Creamy Lemon Chicken

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If you’re looking for a low carb chicken recipe, we’ve got you covered.  This creamy lemon chicken is a recipe that can be proudly served to your family in under one hour.  It’s an easy gourmet dish that is super delish.

Questions

How many calories are in this recipe?

For a serving size of one breast sliced thinly in half and 1/3 cup of sauce, there is 434 calories and 5.8g of carbs.  This recipe is also high in vitamins A and C and calcium.  For more nutritional information, scroll past the recipe card.

Can I make this recipe ahead of time?

Yes and no.  It tastes best if it is cooked just before eating.  But to speed things up, everything can be prepped the night before and the sauce can be made. 

When you want to serve it, cook it in olive oil for 6 minutes each side in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Transfer it to a clean plate and heat up the sauce over medium heat. 

Garnish it with the sauce, Parmesan cheese, parsley and lemon slices.

Can I freeze leftovers?

The cooked meat would freeze, but the sauce wouldn’t thaw and reheat well.  If you have leftover sauce, serve it over mashed cauliflower or zucchini noodles if you’re on a low carb diet.

Serve

Try these ideas to round out your meal.

• roasted carrots
• asparagus
• sauteed kale
• roasted acorn squash
• mashed potatoes

How to Make

Gather all the ingredients.  Zest, juice, and slice lemons.  Measure out the liquid ingredients.  Mince the garlic, grate the Parmesan cheese, chop the parsley, and cut up the butter into cubes.

Rinse and pat dry the two large breasts.  Cut the meat in half horizontally, cover with plastic wrap, and pound thin with meat mallet. 

Transfer to two plates and sprinkle with salt and black pepper.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and cook it for 5 minutes each side.  Transfer it to clean plates and set aside.

Saute the garlic until fragrant, then deglaze the pan with stock, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden turner.

Decrease the heat to medium and add the cream, juice, capers, and cheese.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for a few minutes, whisking occasionally.

Make the beurre manié (pronounced burr man-YAY) by combining equal parts softened butter with flour.  Mix together with a fork.

Add the beurre manié, one small spoonful at a time.  Whisk and repeat until it is the desired thickness.

Whisk in the zest and juices left from the plate of chicken.  Return the meat to the skillet to heat through. 

Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese, chopped fresh parsley and lemon slices.

Variations

• On a diet?  Use half and half instead of heavy cream.

Pro Tips

• Want the best flavor for Parmesan?  Use freshly grated.
• Like it extra lemony?  Use lemon juice, zest, and slices to increase the lemon flavor.
• Have leftover lemon sauce?  Cool before refrigerating and serve it later on pasta or mashed potatoes.

Creamy lemon chicken is a simple recipe that very low in carbs.  It’s quick and company worthy.  Try it tonight.

These other chicken dinner recipes will satisfy hungry tummies.

•  Southern Smothered Chicken
• How to Poach Chicken Breasts
• Creamy Chicken Noodle Soup

The pleasure of a 5 star review would be greatly appreciated.

Creamy Lemon Chicken

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• Author: Brooke
• Prep Time: 25 minutes
• Cook Time: 25 minutes
• Total Time: 50 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x

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Description

Creamy lemon chicken is an easy low carb recipe that is quickly cooked in a skillet.  The creamy lemon sauce is simple to make with capers, garlic, Parmesan cheese, and real cream.  Serve this tasty meal for your family’s dinner tonight.  It’s delish, and oh so lemony!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (30 ml)
• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 453g)
• Sprinkle of salt and pepper

For the Creamy Sauce

• 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock (236 ml)
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (236 ml)
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (40g)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed (30 ml)
• 2 tablespoons salted butter, softened (30g)
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (15g)
• sprinkle of salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 tablespoons capers, drained
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated

For the Garnish

• 4 thin lemon slices, cut in half (from one large lemon)
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated (20g)

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Instructions

Cooking the Breasts

1. Rinse the two breasts and pat them dry with a paper towel.  Slice them in half horizontally with a sharp chef’s knife to get four thin chicken breasts.
2. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the meat on the cutting board.  Pound the breast thin with the smooth side of a meat mallet.  Start in the center and move outward, stopping when you have achieved your desired thickness.
3. Place the breasts on two plates, then sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
4. Heat the olive oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium high heat.  Once the oil starts shimmering, place the breasts in the skillet.  Turn the heat down to medium and cook it for 6 minutes per side, or until golden brown.  Turn down the heat to medium low if the oil starts spitting.  Put the cooked chicken on two clean plates.

Making the Creamy Sauce

1. Sauté the garlic over medium high heat for one minute in the leftover oil from the meat.
2. Pour in the stock to deglaze the pan and scrape the bottom to loosen any browned bits.
3. Decrease the heat to medium and add the cream, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, and capers.  Sprinkle in salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer.  Let it cook for a couple of minutes, whisking occasionally.
4. While the sauce is simmering, make the beurre manié by mixing equal parts softened butter and flour.  Add one small spoonful of the butter paste to the sauce at a time, whisking until it’s incorporated.  Keep adding it a spoonful at a time until the sauce is thickened.  The beurre manié will add a nice shine and satiny texture to the sauce.
5. Whisk in the zest and any juices on the plates from the chicken.  Add the breasts to the sauce and cook over a medium low heat for 4 minutes so the meat can heat through.
6. Place the chicken breasts on individual plates, and spoon the creamy sauce over each one.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, parsley, and lemon slices.  Serve immediately.

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Notes

• Use freshly grated Parmesan for the best flavor.
• Increase the lemon flavor by adding more lemon juice, zest, and slices.
• Leftover lemon sauce can be served later on pasta or mashed potatoes.

• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: easy, creamy, heavy cream

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