Creamy Parmesan Lemon Chicken (Printable)

Golden chicken in a velvety lemon-Parmesan cream sauce with garlic and herbs.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
02 - 1 teaspoon salt
03 - ½ teaspoon black pepper
04 - ½ cup all-purpose flour
05 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
06 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Sauce

07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 cup chicken broth (low sodium)
09 - 1 cup heavy cream
10 - 1 teaspoon lemon zest
11 - 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
12 - ¾ cup grated Parmesan cheese
13 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
14 - ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

# Directions:

01 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper. Dredge each piece lightly in flour, shaking off any excess coating.
02 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter foams. Place chicken in pan and cook for 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic to the same skillet and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn.
04 - Pour in chicken broth while scraping up browned bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Let simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
05 - Stir in heavy cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Bring to a gentle simmer, then gradually whisk in Parmesan cheese until fully melted. Continue cooking for 2–3 minutes until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
06 - Return chicken to the skillet, spooning sauce generously over each piece. Simmer for 3–4 minutes until chicken is heated through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and red pepper flakes if desired. Serve immediately with additional Parmesan and parsley on top.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in minutes but tastes like it simmered all afternoon
  • That perfect hit of bright lemon cuts through the rich cream so nothing feels heavy
  • You get that restaurant-quality finish without any fancy techniques or hard-to-find ingredients
02 -
  • Room temperature cream prevents curdling so take it out of the fridge before you start cooking
  • The sauce thickens as it stands off the heat so do not reduce it too much in the pan or it will become pasty
03 -
  • Grate your own Parmesan because the pre-grated stuff never melts smoothly into the sauce
  • Zest your lemon before cutting it open to juice since trying to zest a slippery half-cut lemon is frustrating and messy

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