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
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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.
Can I use almond flour instead of regular? I am trying to stay on the keto diet. Everything on this works except the flour.
Hi Yvonne! I have not tested it but one of my readers left a comment that they used almond flour and it turned out great!
I’m making this for 10 people. Is it possible to cook the chicken breasts in the oven?
Hi Alyson! 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.”
Hi Natasha,
Can I use almond flour for a gluten free option?
Hi Gina! I have not tested it but one of my readers left a comment that they used almond flour and it turned out great!
Did you still poor the lemon butter sauce over the chicken after cooking?
Hi Mike! If you have extra sauce and would like to use it, yes- you can continue to pour it over the chicken even after it’s cooked.
Hi!
For the sauce do you think salted butter would pair well with it, or do you think it would it be too overpowering?
Hi Georgia, you may use salted butter and omit the salt in the recipe.
Terrific recipe. Delicious. I have a few suggestions:
1. Your ingredients call for 1 Tbsp EVOO to sautee, but in the instructions you say use enough to coat bottom of pan.
2. I really like to simplify where possible. Use only one pan, not two. Cook chicken first; set aside; cook “sauce” in same pan; add back chicken at the end, being sure to turn once to coat.
3. For the amount of chicken in your recipe, there was not enough coating. You call for 1 and1/2 bs of chicken; I used only a lb. and ran out of coating.
4. I do not understand suggestion about “marinating” in the egg mixture. Egg is not a marinade, nothing penetrates, so a wasted step. Marinades usually need some acid (vinegar, lemon juice) to penetrate the protein.
5. Instead of lemon slices to garnish, I added them to the cooking sauce before adding back the cooked chicken
Do you grate fresh Parmesan for this recipe or use the pre-grated Parmesan in a container?
Hi Holly, either will work – you can use pre-grated parmesan or freshly grate (finely grated works best)
Made this Lemon Butter Chicken tonight. Absolutely delicious! I served over lightly flavored Cilantro rice and reduced the sauce a bit. My family loved the delicate garlic and lemon flavor. Outstanding!
That’s great, Laura! Thank you for letting me know. So glad it was a hit!
Can I just say OMG That’s good great chicken recipe!, I’ll definitely keep this one in my book of favorites. My compliments to the chef 🧑🍳
So glad you loved it, Cindie! Thank you.
Whenever I ask my boyfriend what he wants for dinner he always asks for this lemon chicken recipe. We both love it so much!! I also add a few capers and double the sauce. Cant say enough about how delicious and easy this recipe is to make. Thanks so much!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Ginny!
This is so easy and delicious! I’ve made it several times because it’s a no-fail, and my picky boyfriend loves it. I’m going to make it again as a sandwich with garlic aioli on crusty bread. Thank you for your great recipes!
It’s my pleasure! I’m so glad you love this.
Absolutely amazing and very delicious. My husband and 10 month old loved it a lot. They both had a second helping of it!! Definitely making this more often!
I’m glad to hear that, Emma! 🙂
Easy and delicious. I added capers and served over linguini. Magnifico!
Hi do you think you can make one day before for a party? If so, how do you recommend storing it and preparing it?
TIA!
Hi Sonya! I don’t know how the crust texture and taste would be if you try to reheat these. I think they are best fresh. But let us know if you experiment.
Delicious!! really easy to make, once you have all your ingredients together it’s a no brainer. My husband went for more and asked me to keep this dish as part of our regular rotation. Gracias!!!!
That’s wonderful! So glad he loved it.
Absolutely delicious 🙌 I saw some comments about sauce being a little thin so I added a little sour cream and half and half to the sauce 🤭 we enjoyed very much, served over sour cream mashed potatoes, my husband said it was his new favorite, thank you!!
Acts 2:38 KJV
The name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost IS Jesus Christ 😆🙌🙏🤍
I’m so happy you loved this recipe, Maurissa! Thank you so much for the fantastic review and your encouraging words. I am smiling big reading your comment!
My Family loves anything Lemon so this was a big hit. I made the sauce in a sauce pan and added it to the Chicken and Asparagus’ and turned down the heat but the initial heat boiled the sauce for a second or two and thickened it nicely. We have 2 Lemon Trees so this is perfect.
Hi Don! I’m so glad it was a hit. Thank you for sharing.
This was such an easy to follow recipe that called for simple and common ingredients .
The result was a wonderfully tasty dish that the adults and kids in my home both enjoyed.
I love this recipe site in general and have yet to attempt any of her recipes that did not work out .
And, Natasha herself seems like such a friendly, kind and sweet person …her youtube videos are educational and uplifting to watch.
Thank you for sharing, Jacey! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Hello – I am most likely going to be making this at some point. Was curious – off of some comments of the sauce being to thin – how can I make it a touch thicker, without taking away from the flavor?
Hi Julie, if you’d like it thicker, you can try boiling it down more or adding four. I haven’t tried thickening it, but cooking it down or adding flour may do that trick! I hope that helps!
use a little corn starch and water . It will take very little
I did this exactly as per recipe and I was disappointed. The sauce is too thin and I wasn’t fond of the chicken. I wished I liked it. Oh well
Have to say, I felt the same. Way to thin…🤷🏻♀️. Loved the chicken though, it was really tasty and tender, I’ll be for sure preparing it again.
I was disappointed as well. I thought it had too much of a raw garlic taste. I cooked it exactly like it said. Also when dredging, I always dip into the flour first, then the egg and back into flour. Then it doesn’t fall off and tastes much better.
I’ve made this a couple of times and it’s delicious. For next time, can I use thin sliced chicken breasts?
Hi Diana! I’m happy to hear you love it. One of my readers reported great results using thinly sliced chicken.
I made this tonight using thinly sliced chicken breast. 2 minutes per side and they came out perfect! I also added about half a teaspoon of cornstarch to the sauce to thicken it up. Paired with loaded mashed potatoes and roasted lemon and parmesan broccolini. Delicious!
Yum! Sounds delicious!