Lemon Pepper Chicken
Aug 07, 2019, Updated Mar 11, 2026
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Lemon Pepper Chicken is a quick skillet dinner made with tender chicken breasts coated in lemon pepper seasoning and finished with a simple garlic butter sauce. It’s made with pantry staples and ready in 30 minutes.
Easy and Quick Lemon Pepper Chicken
This lemon pepper chicken is one of those quick skillet dinners I come back to often. It’s bright, buttery, and packed with flavor, and it comes together in minutes.
When I need something simple for dinner that involves chicken breasts, I often rotate between my oven baked chicken breasts, baked crack chicken breasts, creamy lemon Parmesan chicken, and this lemon pepper chicken.
What is Lemon Pepper Chicken?
Lemon pepper chicken is pan-seared chicken breasts coated in lemon pepper seasoning and served with a simple garlic butter sauce with fresh lemon juice.
It’s a quick, flavorful chicken dinner that comes together in one skillet and pairs well with everything from salads to pasta and roasted vegetables.
Why You’ll Love My Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe
• Ready in about 25 minutes.
• Made with pantry ingredients.
• Juicy chicken with crispy edges.
• Everything cooks in one skillet.
• Easy to serve with mashed potatoes, pasta, chef salad, or veggies.
Key Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts – Boneless, skinless chicken breasts work best here. Slice them in half lengthwise so they cook quickly and evenly.
- Coconut Flour – Lightly coats the chicken and helps create a golden crust. All-purpose flour is okay to use.
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning – Adds a bright citrus flavor and peppery heat.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic is best, but garlic powder will work as well.
- Butter – Creates the rich garlic butter sauce that finishes the dish.
- Chicken Broth – Helps deglaze the pan and build the sauce.
- Lemon Juice – Balances the buttery sauce.
How to Make Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Prep the flour. Prepare a mixture of coconut flour plus lemon-pepper seasoning in a shallow dish; set aside.
- Prep the chicken. Cut chicken breasts in half to create 2 thinner breasts from one chicken breast. You should have a total of 8 chicken pieces that are around a 1/4-inch-thick.
- Cook. Set a large skillet over medium-high heat with oil. Toss the chicken breasts in the lemon pepper mixture, then add them to the hot oil; cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Cook time depends on the size of the chicken breasts. Also, depending on the size of your skillet, you may have to fry the chicken in batches. Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside on a plate.
- Make the lemon butter sauce. Return the skillet to the heat; add butter and garlic, then deglaze the pan with chicken broth. Stir in lemon juice and bring to a boil. Let it cook for about 3 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and slightly thickened. Add the remaining butter and let it melt through.
- Combine and serve. Return the chicken to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, or until heated through. Remove from heat and serve with sauce.
What to Serve with Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Bread: Garlic bread or crusty skillet bread for soaking up the buttery sauce.
- Salads: Caesar salad or a simple cucumber salad.
- Vegetables: Steamed broccoli, sautéed green beans, or asparagus almondine.
- Pasta or grains: Serve lemon pepper chicken over rigatoni, white rice, or even cauliflower rice.
FAQs
Yes. Boneless skinless chicken thighs work well in this recipe and will turn out even juicier. Just cook them a few minutes longer until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
Lemon pepper seasoning is usually a blend of dried lemon peel, black pepper, salt, garlic, and onion powder.
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Lemon Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 to 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ⅓ cup coconut flour, or all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- freshly chopped parsley, for garnish
- lemon slices, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the flour mixture. In a shallow plate, combine coconut flour, lemon pepper seasoning, lemon zest, and salt.
- Prepare the chicken. Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and, using a chef’s knife, cut the chicken breasts in half, longwise. You should have a total of 8 chicken pieces that are about a 1/4-inch-thick. Toss the chicken breasts in the flour mixture until coated on both sides.
- Cook. Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the hot oil in a single layer, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Depending on the skillet's size, you may need to cook the chicken in batches. Cooking time will also depend on the size of the chicken breasts. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate.
- Make the sauce. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet, along with the minced garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Slowly pour in the chicken broth and stir, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Then stir in the lemon juice and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly reduced. Add the remaining butter and let it melt through.
- Combine. Return the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook for 1 minute, or until heated through.
- Serve. Remove from heat. Serve the lemon pepper chicken garnished with parsley and lemon slices.
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
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.
How To Store Leftovers
- Store chicken leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for 2-3 days.
This was really good and relatively easy.
I saw that someone else had tried this recipe with tilapia. I’ll definitely be trying that next.
Made this tonight but made it with tilapia. It was delicious. We are not Keto so I will skip the coconut flour next time, as it tends to taste grainy. The fish cooks so fast that the next time I will dredge in grated Parmesan, just a tad of flour, and then the lemon pepper and zest. But this definitely registers on the tasty meter!!
Looks like we have a new favorite meal for weeknights!
This looks so tasty! Definitely giving this a try
Looks like we have a fabulous weeknight dinner! Super easy to make and bursting with flavors!
Great dinner for busy weeknights!