Lemon Butter Chicken is a long-standing classic because, for one, the flavors go together so well, and for two, it’s an extremely quick and easy dish. Our version stays mostly true to the traditional but has a little turmeric twist that adds a lovely golden hue and a nice warm flavor to back up the bright lemon. (And good news, it’ll only take you twenty minutes from start to finish!)
To start, you season some boneless skinless chicken breasts before dredging them lightly in flour. Slicing your chicken breasts in half stretches your dollar a bit further, but it also gives you a much quicker cooking time. The light dredging gives you a slightly crisp coating – not as crunchy as fried chicken, but a nice texture to go with the velvety sauce.
After browning the chicken and removing it from the pan, it’s time to make the sauce, which takes only a few minutes. You stir in some chicken broth, lemon juice and zest, white wine, heavy cream, and turmeric and pop the chicken back in until it has cooked through and the sauce has reduced to your liking. It doesn’t get much easier than that.
The cream balances the acidity in the wine and the lemon while the turmeric and butter add warmth. It’s a quick pan sauce, but it’s one that you’ll want to slurp straight off the serving spoon.
Lemon Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise
- All-purpose flour, as needed, for dredging
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice + zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving (optional)
- lemon wedges, for serving
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create thinner cutlets. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
- In a skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Once hot, add chicken and cook until golden brown, 4-5 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add chicken broth, lemon juice and zest, white wine, heavy cream, turmeric, and remaining butter to the pan and let simmer for 2 minutes. Add chicken back to pan and cook until no longer pink and sauce has reduced, about 3-5 minutes more.
Recipe adapted from Salt and Lavender.