30-Minute Lemon Chicken

You only need a few ingredients and one pan to make this quick and easy 30-Minute Lemon Chicken recipe! Perfect for busy weeknights, family dinners, or meal-prepping, this is a meal the whole family is guaranteed to enjoy.

If you love easy chicken recipes, then you’ve got to try my Honey Garlic Chicken and Chicken Pot Pie Pasta!

Why You’ll Love This Winner of a Chicken Dinner

Quick and easy dinners are always my favorite, especially the ones that call for just a handful of ingredients and one pan or dish to cook everything in. So, it’s safe to say this 30-Minute Lemon Chicken is definitely one of my favorites!

This easy chicken recipe is a light and fresh dish that bursts with citrus flavor. And I’d bet that you have most, if not all, of the ingredients needed to make it at home. (You gotta love a recipe that doesn’t require a grocery store run!)

Garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, and fresh parsley make this dish a healthy staple to any weeknight meal. Everything is cooked in one pot, making for an easy clean up. I make a light sauce using white wine, chicken stock, and fresh-squeezed lemon juice to kick it up a notch without having to exert too much effort. The finished product is a beautiful, delicious, lick-your-plate-clean chicken dinner!

I like to serve the chicken with my Cilantro Lime Rice and Roasted Brussels Sprouts. I make extra for the week ahead to use for salads and lunches.

Key Ingredients

You only need a handful of ingredients — many of which you probably have in your kitchen right now — to make this easy lemon chicken recipe:

• Extra virgin olive oil (or another light-tasting oil with a high smoke point, like avocado)
• Two garlic cloves (minced; or more to taste)
• Salt
• Black pepper
• Four chicken breasts (roughly the same size)
• Dry white wine
• Chicken stock (homemade, if possible, or low-sodium store-bought)
• Fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• Lemon zest
• Fresh parsley (chopped fine)
• Extra lemon slices and parsley for garnish

How To Make This Dish

1. Start by adding the oil to a large pan, like a cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat.
2. Once the oil is heated through and shiny, add the minded garlic, and cook for one minute until fragrant.
3. While the garlic is cooking, season the chicken breasts generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet with the garlic, and cook for 5-6 minutes per side until browned and cooked through.
4. Pour in the wine, stir while scraping all of the cooked buts off that bottom, and allow to cook for one minute to cook off the alcohol. Add the chicken stock, and simmer until slightly reduced..
5. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley. Stir, and pour sauce over chicken breasts.
6. Serve warm with extra lemon slices and parsley. Enjoy!

Tips and Variations

• To get tender, juicy chicken, make sure to start off with a hot pan. This will ensure that you have a caramelized, crispy exterior and a tender interior.
• Before cooking the chicken breast I make sure to tenderize it with a mallet or rolling pin (both work great). This will ensure even cooking and provide a juicer chicken breast. To make sure the chicken is fully cooked use a knife of fork to pierce the chicken and make sure the juice is clear not pink.
• Spice it up with some diced jalapeños, cayenne pepper, or dried crushed red pepper flakes.
• Double the sauce to serve over rice and to have plenty for leftovers throughout the week!
• Use chicken tenders or chicken thighs, if preferred! Cooking time will be a little less for the tenderloins and a little longer for the thighs.
• More of a fish person? You could use this same recipe to make lemon pepper tilapia or shrimp!

Storage, Freezing, and Reheating Instructions

• Store cooled, leftover lemon chicken breasts in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Freeze this recipe in an airtight, freezer-safe container or plastic bag for up to 1 month.
• Reheat in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, or until cooked through.

More Easy Dinner Recipes To Try

• The BEST Chicken Parmesan
• Easy Chicken Marsala
• Mexican Stuffed Shells
• 30-Minute Mushroom Carbonara
• Instant Pot Barbecue Chicken

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