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.
This isn’t a 30 minute recipe. Took WAAAAY longer. Plan at least an hour or more start to finish.
Made this tonight for my fam and it was delicious! We loved it! Thanks for the recipe! Will definitely add this to our fam menu!
Great to hear that your family enjoyed this recipe!
Hello – how long can I leave chicken in egg mixture before cooking? Is 24 hours okay?
Thanks!
Hi Lindsey! I have not tried to marinate this in the egg mixture, I just dip it in the egg mixture and then dredge it in the breading.
This recipe is so good! Everyone from my picky 4 year old to my husband love it!
That’s wonderful to hear, Erin!
Could this be done in a air fryer? …………….looks delicious
Hi Laurie! I have not tested this in an air fryer to advise.
Are you using boneless chicken breast? I am assuming so as you say to use a mallet. Sounds delish!
Hi Gail! That’s correct. I hope you love this recipe if you try it!
This was delicious! I added some panko breadcrumbs to the recipe to add some crunch. It was amazing. I served it over rice and steamed green beans. Definitely making this again.
That sounds amazing, Caitlin! Thank you for sharing.
This was a big hit. Easy and delicious. I used thinly sliced chicken breasts and served it with Freda Stokes purple potatoes, roasted broccolini and Romaine lettuce wedges. It is going in my 2024 repertoire. Thank you. Mandy
So glad it was enjoyed! Thank you for sharing.
Delicious. I used extra garlic and vege broth in the sauce, as well as generous olive oil to cook the chicken. Thyme instead of Italian seasoning and a mix of parm and Asiago. Also added zest of 1 lemon to the sauce. This paired really well with frozen yellow beans I blanched and then threw in with the sauce once it thickened up a bit. Super tasty. I haven’t cooked a chicken breast in 20yrs and this came out great!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Laura.
Delicious!!!! My family loved this chicken. This was very quick and easy to make. I made a little extra sauce to put over linguine for the side.
That’s great! Nice to hear that your family loves this recipe a lot.
I made this for supper tonight, truthfully not expecting a lot. My husband doesn’t like lemon, fried chicken or anything with a lot of butter in it. But I wanted to try it. It is so good. My husband said Make this again, don’t lose the recipe. It’s a keeper, I do think I might try thickening the sauce a little more
Thank you for sharing that with us, we’re glad that you both enjoyed it!
I’m making this tonight for dinner. I’m going to add capers and sautéed zucchini. I can’t wait for dinner tonight.
Sounds delicious, Tina!
This was the most amazing chicken dish Ive made in a long while! Hubs loved it too 🙂
So glad it was enjoyed! Thank you for sharing.
Love this recipe. I have bought 5 of your new cookbook for Xmas gifts, but cannot find the
lemon chicken and chicken broccoli stir fry. Can you let me know how to find it, or was these favorites missed. Thank you Donna
Hi Donna! Thank you so much for purchasing the cookbooks. That’s means a lot. The cookbook does not have all of my recipes. It has a few of our old but improved favorites and many of new ones that are not on the blog.
Sooooooo good! prep took longer, but next time I think I’ll prep some ahead vs doing it all at dinner time.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Tracy!
I can’t do chicken, as much as I try, it’s either dry, not seasoned. Just blah. But I loved this. So flavorful. Only thing I changed was I had no chicken broth. Just base bouillon, so I stirred it in with garlic, butter and lemon juice. My husband loved it and it drove the dog crazy. Will make again for sure!!
Hi Cathy! That’s awesome. I’m so glad you’re loving it!
Made this the first time and it was AWESOME, paired with grilled zucchini. The second time, the lemon butter sauce was off, not sure what I did 😢. Shall try again, thanks for this recipe !
Hi Lili, I can’t tell what happened too. Just makw sure to follow the exact timing and measurements in the recipe. I’m sure it will be perfect on your next try!
Yum yum. I’ve had this recipe saved for a while and decided to give it a go. Tried this recipe for my lovely wife.
Followed recipe to a tee complimented by grilled asparagus and Caesar salad.
Sooooo good. My only comment is I would cut back on the butter, otherwise delicious.
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad it was enjoyed!
I made this tonight for dinner and followed the recipe. I ended up using Parm/Romano in the green container and the breading was perfect! I used olive oil and made sure it was pre-heated before adding my chicken. I then cooked and didn’t touch for 3 min. I did try to push one over a little and the breading started to come off. I think the trick for the breading to stay put is not to disturb for the first 3 min. I also served it on a bed of angel hair pasta. For that I used 1# box pasta, as that was draining I threw 2T. butter back into the hot pot, zest of the whole lemon and saved 1/2 c. of the pasta water. Put my noodles into the butter/zest and kept tossing and gradually adding the pasta water. Was fantastic! I will definitely make this again. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Sandy! Thank you for sharing your experience with the recipe.
Absolutely delicious. Made exactly as described. So easy and so good. Served with steamed broccoli and rice pilaf. Will be making this regularly. Thank you! 🥰💯
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Nikki!