Lemon Butter Chicken With Tarragon

Course Chicken, Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword chicken-breast-recipes, easy-chicken-recipes, lemon-butter-chicken

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 406kcal

Author Melissa Sperka

Place chicken cutlets between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Pound to 1/2 inch thickness.
On a plate whisk together the all-purpose flour, lemon pepper, garlic salt, Italian seasoning and onion powder. Coat the chicken pieces with the seasoned flour.
Heat 1 Tbsp of butter and a couple of drizzles of olive oil in a large skillet. Fry the chicken in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until golden. Remove to a platter. Repeat 1 Tbsp butter and a couple of drizzles of olive oil for the second batch.
Place the lemon slices in the pan and brown on both sides. Remove from the pan.
Add the remaining 2 Tbsp butter, chicken broth, lemon juice, chopped tarragon and crushed red pepper flakes to the pan to deglaze. Scrap any brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Allow to simmer 3 minutes, and reduce slightly.
Return the chicken to the pan and spoon the juices on top. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped tarragon.
Serve immediately over rice pilaf or pasta, if desired.

Chicken - You can adapt this lemon chicken recipe using boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They will take slightly longer to cook so test the internal temperature with an instant read thermometer looking for 160-165°F.
Spices - I like to add crushed red pepper flakes for a hint of spice. This is optional, you can omit, if desired. You can also replace lemon pepper with black pepper.
Fresh Herbs - In place of tarragon you could use fresh chives, parsley or rosemary to change the flavor profile.
Lemon Zest - To really amp up the lemon flavor you can garnish with fresh lemon zest.
Even Cooking - Pounding the chicken breasts to even thickness helps with even cooking. Use the smooth side of the meat mallet to avoid tearing the tender chicken.
Side Dishes to Serve with Lemon Butter Chicken - While you really can't go wrong, you can serve this chicken with a side of Scalloped Potatoes, Mashed Potatoes, and Garlic Parmesan Roasted Vegetables. If you'd like to serve it with Lemon Pasta or a big batch of Fettuccine Alfredo and a Wedge Salad with homemade bleu cheese dressing will do the trick.