Deceptively simple for such delicious flavor, this Garlic Lemon Butter Chicken is one of my favorite meals to make for company. It looks and tastes like it’s from a restaurant, but it comes together quickly and easily. The very definition of winner, winner chicken dinner!
My first Halloween living in a neighborhood with trick-or-treaters, I was cooking dinner as costumed little kids came to the door. And over and over again, the little kids happily took their candy, while their parents said, “What are you cooking in there? It smells so good!” They all tried to peer around the door into the kitchen, and one guy even walked all the way into my house to investigate the heavenly aroma.
I imagine when you’re fueled by Twizzlers and Starbursts you stole from your kids, just about anything savory smells delicious. But I was still very flattered that my dinner was the talk of the trick-or-treating chaperones.
I like to have a few go-to recipes for feeding company. Finding the balance of foods that will please even picky palates and food that is delicious and company-worthy can be tricky. But boy does this chicken fit the bill. It looks fancy, the flavors are simple yet delicious, and I’ve yet to meet anyone who doesn’t love it.
Garlic Lemon Butter Chicken
If you buy your chicken from Costco, you know that those chicken breasts come from some seriously well endowed chicken. Since 4 of those chicken breasts would feed an army, I prefer to slice them in half lengthwise to create 2 thinner cutlets. They cook quicker and are a much more reasonable size for a human being to eat.
I used to serve this chicken over rice, which is indeed quite delicious. But I’ve recently taken to serving it over noodles, and I’m hooked. Make sure to spoon the sauce from the pan over the chicken and the noodles. The lemon butter sauce in the pan is light and flavorful and just divine over noodles.
Give this one a try! But close your windows, unless you want random neighbors inviting themselves over for dinner.
Garlic Lemon Butter Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or 2 very thick chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise)
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 5 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon parsley flakes
- 4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice from about 2 lemons
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 tablespoons butter divived
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. In a shallow bowl or pie plate, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. In another bowl or pie plate, whisk the eggs and combine with the parmesan cheese.
- In a large skillet, melt one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Let it heat to sizzling, but not burning.
- Dip the chicken on each side in the flour mixture. Remove and coat in the egg/parmesan mixture. Return to the flour mixture and dip on each side again.
- Place the chicken in the hot oil. Let the chicken cook, without stirring or flipping, for 2-3 minutes, until a golden crust form. Carefully, using a wide spatula, flip the chicken and let it continue to cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side until it is golden brown.
- Remove the chicken to a 9X13-inch pan and place in the oven.
- In the same skillet that you browned the chicken, melt the remaining 7 tablespoons butter. Add the minced garlic, lemon juice, and parsley. Simmer the sauce for 1-2 minutes, stirring and scraping up any browned bits that were on the bottom of the skillet.
- Pour the sauce evenly over the chicken breasts and bake for 30-40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Serve over noodles, rice or potatoes, with sauce spooned over.
I made this and my husband said it tasted like it was from a restaurant. Total win!!
So glad you guys liked this one!