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!

Homemade lemon chicken recipe in a skillet topped with a lemon butter sauce and fresh lemon slices then garnished with herbs.

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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.

Parmesan crusted chicken breast on a bed of mashed potatoes and zucchini in a lemon butter sauce topped with greens.

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!

  1. Cut chicken in half lengthwise and beat with a meat mallet to an even thickness.
  2. Prepare Egg Mixture – whisk together eggs, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
  3. Prepare Parmesan Mixture – in a separate bowl, mix together the parmesan cheese and flour.
  4. Dredge the Chicken – coat in the egg mixture, then generously coat in parmesan mixture, shaking off excess.
  5. 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.

Step-by-step collage instructions how to make lemon chicken with lemon butter sauce.

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.

  1. Saute the garlic and butter until fragrant.
  2. 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.

Parmesan crusted chicken with a lemon butter sauce in a skillet topped lemon slices.

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

Easy 30-minute Chicken Lemon on a plate with mashed potatoes and zucchini topped with lemon butter.

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:

Lemon Chicken with BEST Lemon Butter Sauce

4.98 from 1513 votes
Lemon chicken in lemon butter sauce in skillet garnished with lemon slices
This parmesan-crusted Lemon Chicken Recipe is easy and done in 30 minutes! The quick lemon butter sauce pairs so well with the chicken.
Prep Time: 18 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 4 people

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:

For the Parmesan Breading Mixture:

Ingredients for Lemon Butter Sauce:

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

560kcal Calories9g Carbs46g Protein38g Fat20g Saturated Fat273mg Cholesterol1109mg Sodium738mg Potassium1g Fiber1g Sugar1105IU Vitamin A17mg Vitamin C322mg Calcium2mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Lemon Chicken with BEST Lemon Butter Sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
560
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
38
g
58
%
Saturated Fat
 
20
g
125
%
Cholesterol
 
273
mg
91
%
Sodium
 
1109
mg
48
%
Potassium
 
738
mg
21
%
Carbohydrates
 
9
g
3
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
1
g
1
%
Protein
 
46
g
92
%
Vitamin A
 
1105
IU
22
%
Vitamin C
 
17
mg
21
%
Calcium
 
322
mg
32
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: lemon chicken
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 560
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

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4.98 from 1513 votes (1,067 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Lisa G
    August 16, 2023

    So glad I found this recipe. My family raved about the flavor. I took some advice from others and added a few things like fresh lemon zest and a 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch to the sauce. I also used the same pan fo make the sauce to take advantage of the little bit of the fond. My daughter asked that I make this for her birthday and everyone thought it tasted like it was from a restaurant! Chef’s kiss!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 16, 2023

      Hello Lisa, nice to hear from you and we’re glad that you found and love our recipe! Thanks for the review and for sharing that the recipe was a huge hit!

      Reply

  • Millie
    August 15, 2023

    This Lemon Chicken recipe was delicious. First time making it and my husband loved it!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 15, 2023

      Hi Millie! I’m so glad it was a hit. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply

  • Kendra
    August 3, 2023

    Made this last night and it was a hit between the boyfriend and I. The lemon sauce was delicious and the egg/cheese crust smelt wonderful.. but the entire cheese crust stuck to my pan, so for the most part the chicken was pretty plain. Any suggestions??
    I’ll definitely be making it again.. I’ll probably add a bit of flour to thicken the sauce, and add capers! I also made the sauce separately, but if I could get the chicken to cooperate I’d probably make the sauce in the same dish for added flavor!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      August 4, 2023

      Hi Kendra, I’m so glad you both loved it! It’s hard to say why the crust stick without being there – it may be they type of pan, or being loft on too long, but be sure you fully preheat your pan before cooking on it. Depending on the pan type that may take several minutes. I hope you have a better outcome when you try this again!

      Reply

      • Emily
        August 8, 2023

        This same thing happened to me – I used a cast iron skillet and everything stuck, but then when I used a non-stick pan, it was totally fine. I think the cast iron is the issue.

        Reply

  • Heidi
    August 2, 2023

    This looks really delicious. Could you please clarify which parmesan cheese you used? Was it freshly grated or from the can or was it actually shredded?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      August 2, 2023

      Hi Heidi! Either will work – you can use pre-grated parmesan or freshly grate (finely grated works best).

      Reply

  • CYNTHIA
    July 29, 2023

    I made this a couple nights ago and it was a hit. My husband and I are retired and I like to cook recipes that give us leftovers. The lemon-Parmesan cheese combo was so delicious. Yum!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 29, 2023

      So glad you loved it, Cynthia!

      Reply

  • Annette Kelsey
    July 18, 2023

    Such a delicious and easy meal! We’ll be making this again!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 18, 2023

      I’m glad to hear that, Annette!

      Reply

  • Jaz
    July 18, 2023

    This was ahhmazing! I actually doubled the lemon for the sauce and added 1Tbs of flour to thicken it abit. I served the chicken on top of a bed of sauted sweet potato, zucchini, broc, onion and pumpkin ravioli, the lemon sauce was killer with it. Def gonna be on rotation now. Thanks very much for the recipe.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 18, 2023

      You’re so welcome! Happy to hear that you loved this recipe a lot. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply

  • Melisa
    July 13, 2023

    This recipe is a family favorite! The website however is really annoying because when reading the recipe anytime a new ad pops up it auto scrolls you to the top of the recipe which is pretty often.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 13, 2023

      Hi Melisa, good to know that this is one of your favorites! As for the website, the only way we can continue providing free recipes is by having ads on our site so we are not able to remove those at this time. We find that most people would rather see the ads than pay to see the recipes. The pop-ups by the way can be closed after a while that it shows up, just click the x button.

      Reply

    • Kat
      August 22, 2023

      It is annoying, anytime this happens to me I click print. It pulls up printable directions with no ads. I just never print them.

      Reply

  • Sandy
    July 10, 2023

    Wow! Like going to a fancy restaurant. This chicken is delicious and so easy. My families new favorite. Thank you!!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 10, 2023

      Hi Sandy! I’m so glad it was enjoyed. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply

  • A
    July 3, 2023

    Hello,
    How do you recommend storing leftovers? Seems like all the butter sauce might just harden up in the fridge? Any tips?

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      July 4, 2023

      Hi A! Because of the crust on the chicken, this is best enjoyed fresh. You can refrigerate and reheat left overs but the texture won’t be quite the same. The butter sauce will melt when reheated.

      Reply

  • Jav Power
    July 3, 2023

    Sooo delicious! Tried this for the first time after googling “lemon chicken recipe” and I happened to have everything in hand already, minus the garnish of parsley. I didn’t have fresh Parmesan so I substituted powdered Parmesan and it gave the chicken breasts a beautiful crisp mixed with the flour. Thank you for sharing this, I will def try this again and look forward to trying another recipe of yours.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      July 3, 2023

      I’m glad that you loved it! I hppe you’ll enjoy all the recipes that you will try.

      Reply

  • Carol
    June 29, 2023

    Delicious! This recipe will go in the “recipes for guests” section! The chicken was so tender and the lemon was a delight!
    Yum!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 29, 2023

      Hi Carol! I’m so glad you found a new one for entertaining guests. Thank you for the wonderful feedback.

      Reply

  • Liane
    June 27, 2023

    Hey there from Nashville. Can you help me to convert this to a much larger recipe. I need to cook for 75 people and I wan to use the chicken tenderloins. This will cut down my cook time I think. can you help me convert to do this for larger group. I think that 4 tenderloins with make up 1 breast so I will need the rest based on that Thank you ! I will ck back to see if you see this message thank you so much. This looks like it will be easy to do for a large buffet

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 27, 2023

      Hi Liane! In the recipe card, you can change the number of servings and it will convert the ingredient list for you. The servings only go up to 20 but that will atleast help make your calculations a bit easier since you can times that by 4 to get 80 servings. I hope you love the recipe.

      Reply

  • Cindy Brown
    June 26, 2023

    Loved the Lemon Chicken recipe with the butter sauce! It’s definitely a do-over! Super moist meat and delicious sauce!

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 26, 2023

      I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Cindy! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.

      Reply

  • Lorrie
    June 24, 2023

    My husband and I are starting to eating different things and I came cross the lemon ck with lemon butter sauce recipe and we tried it and we love it and will be making it again.
    Thanks

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 24, 2023

      That’s wonderful, Lorrie! Thank you for the feedback,

      Reply

  • Heather
    June 20, 2023

    This looks amazing. I plan to make this for dinner tonight. I’m going to pair this with angel hair pasta and wanted to add some vegetables. I have zucchini, carrots, and green beans from the garden. What would you recommend? How should I prepare the vegies to best go with this dish? Thank you so much for your help!!

    Reply

  • Kimberley Lorente
    June 19, 2023

    This is wonderful! I made a bunch ahead of time as I live alone, but so addictive, up at 2 am and munching away!
    Thank you

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      June 19, 2023

      I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Kimberley!

      Reply

  • Sarah
    June 12, 2023

    This was really good and so easy to make! Even my kids gobbled it up. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      June 12, 2023

      You’re welcome, Sarah! I’m so glad they loved it.

      Reply

  • Mia
    May 29, 2023

    Smells so good but my breading didn’t stay on 🙁 any idea what I messed up? It came off while frying. Chicken still smells incredible though 🙂

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 29, 2023

      Hi Mia! Be sure to let the oil fully preheat before you add the chicken. Also, pat the chicken dry to remove excess moisture before breading. I hope that helps.

      Reply

    • Syglenda Ford
      June 17, 2023

      Fully heat skillet, medium high temp to cook. Don’t turn until brown.

      Reply

  • Vivian
    May 25, 2023

    This chicken was so delicious. The lemon flavor just pops in your mouth.

    Reply

    • NatashasKitchen.com
      May 25, 2023

      I’m so glad you loved it, Vivian!

      Reply

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