Lemon Garlic Chicken

Course Chicken, Main Course

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword best-lemon-garlic-chicken, lemon-garlic-chicken-recipe

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings servings

Calories 157kcal

Marinade: In a bowl add the lemon juice, olive oil or avocado oil, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and black pepper. Whisk to combine, then add the chicken. Use tongs to flip the chicken breasts until the chicken is completely coated on all sides.
Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes up to 2 hours. (Don't marinate overnight or longer than 2 hours as the marinade can make the chicken tough.)
Cook: Melt the butter in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat.
Once the butter has melted remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and add to the pan. (Reserve the marinade for the sauce.)
Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook and brown the chicken cooking for 4 minutes per side or until the juices run clear and an internal temperature of 165°F is reached. Remove from the pan and keep warm. (Cooking time may vary depending on thickness.)
To the pan add the marinade and chicken broth. Bring to a boil then lower to medium and deglaze the pan, scraping any brown bits left behind on the bottom of the pan. Add 1 Tbsp parsley, stir to combine.
Return the chicken to the sauce then use a spoon to baste with the sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Sprinkle the remainder of the fresh parsley on top, then serve.

- Protein: You could make this recipe using boneless skinless chicken thighs. Chicken thighs will take longer to cook so use an instant read thermometer to check the internal temperature of 165° F.

- Heavy Cream: To transform the sauce into a thicker creamy sauce, add a splash of heavy cream to the pan along with the chicken broth and marinade.

- Breadcrumb Coating: If you want crispy chicken you can coat the chicken first in a light dusting of all purpose flour and then into an egg wash and panko breadcrumbs. Bake in the oven at 400°F for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear. You want to look for an internal temperature of 165°F.

- Herbs: You could use fresh rosemary, fresh thyme or fresh tarragon in place of parsley.

- Vegetables: You may opt to add sautéed cremini mushrooms, onion or asparagus to the skillet after you have cooking the chicken and prior to making the lemon garlic sauce.

- Cooking Options: You can cook the chicken on a grill pan indoors, cast iron skillet, gas grill or charcoal grill. If you throw them on the grill you can use a basting brush to coat them with melted butter and oil after removing the chicken from the marinade.

- How to Serve: You can serve this tender, juicy lemon chicken with a fresh spinach salad, green beans, broccoli or zucchini, with a side of rice pilaf, mashed potatoes or lemon pasta.