Lemon Butter Chicken (30 minute meal)

This Lemon Butter Chicken recipe is a great weeknight dinner! Tender pieces of chicken breast in a bright zesty lemon butter sauce bursting with flavor, served over cooked pasta. It’s an easy recipe to make in under 30 minutes!

Step-by-step photos and instructions are below. Jump to the recipe card if you wish!

Lemon Butter Chicken is buttery, lemony and chickeny. Ha. Just kidding. It is actually all those things, but I definitely described it better for you in the first paragraph.

This easy Lemon Chicken Recipe is a quick dinner, packed full of flavor. Great for a weeknight meal when you are staring at the fridge and pantry “what to make… what to make?!” Got a lemon? Some pasta? Great! We’re in business!

We’ll season up some chicken, cook it, transfer the chicken to a plate. We’ll then make the yummy pan sauce with onions, lemon juice and stock.

This recipe is one I have been making for years! I made it before I had children, while I was pregnant with said children, and now that my children are currently 10 and 12, I still make it. And the best part is, that they actually eat it.

It’s definitely my kind of comfort food. Let me know what you think – is this YOUR idea of delicious?

If you are looking for a fancier version chicken with lemon sauce and capers, try this recipe for Chicken Piccata.

Why you’ll love this

• This chicken dinner is a super quick and easy weeknight dinner. The perfect recipe to make in under 30 minutes, and the recipe doesn’t require a million ingredients.
• It’s family friendly, everyone loves it!
• Budget friendly. No breaking the bank for a solid, delicious comfort meal.

FAQs

What to serve with Lemon Butter Chicken

I serve this recipe over egg noodles to sop up all the buttery lemon sauce, but orzo or rice or even mashed potatoes are awesome for this.

Pair it with some sauteed green beans, roasted broccoli or a simple green salad, and we’re in business.

Step-by-step photos and tips and tricks are below. Jump to the full recipe card instead

How to make Lemon Butter Chicken

Get prepped. Cut the chicken breast into bite-sized pieces (or cut breasts into cutlets) and place in a bowl. Season the chicken: add salt and pepper to the flour, then toss the chicken cutlet or bites with the flour mixture.

Melt butter, cook the chicken. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook (depending on the size of your chicken chunks) a few minutes per side until chicken is cooked, and golden brown. Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep warm.

Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, cook egg noodles according to package directions, drain and lightly butter.

Make the lemon butter sauce. Add onion to the pan and cook until soft, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Add chicken broth to pan and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the pan. Add the lemon juice.

Boil until mixture is reduced to about 1/3 cup. Remove from heat and add the remaining butter. If your sauce didn’t thicken as much as you’d like, give it a minute or add another tablespoon of butter.

Return the chicken to the pan and heat through.

Serve. Serve the chicken over egg noodles, and spoon the lemon butter sauce over the chicken. Save the extra sauce, and serve at the table for anyone who needs a little more.

Optional. Garnish with parsley (and lemon slices if you wish)

More recipes to love

• How about Chicken Pot Pie (made in 1 skillet)? It’s super easy, and an absolute family favorite!
• Simple Sour Cream Enchiladas are great to make ahead and bake when you need them.
• This Italian Style Mozzarella Skillet is the stuff of DREAMS. Try it!
• One Pan Ham & Cheese Pasta – pure comfort food and ready in under 30 minutes. YESSSS!!
• ALL CHICKEN RECIPES
• ALL WEEKNIGHT RECIPES

4.98 from 38 votes

Lemon Butter Chicken

Author Kylee Ayotte

Servings 4

Prep Time: 5 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

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This Lemon Butter Chicken recipe is a great weeknight dinner! Tender pieces of chicken breast in a bright zesty lemon butter sauce bursting with flavor, served over cooked pasta.  It's an easy recipe to make in under 30 minutes!

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Ingredients

 

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• ▢ 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
• ▢ salt and pepper
• ▢ 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 4 tablespoons butter divided
• ▢ 1/2 small onion diced finely
• ▢ 1 cup chicken stock
• ▢ 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 8 ounces dry egg noodles

Instructions

Get prepped

• Slice 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts into bite sized pieces, season with salt and pepper and toss with 1/4 cup all-purpose flour.

Cook the chicken

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and melt 2 tablespoons butter.
• Add the chicken to the skillet and cook (depending on the size of your chicken chunks) a few minutes per side until chicken is cooked, and golden brown.
• Remove and keep warm.

Cook the pasta

• Meanwhile, cook 8 ounces dry egg noodless according to package directions, drain and lightly butter.

Make the sauce

• Add 1/2 small onion to the pan and cook until soft, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add 1 cup chicken stock to pan and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits from the pan.
• Add 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and boil until mixture is reduced to about 1/3 cup.
• Remove from heat and add remaining 2 tablespoons 4 tablespoons butter.
• Return chicken to pan and heat through.

Serve

• Serve over egg noodles, and spoon the lemon butter sauce over the top.
• Save the extra sauce, and serve at the table for anyone who needs a little more.
• Devour.

Video

Notes

• What side dishes go well with lemon chicken?
  I like fresh steamed green beans with this meal – or even a bag of frozen vegetables rescued from the back of the freezer drawer. But you just do you, okay?
• Switch out the chicken breast and use chicken thighs if you prefer that cut of chicken
• A very light dusting of parmesan cheese is a great addition to the dish.
• If you really love the lemon flavor, and want to intensify it – add a little lemon zest to the sauce when you add the lemon juice. You may elso like to include the zest with the flour. Up to you!
• I regularly include garlic powder to the flour,  or add garlic to the pan with the onion.

⭐️ Don’t Forget! I love to hear how this turned out for you! Share your thoughts by leaving a review and rating below.

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Nutrition

Calories: 507kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 153mg | Sodium: 331mg | Potassium: 653mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 425IU | Vitamin C: 6.8mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Update: This recipe was originally published in 2015, but has been updated to improve reader experience.

About Kylee Ayotte

I am a born and raised New Zealander (a Kiwi), now living in Phoenix, Arizona. I’m happily married to the love of my life – a hot American boy I met while traveling the world. I’m a mama to 2 awesome little boys and love red things, rugby, cheesecake, and bacon. Mmmmm. Bacon. Meet Kylee