Lemon Butter Chicken Breasts

Chicken in a lemony, buttery sauce with parsley and capers is a simple and flavorful main dish that’s great with pasta, rice, or potatoes. The chicken and sauce are cooked in one pan for an easy meal.

This lemon butter chicken is a take on the Italian-American classic, chicken piccata, with a lemon butter sauce with garlic, tender chicken, briny capers, and lots of fresh parsley. It’s fancy-ish but easy and so, so delicious.

It’s a great recipe because you can pair it with all kinds of side dishes – pasta, rice, potatoes, salad, cooked veggies… there are all kinds of possibilities. The lemon flavor goes with so many things.

How to Make It

More great news: you only need one pan! The lightly floured chicken goes in first, and then you use that same pan to make the lemon butter sauce. In the end, the chicken breasts go back in so they can soak up all of the lemon flavor. Spoon the buttery sauce over the chicken and whatever side dish you pair it with for a delicious finish.

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Lemon Butter Chicken Breasts

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This lemon butter chicken is easy to make and delicious with pasta, rice, or potatoes. The butter sauce has a bright lemon flavor with a pop of fresh parsley. 

• Author: April Anderson
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stove
• Cuisine: Italian-American

Ingredients

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• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (see note)
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, divided

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Instructions

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
2. Place the flour in a shallow bowl, coat each chicken breast, and shake off the excess flour.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the floured chicken breasts in the pan and cook them until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
4. Add the olive oil and garlic to the same skillet. Cook the garlic in the olive for about one minute.
5. Add the wine and lemon juice and scrape up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Stir in chicken broth and lemon slices. Simmer the sauce for ten minutes – it will reduce and lightly thicken.
6. Stir in the butter, capers, and parsley. Once the butter is melted into the sauce, place the chicken breasts in the sauce.
7. Spoon the sauce over the chicken breasts for a couple of minutes to warm it up, and then it’s ready to serve.

Notes

I like to use Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, but you can use any dry white wine you like to drink. If you prefer to leave it out, you can. Use the same amount of chicken broth in its place.

Leftover sauce and chicken will keep for a few days in the refrigerator. I don’t recommend freezing the leftovers since the sauce doesn’t reheat well after it’s been frozen.

Nutrition

• Calories: 426
• Sugar: 0.7g
• Sodium: 643mg
• Fat: 26g
• Saturated Fat: 8.1g
• Unsaturated Fat: 15.7g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 15.1g
• Fiber: 0.9g
• Protein: 28.1g
• Cholesterol: 106.9mg

The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.

Side Dish Ideas

• I love this lemony, buttery chicken with pasta, but it’s also great served over rice or mashed potatoes.
• The chicken and sauce are also great with broccoli or green beans on the side. Or try some roasted Parmesan potatoes.
• Some toasted garlic bread would not be a bad idea, either!

Lemon and butter are a classic flavor match made in heaven – give it a try, and I think you’ll agree!

Happy cooking,

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