This parmesan-crusted Lemon Chicken Recipe is so EASY to make and completely ready in 30 minutes! The quick garlic and lemon butter sauce enhances the flavor of the chicken and adds so much flavor to the dish!
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I’m convinced you’ll love my Lemon Chicken with the best Lemon Butter Sauce.
Lemon Chicken Recipe:
This dish is going to become a favorite chicken dinner recipe for BUSY evenings. The chicken breast is generously coated in parmesan and pan-fried to give it a crispy crust. The chicken is then smothered in a lemon butter sauce with garlic that adds so much flavor to the chicken.
We love easy 30-minute chicken recipes for busy weeknights and some of our go-to’s include Chicken Marsala, classic Chicken Parmesan and of course this easy lemon garlic chicken. With these recipes in your arsenal, you can make restaurant-quality meals for a fraction of the price of eating out.
How to Make Lemon Chicken:
With just a few simple ingredients a few minutes of prep time, you can have yourself the most DELICIOUS crispy chicken breast in a buttery garlic lemon sauce!
- Cut chicken in half lengthwise and beat with a meat mallet to an even thickness.
- Prepare Egg Mixture – whisk together eggs, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
- Prepare Parmesan Mixture – in a separate bowl, mix together the parmesan cheese and flour.
- Dredge the Chicken – coat in the egg mixture, then generously coat in parmesan mixture, shaking off excess.
- Cook Chicken. Add oil to a hot skillet then add breaded chicken and cook 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and the internal temperature reads 165˚F with an Instant Read Thermometer.
Cook’s Tip – If the chicken crust begins to brown too quickly, reduce heat allowing the chicken to fully cook through.
How to Make Lemon Butter Sauce:
This 5-minute EASY lemon butter sauce will become a staple in your home. The sauce is tangy from the fresh lemon and butter and the garlic just brings all the flavors together – SO GOOD!
For a quicker dinner, prepare the lemon sauce in a separate saucepan or skillet while the chicken is cooking. Then just pour the sauce over the chicken once it is cooked. Or, you can just cook the chicken, remove it from the skillet (cover to keep warm) and prepare the sauce in the same skillet, then add the chicken back.
- Saute the garlic and butter until fragrant.
- Whisk in the lemon juice, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and pepper. Allow the sauce to cook over med heat for about 2 minutes.
NOTE: We love the fresh and tangy lemon flavor in this recipe. If you prefer a less lemony flavor, reduce the lemon juice.
Can I make this Ahead?
If you like to prep dinner in advance, slice the chicken and add it to the egg mixture, cover and refrigerate until you are ready for dinner. Allowing the chicken to marinate will result in a juicier and more tender chicken breast. Then, just continue with the remaining recipe instructions.
Can I make the Lemon Chicken without Parmesan Crust?
Yes! For a healthier option, completely omit the egg mixture and parmesan mixture. Slice the chicken breast and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning. Then, continue with the preparation of the sauce.
Substituting for Chicken Thighs?
This lemon chicken will work with chicken breast, chicken thighs, and even chicken tenderloins. You will want to prepare the recipe according to the instructions, the only difference will be in the cooking time. The cook time will depend on the size of the thighs, you want the internal temperature to reach 165F on an instant-read thermometer.
Adding Vegetables to the Chicken in Skillet:
Yes, you may definitely add vegetables to complete the dish. Asparagus, green beans, and zucchini will all go great with the lemon sauce and compliment the chicken
I can’t wait for you to give this simple chicken dinner recipe a try!
What to Serve with Lemon Chicken?
The EASY chicken dish is completely ready in just 30 minutes and can be served with our Mashed Potatoes or your favorite pasta and it pairs well with Caesar Salad.
More Chicken Recipes to Try:
- Chicken Cobb Salad – so easy with rotisserie chicken
- Spatchcock Chicken – one-pan baked chicken dinner
- Chicken Fried Rice – a great way to use leftovers
- Chicken Carbonara- Olive Garden copycat recipe.
- Tender Chicken Thighs- Easiest and juiciest baked tender thighs.
Lemon Chicken with BEST Lemon Butter Sauce

Ingredients
Ingredients for Parmesan Crusted Chicken:
- 1 1/2 lb chicken breast, (2 large), patted dry with paper towels
- 1 Tbsp olive oil, to sautee
- 1 Tbsp parsley, to garnish (optional)
- 1/2 lemon, sliced for garnish (optional)
For the Egg Mixture:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
For the Parmesan Breading Mixture:
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Ingredients for Lemon Butter Sauce:
- 8 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Lightly beat with a meat mallet until even in thickness.
- In a bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the egg mixture. In another bowl, combine the ingredients for the parmesan mixture. Dip chicken into the egg mixture, then dredge chicken in the parmesan mixture. Allow any excess ingredients to fall off from each bowl.
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a skillet. Once hot, add the chicken and cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until crispy, golden and cooked through to 165˚F on an Instant Read Thermometer. Reduce the heat if chicken browns too quickly.
- Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan, melt butter and garlic, cook until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and pepper. Allow the sauce to cook for about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken, turning to coat. Garnish with lemon slices and finely chopped parsley if desired.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
I don’t have any garlic can I use garlic powder instead?
Hi Natasha, I haven’t tried it with garlic powder to advise. One of our readers did try it, though, and enjoyed that.
Loved it! Delicious. Added capers to the sauce.
I’m so glad you loved it! Thanks for your great comments and feedback, Vivi.
Vivi, I add capers and extra butter and lemon all the time. I love it on noodles. Soo good.
I love this recipe!!! I made mine with chicken tenders because that is all I had. My husband enjoyed it. I usually make chicken piccata but that doesn’t even come close to this, I will be making this again .
Sounds great, Donna! Thank you for your great comments and feedback. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hands down the best dish when you are short on time and want something good and refreshing!
Thank you for your good comments, Tricia!
I have not made this recipe yet, but I really want to. But I don’t want to have to fry it in a pan I would like to bake it in my oven, but I didn’t see where anybody had mentioned that they had done that. So I guess I’ll just try it myself
Hi Midj, I hope you find this helpful. Here’s what one of our readers said about baking it in an oven: “It worked in the oven! I used 1 cup of panko bread crumbs and 1 cup of parmesan cheese instead of the flour/parmesan mix, used cooking spray in my pan, and baked at 375 for 30-35 minutes. My family wanted it crispier, so next time I’ll broil for a few more minutes at the end.”
Fabulous dish and I managed it without my wife’s intervention. And she really enjoyed it!
Achievement unlocked! Haha I’m glad it was a success, David.
So delicious! I used 2 tbsp butter (high blood pressure😕) and thickened the sauce with a little cornflour- still superb! Served with wild rice, and green beans and Swiss chard straight from the garden! Thanks for this great recipe❤️
You’re very welcome, Beth! I’m glad you loved this recipe, thanks for sharing that with us.
Hello Natasha! I love your recipes! I tried this for lunch today with chicken thighs and the family just loved it! My boys rated it 10/10. Thank you for making cooking and baking such a treat!
Wow, that is so awesome! Thank you for giving this recipe a perfect rating!
I don’t have any chicken broth on me at the moment. Would it be okay to omit it or is there a sub I can use?
You can try using bouillon instead.
I have always shied away from lemon chicken recipes because they never seem to have much flavor to me. However, I tried this recipe and I am so glad I did! It is really good! Got a thumbs up from some picky eaters too! Thank you!!!
I’m so glad you tried it too, Ginny! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review!
Can you make this gluten-free, say, with cornstarch instead of flour?
Hi Sherri, yes, this could easily be made with gluten-free flour and gluten-free bread crumbs.
How can I make this ahead so I can serve it to company and still get to visit with them!
Hi Bev, we prefer it fresh! But I bet you can make a it a bit ahead and either keep it warm or reheat.
I tried this tonight, and it turned out great. Much easier than I thought it would be. Thanks for the recipe, will definitely be making it again. I also served broccoli with the lemon sauce on top. Really good!! Next time I’ll take a picture.
Don’t you love a recipe that turns out easy and delicious?! This one is a favorite for a good reason!
Great dish and I love the tip of soaking the chicken in the egg beforehand. Makes prep easier. This is a new family favorite ( all 5 of us and that never happen). Not hard, lemony without being to lemony. A fab meal, thank you.
That is the best when the family loves what we parents make. That’s so great!
What an awesome easy meal to make. Thank you !!! Paired it with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. Definitely a keeper🙂👍
Awesome! I’m really happy to read your great comments, thank you for your wonderful review!
I really enjoyed this dish, so delish! I didn’t want to open a can of chicken broth so I used Sherry wine instead. I stir-fried the egg wash with my pasta, put the chicken on the pasta and poured the lemon butter sauce over it, so good! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Perfect! Glad that worked and the result was great. Thank you for your wonderful review and feedback!
Made this lemon chicken recipe for the first time and gotta say…. Delicious!!! WOW.
Question for you….
The nutritional info is for a 6 oz serving?
Hi Kathleen, yes, that would be about 6oz of chicken per serving. I’m so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for your wonderful review!
I tried this Lemon Butter Chicken, I didn’t have all the ingredients but substituted what I had to work with. Turn out great! I really like this recipe and will make it again.
Thank you so much for sharing that wonderful review with me, Patti! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was so delicious! I’ve made lemon chicken before and it has never come close to tasting anywhere as good as this! The parmesan crust is sooo good!
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kristen. Thank you for your great feedback!
I made it exactly as directed. My husband said it was the best dish I’ve made an hour 26 years of marriage! I will say, it wasn’t hard but it took me longer than 30 minutes. I know I will be making this again and I’m sure I will get quicker at it! Yummy!!
Hi Michelle, that is so awesome! I’m happy to hear that you and your husband loved this recipe.
Oh my gosh!! This is the BEST Leon Chicken!!! I used 1 fresh lemon for the sauce as the lemon juice. I sliced a lemon in thin slices & placed on too of the chicken while it simmered while I finished everything else. I served it with roasted asparagus. We poured some of the lemon sauce on top of the asparagus as well… instead of just drinking it with a straw :). … it was really good. Thank you for sharing!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Marcy!