Creamy Lemon Chicken is the perfect meal for busy weeknights. The delicately flavoured chicken tenderloins are cooked in a frying pan, then bathed in a garlic flavoured, creamy sauce, brightened by the tang of lemon juice and zest. It’s simple, it’s comforting and a delicious meal that the family will love.
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Why we love this recipe:
Chicken tenderloins are my go-to for quick, easy, weeknight meals. As their name implies, they are reliably tender, and they are an excellent source of protein. They are versatile and can be prepared in many ways, such as my Greek-Style Chicken and Salsa or Mediterranean Chicken Salad.
We love this Creamy Lemon Chicken because:
- It is prepared from ingredients which are readily available year-round.
- We have used tenderloins as they are more reliably tender than chicken breasts.
- It is a family friendly meal – one which adults and children alike will enjoy – and that’s always a plus!
- We use just one skillet for the Creamy Lemon Chicken, so there’s less washing up.
- Easy chicken dinners are always a hit – we also love Chicken Patties!
- You can make it gluten-free by using the appropriate flour.
- The sauce is a perfect balance of flavours; cream and lemon are a fantastic combination.
Ingredients in this recipe:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
Chicken tenderloins – We have chosen tenderloins as they are reliably tender. You can use the breast if you prefer, but it is inclined to become dry if even a little overcooked.
Plain/all-purpose flour – To coat the chicken before pan-frying. Use a gluten-free blend if necessary.
Dried oregano – On this occasion, I prefer the dried herb. The flavour is more subtle than the fresh herb and better complements the other ingredients without dominating them.
Butter – Use either salted or unsalted.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – From the first pressing of the olives, it has great flavour and nutritional benefits.
Garlic – Fresh garlic cloves have a much better flavour than the jarred variety.
Thickened cream – Also known as whipping cream or heavy cream, it has a milk fat content of at least 35%.
Lemon zest and lemon juice – Add vibrant, fresh flavour and a gentle tang to balance the creamy sauce.
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste.
Parsley – For the best flavour, I prefer the flat-leaf variety.
Step by step instructions:
- To prepare the tenderloins, use a sharp knife to remove the tendon at one end of the tenderloin. Pat the chicken dry with some paper towel. On a large plate, mix the flour and dried oregano. Toss the chicken in the flour so it is well coated. Tap off any excess flour.
- Melt half the butter and the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until just cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside on a plate.
- Add the remaining butter to the same pan then add the garlic, cooking for 1-2 minutes, being careful to not let the garlic burn. Add the lemon juice and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spoon to get all the flavour. Add the zest and the cream, and mix. Simmer for three minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken slightly. Add the parsley and season well. Serve immediately.
Tips for success and FAQs:
As the chicken cooks very quickly, you will need to have all your ingredients ready before you begin to cook.
Yes, you certainly can. Just be careful to not overcook the chicken breast as it tends to become tough and dry if it becomes even a little overcooked.
There is a small, white, tough tendon visible at one end of the tenderloin. Remove it with a sharp knife or a pair of scissors. There’s no need to remove it all; the tendon inside the meat is very thin and you won’t notice it after cooking but it is important to remove the larger, thicker piece. Don’t try to pull it out or the meat may fall apart.
It is best if served as soon as it is made. However, you could prepare the separate components a day ahead, and store in the refrigerator ready to cook. The cooking process is so speedy.
If you should happen to have leftovers, store them in the fridge as soon as possible. Store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days, then reheat gently on low heat on the stovetop or in a microwave. For safety reasons, if leftovers have been out of the fridge for 2 hours, discard them. I don’t recommend freezing this dish. With the high dairy content, on thawing, it could separate.
Serving suggestions:
The Creamy Lemon Chicken works well with so many dishes.
Serve it alongside of:
- Pasta, rice or crusty bread.
- Roasted Broccolini or a Rocket and Pear Salad.
- Mashed or roasted potatoes.
- Couscous or quinoa.
More delicious recipes for you to try:
Easy, tasty and comforting meals are some of our favourites, and here are some more we love for you to try:
- Bacon Mac and Cheese
- Chicken and Broccoli Pasta Bake
- Pork Sausage Ragu
- Spinach and Ricotta Pasta Shells
- Eggplant Involtini
This delicious Creamy Lemon Chicken is quickly and easily prepared, making it an ideal main course for busy weeknights. However, it is also an elegant dish and one which guests will enjoy. There is a perfect balance of flavours; it is creamy, with the tang of lemon offsetting the cream. To balance the creamy sauce, serve the chicken with a fresh-tasting salad such as our Rocket and Pear Salad or Kale and Apple Slaw. I hope that you enjoy this meal very soon.
Alex xx
Creamy Lemon Chicken
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 500 g (1.1 lb) chicken tenderloins
- ¼ cup (40 g) all-purpose/plain flour – use gluten-free if needed
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to season to the flour
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon butter See Note 1
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
For the Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon butter See Note 1
- 2 large garlic cloves – minced
- 1 cup (250 ml) heavy whipping/thickened cream See Note 2
- 1-3 teaspoon lemon zest – loosely packed, add to taste See Note 3
- 2-4 tablespoon (40-80 ml) lemon juice – freshly squeezed, add to taste See Note 4
- ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley – finely chopped
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste See Note 5
Instructions
- Have all your ingredients prepared before you start to cook.There is a small, white, tough tendon at the end of the chicken tenderloin. You will need to remove it with a sharp knife or a pair of scissors. There’s no need to remove it all; the tendon inside the meat is very thin and you won’t notice it after cooking but it is important to remove the larger, thicker piece. Don’t try to pull it out or the meat may fall apart.
- Pat the chicken dry with some paper towel. On a large plate, mix the flour, the dried oregano and some salt and pepper. Toss the chicken in it so it is well coated. Tap off any excess flour.
- Heat one tablespoon of butter and the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes per side or until just cooked through.Remove the chicken and set it aside on a plate.
- Add the remaining one tablespoon of butter to the same pan and add the garlic, cooking for 1-2 minutes, being careful to not let the garlic burn.
- Add the lemon juice and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spoon to get all the flavour.
- Add the zest and the cream, and mix. Simmer for three minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pan and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken slightly. (It will thicken more as it stands.)
- Add the parsley and season well. Serve immediately.
Notes
- In Australia, the tablespoon is 20 ml or 4 teaspoons. In many other countries, the tablespoon is 15 ml or 3 teaspoons. Please adjust your measurement if necessary.
- Whipping cream – also known as thickened cream or heavy cream, has a milk fat percentage of at least 35%.
- Zest: be sure to remove the zest before juicing the lemon. We make this recipe with 3 teaspoons of lemon zest – this does give the dish an intense lemon flavour. If you prefer it to be more subtle, start with 1 teaspoon and add more to to taste.
- Lemon juice: we use 4 tablespoon (80 ml) of lemon juice in this recipe – it does give the dish an intense lemon flavour. If you prefer it to be more subtle, start with 2 tablespoon and add to taste. Lemons can vary in intensity and different varieties will give you a different flavour profile.
- Adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt flakes for the best flavour.
- Please note, the nutritional information is based on four serves. It does not include what the dish is served with. The nutritional information is an estimate only.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Jenna
Very strong lemon flavor, so use sparingly and taste after adding each little bit.
That being said, if you add too much like I did, a little baking soda will fix you right up. I wish I hadn’t followed the suggested lemon amounts, because it smelled amazing and I know it would have been delicious with about half the amount.
Alexandra Cook
Hey Jenna,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try! 🙂
We provide a range with the quantities as we definitely recommend adding the lemon to taste – it is a lemon forward dish with the full amount. The baking soda trick sounds interesting – that’s not something I’m familiar with 🙂
Best wishes, Alex
Blanca
I made this chicken a few weeks ago and everybody loved it including myself!! it is very easy to make and very lemony but I like that. I put my chicken on top of angel hair pasta.. yummy. Thank you.
Alexandra Cook
Hi Blanca!
I am so happy you enjoyed this recipe, and serving it with angel hair pasta sounds so delicious.
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, Alex xo
Nicole Plaxton-Harrison
This recipe is unbelievably delicious! I tweeted it slightly and added garlic salt to the raw chicken initially and a bit of mild German mustard to the cream sauce! It was AMAZING!!!
Thank you 😊
Alexandra Cook
Aww, this is lovely to hear, Nicole! 🙂
So happy you enjoyed it, and your additions sound delicious! Alex xo
Fran
My taste buds were slowly dying, they were getting so bored of the same old meals, I didn’t know what to do,
Then Gloria came along, CREAMY LEMON CHICKEN **ABRACADABRA** WOOHOO ” Taste buds, have come back alive,
YEAHHHĤ
Thank you, Very Happy YOURS SINCERELY::: Fran,
Alexandra Cook
Love to hear this, Fran!
Happy you enjoyed the recipe so much 🙂
Alex xo
Mina
This recipe is a winner!
Alexandra Cook
Thank you, Mina 🙂
Conchetta
My family loved this. Simple creamy, and I loved the lemon. Will definitely make again- except next time I will make double.
Alexandra Cook
Hi Conchetta,
I am so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe.
Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! Alex xo
Soph
Hi! Have you tried this recipe with chicken thighs?
Alexandra Cook
Hi Soph,
A family member has and it works just fine.
You have a couple of options here:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs – this is what my family member uses. They do flatten them a little for even cooking, and then follow the recipe – adding a little more cooking time for the chicken.
or
Skin On Chicken Thighs – this could also work, but if you wanted the skin to stay crispy, I would cook the thighs first, and then perhaps serve on a bed of the sauce, or have the sauce on the side. You could try my recipe for Crispy Chicken Thighs (linked).
Hope that helps! Thanks, Alex
Jill
I have checked over the quantities and can’t see where I went wrong. It was horrible. Waaaaay too much lemon. I was devastated as I’ve never really had a fail like that before. Sauce was great consistency and looked good but Wow it didn’t taste so good. I’m very sure it wasn’t right as I can’t imagine everyone raving about it if it was like mine.
Alexandra Cook
Hello Jill,
I am so sorry that you didn’t enjoy this recipe.
It is a lemon forward dish, and perhaps just not to your taste?
Lemons do vary in intensity, so the only thing I could really think of is that your lemons are particularly powerful in flavour. The other thing would be perhaps really firmly packing the zest in to the teaspoon when measuring it?
Also, when you zested the lemon, do you think that perhaps too much of the bitter white pith got in? It is important to only remove the yellow part when zesting.
I will add a note to this regarding the zest, and also perhaps a suggestion that people add it to taste, in case they also find the flavour too intense.
Thank you for sharing your feedback, and I am sorry that you did not enjoy this recipe.
Kind regards, Alex
Lucas
I had the same problem, way too acid. I think maybe 80 ml lemon juice might be too much. I’ll be sticking to only lemon zest. I also added some white wine which also added to the acidity, probably won’t next time.
Still, thanks for the recipe!
Alexandra Cook
Hi Lucas,
Thanks for sharing your feedback 🙂
I definitely would recommend trying the recipe without the white wine, as like you said, this does add more acidity.
Let me know how you get on!
Kind regards, Alex
Sidonee Bates
Super easy quick and delicious.
I also added lemon pepper and garlic salt to the flour coating.
And six cloves of garlic instead of two and it’s still more lemony than garlic.
Also added some frozen spinach at the end for a vege kick.
If in season I would have added asparagus.
Alexandra Cook
Hi Sidonee 🙂
So happy you enjoyed it, and the additions sound delicious.
Look forward to trying it with asparagus myself when they’re in season here. Alex xo
Susan Lowe
I don’t even care much for lemon and this dish is delicious! I made it heart healthy and it was still delicious, using Becel instead of butter, olive oil and 2 percent milk. This is a keeper!!
Alexandra Cook
Hi Susan,
Thank you for your feedback on the Creamy Lemon Chicken. I am so pleased that you enjoyed it and were able to make changes to suit your dietary preference. 🙂
Jeff Wecker
Cracking recipe!
Could easily be adapted to a mustard sauce!
Alexandra
Hi Jeff, thank you for your lovely comment on our Creamy Lemon Chicken recipe. What a great idea to adapt it to a mustard sauce! 🙂
sarah
Perfect easy weeknight dinner so full of flavor!!
Alexandra
Hello Sarah, thank you for your lovely comments on the Creamy Lemon Chicken, I am so pleased you enjoyed it. 🙂
Audrey
This turned out great! YUM
Alexandra
Hi Audrey, I am delighted that you enjoyed the Creamy Lemon Chicken, thank you for letting me know. 🙂
Leigh Hill
This is full of taste and super quick to make!
Alexandra
Hi Leigh, thank you for your lovely comments, I am delighted that you enjoyed the Creamy Lemon Chicken. 🙂
JJ
Wow! So simple but so flavorful!
I will be making this again.
Alexandra
Thank you for your lovely comments on the Creamy Lemon Chicken. I’m so pleased that you enjoyed it and plan to make it again. 🙂
Terry May
Sounds great , I’m trying it soon
Alexandra
Thank you Terry, I’m happy to hear that, I hope you enjoy it. 🙂