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Experience the ease and flavor of Creamy Lemon Chicken, a perfect dish that combines juicy chicken and tender asparagus in a rich, lemon-infused cream sauce. This simple, one-skillet meal is ready in under 30 minutes, making it a quick and satisfying option for any night of the week.
Indulge in the vibrant flavors of our Creamy Lemon Chicken, a dish that perfectly combines zesty lemon and tender chicken in a rich, creamy sauce. This easy-to-make recipe, ideal for busy weeknights, is prepared in a single skillet and ready in less than 30 minutes, making it not just delicious but also incredibly convenient. It’s gourmet food made right at home! It is also one of my personal favorites, right next to that other creamy garlic chicken with asparagus recipe.
Why We Love This Chicken Recipe
- One-Pan: This recipe requires only one skillet, simplifying both cooking and cleanup.
- Quick: Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s perfect for a last-minute meal without compromising on taste.
- Flavorful: Combining the tang of lemon with the richness of cream and the goodness of asparagus, this dish is a fantastic blend of flavors.
Ingredients For Creamy Lemon Chicken
- Chicken Breasts: You’ll need four boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Asparagus: Adds a crunchy texture and a dose of greens.
- Lemon Juice: Infuses the dish with a fresh, citrusy zing.
- Parmesan Cheese: Offers a subtle nuttiness and helps thicken the sauce.
- Half & Half: Creates a luxuriously creamy texture.
- Garlic: Adds depth and aroma to the sauce.
- Italian Seasoning: Brings in a blend of classic herbs for enhanced flavor.
- Butter & Olive Oil: Used for cooking.
- Onion
- Flour: Helps thicken the sauce.
- Salt & Pepper: For seasoning and enhancing overall taste.
How To Make Creamy Lemon Chicken
This is one of the easiest chicken dinners you’ll ever make. The combination of seared chicken and asparagus in a delightful creamy lemon sauce will surely be a hit with everyone at the table.
- Season: Generously season the chicken breasts with with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken in the skillet and cook for about 6 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside.
- Cook the Veggies: In the same skillet, melt a tablespoon of butter. Add the sliced onions and asparagus and sauté for about 4 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender but still crisp.
- Make the Cream Sauce: In a mixing bowl, whisk together Half & Half, flour, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour the mixture into the skillet with the asparagus and onions. Bring the sauce to a boil, stirring continuously, then reduce the heat to let it simmer.
- Finish: Return the cooked chicken breasts to the skillet and simmer for 3 minutes, ensuring the chicken is heated through and the sauce thickens slightly.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- Preventing Sauce Curdling: Keep whisking and keep the heat at medium when you add in the sauce. High heat can cause the dairy to separate.
- Chicken Preparation: For even cooking, try to use chicken breasts that are similar in size so they cook evenly and at the same time. If the breasts are thick, consider pounding them to an even thickness or slice them horizontally to create thinner cutlets.
- Sauce Consistency: If the sauce is too thick, you can thin it out with a little chicken broth or additional half & half. If it’s too thin, let it simmer a bit longer to reduce, or create a cornstarch slurry (mix equal parts cornstarch and water) and add it to the sauce to thicken.
- Enhancing Flavor: Don’t be shy with seasoning. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed. For a more intense lemon flavor, add some lemon zest to the sauce.
- Vegetable Variations: While asparagus is a great choice, you can also use other vegetables like green beans, bell peppers, or spinach. Just adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Serving Suggestions
This creamy lemon chicken is the perfect weeknight meal! To make it even better, pair it with a slice of focaccia and a big la scala chopped salad. You could also finish it off with a slice of this flourless chocolate cake and a sip of cortado coffee.
Proper Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container and keep them in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a bit of water or broth to help loosen the sauce.
Quick Chicken Breasts Recipes
- Oven Fried Chicken Breasts
- Creamy Chicken Francaise
- Chicken Teriyaki Recipe
- Yogurt-Marinated Baked Chicken
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Creamy Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 (1 to 1.5 pounds) boneless, skinless chicken breasts,, pounded to about 1/2-inch thickness
- salt and fresh ground black pepper,, to taste
- 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 pound asparagus,, stalks trimmed and cut into thirds
- 1 small yellow onion,, sliced
- 1 cup Half & Half,, you can also use light half & half, heavy cream, or evaporated milk
- ½ tablespoon all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 whole lemon, , juiced
- 3 cloves garlic,, minced
- salt and fresh ground black pepper,, to taste
- lemon slices,, for garnish
- chopped parsley,, for garnish
- freshly grated parmesan,, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat.
- Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning and add it to the heated oil.
- Cook the chicken for about 6 minutes per side or until no longer pink. Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Add the butter to the skillet and melt it over medium heat. Add the asparagus and onions and cook for 4 minutes or until the asparagus is crisp-tender.
- In the meantime, combine the half & half, flour, cheese, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper in a mixing bowl; whisk until thoroughly incorporated.
- Whisk the prepared sauce into the skillet and bring to a slow boil while still whisking to prevent curdling.
- Transfer the chicken back to the skillet and lower the heat to a simmer.
- Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the asparagus is tender and the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the skillet from the heat. Spoon the sauce over the chicken breasts and top with lemon slices.
- Garnish with parsley and cheese, and serve.
Notes
- To prevent curdling, continuously whisk the sauce and maintain medium heat when adding the sauce to the skillet, as high heat can cause dairy separation.
- Choose chicken breasts of similar size for uniform cooking, and if they are thick, pound them to even thickness or slice them horizontally for thinner cutlets.
- Enhance flavor with generous seasoning, adjusting salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste, and add lemon zest for extra zing. For vegetables, try asparagus, green beans, bell peppers, or spinach, adjusting the cooking time as needed.
- For a richer sauce, consider using heavy cream instead of Half & Half for added creaminess and texture. If you’re looking for a lighter option, low-fat Half & Half or evaporated milk are great substitutes that still provide a smooth, creamy consistency without the extra fat.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I found this recipe because I was looking for a “basic” recipe to make when I had company over. Who doesn’t like lemon garlic chicken? So I made it, and it was a major hit! I couldn’t believe how amazing it tasted. Definitely not just a “basic” meal! So creamy and flavorful and delicious. I’m definitely saving it so I can make it again and again! Bonus: the garnish made this easy meal seem extra fancy to my guests. I got compliments on my “presentation.” 😉
That’s wonderful to hear! I am very happy everyone loved it! Thank you for chiming in! 🙂
Delicious and so easy
This dish was good, however I would omit the paprika and perhaps use different seasoning like thyme and/or dill next time. Great for my husband who is no-carb. I like how easily the sauce evolved. But your prep time is way off. It took much longer than 5 minutes to slice the onion, mince the garlic, prepare the asparagus, squeeze the lemon etc…. Overall a nice dish.!
Christine- I totally know what you mean! Every online recipe seems to do that. They list stuff like, “1 onion, diced” and “6 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed” so that they don’t have to count that stuff in their prep time. I always double whatever prep time is listed!
I came here after googling “recipe for chicken and asparagus.” I had chicken thighs instead of breasts, but had all the other ingredients, so I made it, tossing with pasta at the end. Easy and tasty. Thank you!
can this dish be frozen?
Hi!
It can, but the cream will separate once defrosted. I suggest to reheat the dish over medium-low heat and whisk in a bit more cream while reheating… whisk the sauce well so that everything comes together and there’s no separation.
Delicious!
Has anyone made this with fish instead? If so what type and what did you have to change with the recipe to do so?
Loved this sauce! Served it over rice. My 9 year pld and the adults loved it. I didn’t have halfnhalf so I used 1/4 cup of heavy cream and 3/4 cup of whole milk. I used a bag of broccoli because I had no asparagus and it still came out great. Definitely saving this one 🙂
We had this tonight and everyone loved it (hubby, 5,8,11 year old). Didn’t have half and half… so used 2 cups of plain greek yogurt (to stretch the sauce) … doubled the asparagus as well. Served it over farro. Yum!
Delicious … I served mine over sautéed zucchini noodles. 😍