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.
¼cup(40 g) all-purpose/plain flour - use gluten-free if needed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to season to the flour
2teaspoondried oregano
1tablespoonbutterSee Note 1
1teaspoonextra virgin olive oil
For the Sauce:
1tablespoonbutter See Note 1
2largegarlic cloves - minced
1cup(250 ml) heavy whipping/thickened creamSee Note 2
1-3teaspoonlemon zest - loosely packed, add to tasteSee Note 3
2-4tablespoon(40-80 ml) lemon juice - freshly squeezed, add to tasteSee Note 4
¼cupflat-leaf parsley - finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to tasteSee 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.