Pan-Seared Lemon Pepper Chicken (Printable version)

Pan-seared chicken breasts glazed in a bright lemon-pepper butter sauce. Ready in 30 minutes for an easy, elegant main dish.

# What you need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 5-6 oz each
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Lemon-Pepper Butter Sauce

06 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - Zest of 1 lemon
09 - Juice of 1 large lemon, approximately 3 tablespoons
10 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

# How to Make It:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with salt and black pepper.
02 - Lightly coat each chicken breast in flour, shaking off any excess to prevent clumping.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook for 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the skillet and allow to melt. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper to the skillet. Simmer for 1-2 minutes while scraping up browned bits from the pan bottom.
06 - Return chicken to the skillet and spoon sauce over each piece. Heat for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
07 - Garnish with fresh parsley if desired. Serve immediately with your choice of accompaniment.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen, but you'll be plating in under thirty minutes.
  • The lemon butter sauce clings to every bite and makes even the plainest side dish taste special.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients sitting in your fridge right now.
  • It reheats beautifully, so leftovers never feel like a compromise.
02 -
  • Don't skip drying the chicken, wet chicken will steam instead of sear, and you'll miss out on that crispy, golden crust.
  • Use the same skillet for the sauce because all those browned bits left behind are pure flavor gold.
  • If your chicken breasts are uneven in thickness, pound them gently with a meat mallet so they cook at the same rate and stay juicy.
  • Watch the garlic closely once it hits the butter, it can go from fragrant to burnt in seconds and turn the whole sauce bitter.
03 -
  • Let the chicken rest for a minute after searing so the juices redistribute and every bite stays tender.
  • Zest the lemon before you juice it, it's so much easier and you won't lose any of that fragrant oil.
  • If the sauce looks too thin, let it simmer an extra 30 seconds, or swirl in an extra pat of butter to thicken it up and make it glossy.
  • Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness instead of cutting into the chicken and losing all those precious juices.
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