Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts (Printer-Friendly)

Golden pan-seared chicken breasts coated in zesty lemon-pepper butter sauce. Ready in just 30 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5.3-6.3 oz each)
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
04 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil

→ Lemon-Pepper Butter Sauce

06 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
08 - Zest of 1 lemon
09 - Juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
10 - 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, optional

# How-To Steps:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
02 - Lightly coat each chicken breast in flour, shaking off excess flour before cooking.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook 5-6 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a plate and loosely cover with foil.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Melt butter in the same skillet. Add minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
05 - Stir in lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper. Simmer for 1-2 minutes while scraping up browned bits from the pan bottom.
06 - Return chicken to the skillet and spoon sauce over the top. Heat for 1-2 minutes until warmed through.
07 - Transfer chicken to serving plates. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley if desired and serve immediately with sauce.

# Helpful Hints:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen, but you'll be sitting down to eat in thirty minutes.
  • The lemony butter sauce clings to every bite and somehow makes everything feel lighter and brighter.
  • You probably have most of these ingredients already, so no frantic grocery run required.
  • It's fancy enough for company but easy enough for a weeknight when you're already tired.
02 -
  • If your chicken breasts are uneven in thickness, pound them gently with a mallet or rolling pin so they cook at the same rate.
  • Don't walk away during the garlic step, it goes from fragrant to burnt in seconds and there's no coming back from that.
  • Let the chicken rest for a moment after searing, it stays juicier and the sauce has time to come together without you rushing.
03 -
  • Use a meat thermometer to check doneness, guessing leads to dry chicken or undercooked centers.
  • Don't crowd the pan, if the chicken touches, it steams instead of searing and you lose that golden crust.
  • Zest the lemon before you juice it, it's nearly impossible to zest a juiced lemon and you'll thank yourself for planning ahead.
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