemon chicken gives you a go-to chicken recipe that is so versatile and requires just a few simple ingredients. This is my weekly go-to for a quick and easy dinner on busy weeknights but also a favorite to make and serve when we have family or company for dinner.

Ingredients

Skinless boneless chicken breasts. Substitute with skinless thighs, but avoid skin-on, bone-in chicken for this recipes (those require a different method)

Salt and black pepper

Garlic powder. I prefer this to garlic cloves so that the lemon flavor is primary.

Extra virgin olive oil, to sauté the chicken.

Lemons for lemon zest, lemon juice, and lemon slices

Water, white wine, or chicken broth, to deglaze the pan after searing the chicken

Butter, just a little butter to thicken and enrich the lemon sauce

Chopped parsley, chives, or other fresh herbs, and paprika or sumac spice, for a bright garnish

How to Make Lemon Chicken

Follow these few simple steps for an easy lemon chicken recipe with excellent results:

Step 1. Pat the raw chicken breasts dry with a paper towel, and slice the chicken lengthwise to make two thinner cutlets out of each, for four total.

Step 2. Season the chicken all over with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 

Step 3. In a large skillet, heat olive oil until hot and shimmering (but not smoking). Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, without moving them, for 7-8 minutes. Turn them over and continue cooking until the internal temperature of the chicken is 165°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the thickest areas of chicken.

Step 4. Transfer the chicken to a plate, shaking off excess juices, while you make the pan sauce. Add the lemon juice and water, white wine, or chicken stock and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Step 5. Turn the heat off and add the butter, giving a quick toss  until melted. Place the chicken pieces back into the sauce and warm through on low heat. Tuck the lemon slices around the chicken, dust with lemon zest and parsley. Serve immediately.

Tips for the Best Lemon Chicken

For this and many chicken breast recipes, it’s helpful to slice the chicken in half lengthwise. This is like butterfly cutting the chicken breast, but cutting all the way across to create two thinner cutlets from one breast. The thinner cutlets cook through more easily and evenly without overcooking the exterior.

Use lots of lemon. Taste your sauce after adding the butter–it should have great lemony flavor! Add another squeeze of lemon juice to the lemon sauce if needed. A dusting of sumac spice, which has a similar citrusy profile, adds another layer of bright flavor.

Don’t overcook the chicken. An instant-read thermometer is key and well worth the investment. Check the chicken’s internal temperature and be sure to get that to 165 degrees F–but no higher than that, or the chicken can become dry and not as tender. 

Don’t substitute bone-in, skin-on chicken. Those require a different method so that the chicken will be cooked properly. But you can substitute skinless chicken thighs; for those, do not slice in half lengthwise for cutlets. Chicken thighs are already thin enough and similar in size. You can also substitute thin-cut chicken breast for the recipe, which will not require slicing before cooking.

Serving Suggestions 

Lemon chicken is a delicious recipe that is incredibly versatile! Serve it with Lebanese Vermicelli Rice, angel hair pasta, or Roasted potatoes (red potatoes or sweet potatoes), green beans, and your favorite salad (such as Lebanese Salata or a Greek salad). 

Storing Leftovers

Leftover lemon chicken is a delicious dinner the next day. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.