Are you in a chicken rut? Cooking the same ol’ boring chicken breast week after week? Yeah, then you need to try this Easy Lemon Pepper Chicken ASAP. It’s savory, tart, and peppery, and has a delicious pan sauce that you’ll want to spoon over your entire plate! This one is so quick and flavorful, I know it’s going to go into your regular rotation. ;)
What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?
This quick skillet cooking method requires thin chicken pieces that cook quickly, like boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into thinner pieces), chicken tenders, thin-cut chicken breast, or chicken thighs. This method is not suitable for bone-in chicken.
Do I Need Fresh Lemon?
Nope! While I did garnish this dish with some fresh lemon slices (I had those leftover from another dish), you actually don’t need fresh lemon to make this lemon pepper chicken! Most of the lemon flavor comes from the potent lemon pepper seasoning. The small amount of lemon juice added to the pan sauce can be bottled.
What Is Lemon Pepper Seasoning?
The lemon pepper seasoning I used to flavor this recipe is a mix of lemon zest, pepper, citric acid, and salt. Most major spice brands in the U.S. as well as many major generic store brands make their own lemon pepper seasoning, so it should be easy to find in just about any grocery store in the U.S. If you can’t find lemon pepper at your local store, there are plenty of recipes online for homemade lemon pepper seasoning.
Make sure to check if the lemon pepper seasoning you have contains salt. If it does not, you may need to add more salt to the recipe below.
What to Serve with Lemon Pepper Chicken
I went full-on lemon and served my Lemon Pepper Chicken with Lemon Parsley Pasta, but it would also go great with some Sautéed Vegetables, Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad, Roasted Broccoli, Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus, Spinach Rice with Feta, Spanish Chickpeas and Rice, or Pasta Primavera.
Easy Lemon Pepper Chicken
Servings 4Ingredients
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 lbs. total) ($6.79)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour ($0.02)
- 1 Tbsp lemon pepper seasoning ($0.30)
- 1 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.04)
- 1 clove garlic, minced ($0.08)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth ($0.07)
- 1 Tbsp butter ($0.14)
- 1 tsp lemon juice ($0.02)
- 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional) ($0.10)
- 1/8 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
Instructions
- Use a sharp knife to carefully fillet the chicken breasts into two thinner peices (or use thin-cut chicken breasts).
- Combine the flour and lemon pepper seasoning in a bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of the chicken breast pieces and then rub it in until the chicken is fully coated.
- Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet over medium. When the skillet and oil are very hot, add the chicken and cook on each side until golden brown (about 5 minutes per side). Remove the cooked chicken to a clean plate and cover to keep warm.
- Add the butter and minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for about one minute.
- Add the chicken broth to the skillet and whisk to dissolve all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Add the lemon juice and allow the sauce to simmer in the skillet for 3-5 minutes, or until it has reduced slightly. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed (I did not add any).
- Finally, return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the sauce over top. Allow the chicken to heat through. Season with a little freshly cracked pepper and fresh chopped parsley (optional), then serve.
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How to Make Lemon Pepper Chicken – Step by Step Photos
Use a sharp knife to carefully fillet two boneless, skinless chicken breasts into thinner pieces (or use thin-cut chicken breasts).
Combine 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour and 1 Tbsp lemon pepper seasoning in a bowl. Sprinkle the mixture over both sides of the chicken pieces.
Smear the flour mixture over both sides of the chicken until they’re evenly coated.
Heat 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a skillet over medium. Once hot, add the chicken pieces and cook on both sides until golden brown (about 5 minutes per side). Remove the cooked chicken to a clean plate and cover to keep warm.
Add 1 Tbsp butter and one minced clove of garlic to the skillet. Sauté the garlic for about one minute.
Pour ½ cup chicken broth into the skillet and whisk to dissolve all the browned bits off the bottom. Add 1 tsp lemon juice to the broth, then let the broth simmer in the skillet for 3-5 minutes, or until it has reduced just slightly. Taste the sauce and add salt if needed (I did not add any, but this will depend on the salt content of your lemon peppers seasoning and broth).
Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the sauce over top. Allow the chicken to heat through (a few minutes).
Top the chicken off with some freshly cracked pepper and chopped parsley (optional), then serve!
The lemon helps keep the chicken extra tender, juicy, and flavorful! Enjoy!
Simple and delicious
Absolutely loved this recipe. So easy and punchy. Can be served with any sides you’ve got on hand. Will be making this again!
This is really good! Took more than a half hour but it’s my first time with it. Did not add any more pepper at the end, our seasoning was peppery enough. Definitely easy to make. Nice first recipe from this website! Served with pasta side and broccoli florets. Take the time to make the sauce, it was yummy. Thank you.
This is the perfect meal for me to make when I’m low on groceries; I have everything in my pantry except for the chicken so it’s the only ingredient I need to buy at the store.
Super simple but also really tasty and I constantly go back to this recipe whenever I have a craving for it!
Incredible flavour. This has been on rotation for about a year in my household. This one is my favourite from you. Thanks!
Delish and so simple!
Thank you!!
I love it
This is my new favorite recipe and my kids love it too!
Extremely delicious, easy recipe to follow. Dinner was a hit with the family and I’ll definitely be making again!
This was the best, simple , flavor, easy….
This chicken recipe is so delicious, tender , with full flavor. I have made this particular recipe/dish many times throughout the year. It works every time and will definitely impress your dinner guests. It does take time to prepare and is so worth the result
Made this tonight for the first time and it was delicious!
Thank you for sharing 😊
Tried this recipe tonight and it was absolutely delicious!
Thank you for sharing it 😋
Fantastic dinner! I served over rice and asparagus and it was excellent.
I have made this chicken many times in the past 6 months, my daughter-in-law loves it. I do make more sauce than as stated in the recipe, because I serve it with angel hair pasta and you have to have the sauce for the pasta so I’ve doubled it I’ve tripled it I’ve played with the recipe to get the right concoction for however many people I’m trying to feed it that one given time it’s actually going to be my meal for Christmas Eve. So thank you very much for posting it.