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 LOVE ALL your recipes!! I’m making this tonight and i can’t be more excited! Thank you for sharing your amazing cooking skills with us.
You’re welcome, Kelly. I’m excited as well for you to try this. I hope you love it!
This was by far the best chicken recipe I’ve ever made. Everyone loved it.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for that wonderful review Kathy! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
All I can stay is wow! I don’t usually post reviews on recipes, this is my first post.. it was SO delicious I had to make sure to come back and give it 5 stars!! Thank you for sharing!
Awesome! Thank you for the 5 stars and great review, Tina. We appreciate it.
I made this 2 days ago for dinner, and IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! My family loved it and will definitely be making more often. I’ve tried several of your other recipes, and love them all so far! Thank you!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
48% sodium???
That is almost an entire day’s sodium for those of us who are salt restricted.
Love the flavours, lemon and chicken are yummy, and I understand the flavour of salt but honestly, without modification, not an optionI am guessing salt, broth and Italian seasoning are the biggest culprits. We all need to do better.
I used no sodium broth, I didn’t salt anything and the Italian seasoning I used has no salt. The butter had salt and the parm also but I can live with that. Very good
Thanks for sharing that with us, Suzanne. Glad to hear that you liked it!
Lovee your receipt , keep them coming,hoping you and your family are doing great!!
Thank you Gloria!
I would love to make tonight. We are trying to be gluten free. Do you think I could sub in the flour for Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 GF flour?
Thanks!
Hi Carolyn, this could easily be made with gluten-free flour and gluten-free bread crumbs.
Made this last night and did use gluten free flour. The recipe was amazing and a NEW fan favourite at our house. Love it. Thanks!!
That’s just awesome Carolyn! I’m so glad you found a new favorite on our blog! That’s just awesome!
Breading mixture didn’t stay/stick to the chicken once it started cooking. I flipped the chicken to cook the other side, and the mixture peeled off of the chicken and stuck to the frying pan. Don’t know what I did wrong?
Hi Susan, I haven’t had that experience could it be the pan? Are you coating the chicken well? Using a non-stick pan?
I’m not sure if it was the pan. I used stainless steel but did have plenty of oil so it wouldn’t stick. Maybe that’s the problem. My husband thought the flavor was very good even without all the Parmesan crust.
I am making it again today and using a nonstick pan. I will update…..
So I made it again and used two different nonstick pan this time. Still didn’t work. Used plenty of oil too. I just don’t get it. It’s such a waste of time and ingredients when at the end, it’s a naked chicken breast. I do like the lemon sauce but I’ll have to find a different recipe to try. Maybe baking instead of frying next time.
I hope you find this helpful Susan. 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.”
I had the same exact issue. Recipe was very tasty but the breading came off and stuck to the pan. I use stainless steel pans only! Also I used half the butter and it was enough.
Delicious! I love the lemon & Parmesan flavors.
Isn’t it the best! We LOVE this recipe! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review.
We had this chicken today for lunch along with your creamy mashed potatoes and some asparagus. It was a big hit! Chicken was super flavorful and moist!
I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed your lunch!
can you make ahead and freeze
Hi Karen, I haven’t tried freezing this before to advise. If you experiment, please let me know how you like that.
Excellent – Loved the lemony flavor. Cooked for four adults and all loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Love it! Thank you for your great feedback.
Can you cook the chicken in an air fryer?
Hi Dena, I imagine that should work too but I haven’t tried that yet to advise if it would give out the same result. Please share with us how it goes if you try it.
FANTASTIC!! I served mine over pasta with squash on the side and then added a teaspoon of crushed red pepper to the sauce. This is a keeper!
Sounds yummy! Thanks for sharing that with us, Shannon.
This was yummy! I can’t make it too often with the frying and butter but once in a while it’ll be a treat 😉
Sounds like a great idea!
Made this last night and it was a huge hit! So tasty and juicy. I’ve also made the no knead bread and the Chicken Marsala. Both turned out fantastic and I’ll definitely be making them again!
That’s just awesome Patty! Thank you for that wonderful review!
So delicious! It was a huge hit with the family. Super easy too! I’ve shared the recipe with multiple people already
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me Amanda! I’m all smiles
This came out so tasty and was simple to make! Everybody loved it
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing that great review!
This was delicious. I browned the chicken in a cast iron skillet (did not cook through). Since I had 6 pieces, I did two at a time and then finished cooking them in the oven so they’d all be ready at the same time. The sauce was so good that I also put it over broccoli. My husband really enjoyed it.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
This was delicious. I browned the chicken in a cast iron skillet (did not cook through). Since I had 6 pieces, I did two at a time and then finished cooking them in the oven so they’d all be ready at the same time. The sauce was so good that I also put it over broccoli. My husband really enjoyed it.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!