Creamy Lemon Chicken

Up close shot of dish of chicken in cream sauce sprinkled with parsley.

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.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine International

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 12

Total Time 27

Servings people

Calories 447kcal

Author Alexandra Cook - It's Not Complicated Recipes

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

500 g (1.1 lb) chicken tenderloins
¼ cup (40 g) all-purpose/plain flour - use gluten-free if needed
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 cloves garlic - 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
⅓ cup (80 ml) lemon juice - freshly squeezed
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley - finely chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste See Note 4

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 and the dried oregano. 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 1tsp and add more to to taste.
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