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!

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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




Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home.
Love this recipe,my husband loves anything lemon and this was a hit . I added a little parmesan to the top of the chicken,and served it with mashed potatoes and asparagus! Delicious!
Happy to hear that the recipe was a huge hit!
My husband and I went gaga over this recipe!! So delicious… Served over mashed potatoes, and happened to have some broccoli on hand as our veggie. The only thing I did differently was add some honey to the lemon sauce along with lemon zest as it was cooking to give it that sweet and savory balance we love so much. Thank you for another hit, you haven’t failed me once 😊
Oh I almost forgot, I also added a little bit of cornstarch to thicken it up a bit.
Thanks for sharing, Dana! That sounds like a good addition to the recipe!
This chicken is delicious! Was a hit with the family and even had a request for the recipe. Will definitely be making this again.
Happy to hear that your family enjoyed this recipe!
I thought this was great! This is very lemony. So lemony that I did not garnish with fresh lemon. The only thing I did different was not use chicken broth in the sauce. I mixed lemon juice w garlic and pepper. When chicken was finished cooking, I poured the sauce on it. ( I figured if I used the chicken broth, the chicken may be soggy with all the liquid being used. This was great I will prepare and serve it again
Once the chicken is cooked, it won’t get “soggy” from more sauce. The broth is there to temper the sourness of the lemon juice. The overall sauce volume would leave you enough to flavor some accompanying rice or pasta!
P.S. It was so ‘lemony’ BECAUSE you left off the broth…
This was absolutely delicious!!! I did have to add more flour and Parmesan cheese, but maybe that’s just my preference. Will be making this again very soon
Thank you for the feedback, Marilyn! 🙂
Can this be baked instead? I’m entertaining and it would make it easier
Hi Alice, 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.”
We love this recipe! Have made it several times. On occasion we have doubled the lemon butter sauce and served it over angel hair pasta, adding a little pasta water for volume. It holds a very special place in my heart. I contracted COVID earlier this year (after being vaccinated and boosted) and lost my sense of taste and smell for 4 months. One night I made this incredible dish and my sense of taste returned! Thank you Natasha in more ways than one. ♥️
So glad to hear that, Joann! Thank you for the wonderful review.
Quick wast delicious! The only change..served over pasta instead of mashed potatoes. Huge hit with the fam!!
That’s a good combo too, delicious and so filling. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Could this be made with gluten free flour for the breading? Need to find some new options.
Hi Cathy! I have not tested it but one of my readers commented that it worked with gluten-free flour.
I have made this many many times and it is absolutely delicious!!! A family favorite for sure!! normally I am always on the grill during the summer but tonight decided on Lemon chicken served with rice pilaf and asparagus- yum yum and yum!! Thanks Natasha!!
That’s wonderful, Kim! So glad you enjoy this recipe. Sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing.
This worked out great. Super easy. I added shallots which went really well with everything
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Jay!
I wanted to say thank you for not writing your life story in this recipe. I use a lot of recipes online and there is nothing more annoying than having to read a novel of someone’s life story before it even starts talking about the recipe. To get to ingredients and steps I have to scroll down for a good minute or 2. Thank you for the amazing recipe! This is my go to when I make the zucchini pasta recipe from Bon Appetit. It’s as if your lemon chicken recipe and that zucchini recipe were made for each other.
Thank you,
Mike C
Hi Mike! I’m so glad you enjoy this recipe. Thank you for the wonderful review.
Hey Mike,
I recently learned a main reason why recipe sites include so much backstory for their recipes. It has to do with Search Engine Optimization. More text like that makes the search engine place it higher in a results listing. #TheMoreYouKnow
I substituted the all purpose flour for almond flour but holy moly this was so good!
That’s great, Stacy! Thank you for the feedback.
Can this be made ahead and frozen? Freezing the sauce separately, of course. Looking for a chicken dish I can make, freeze, transport to a gathering and then reheat.
Hi Mimi, I’m sorry, I haven’t tried freezing this before to advise. If you experiment, please let me know your results.
Wow…one of the best recipes I’ve ever made, my husband LOVED it! Definitely a keeper!
That’s wonderful! We love this dish. I’m glad to hear it was a hit.
We really enjoyed this! I followed the recipe exactly. My son with a very sophisticated pallet (read: only likes the best food!) loved it. I will be making this many times, I’m sure!
Hi Kat, thanks for the good comments and feedback. Good to know that you both love this recipe!
Hi Natasha,
I am going to try this recipe tonight, I am by myself and find it very easy to make less with your recipes, wonder now what would you serve with this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Deb! We have a section on that in the recipe. Please see the “What to Serve with Lemon Chicken?” section! We include links to our mashed potato & caesar salad, for example.
I made this recipe to the T and it came out perfect. Second time around I read some reviews and added panko breadcrumbs. What a horrible mistake. The butter sauce didn’t kiss the chicken like it did the first time, it soaked it up making for a very soggy piece of chicken. Flavor was amazing, but not as good the first time.
Lesson learned, follow Natasha’s recipes because they work as is.
Thank you for your wonderful review, Brittiany! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Love it!!!! Just added lemon zest. My whole family thought it was the bomb!!!
That’s awesome, Ellen. Good to hear that the recipe was a huge hit!
I made this dish it’s a good recipe it’s fast easy. I would use less lemon juice next time
Thank you for the review, Shanda!