This Lemon Pepper Chicken recipe is easy to make on the stove top to serve with pasta, potatoes, vegetables, and more! The award-winning sauce is perfectly seasoned and has a the best balance of tart, creamy, and savory!
Be sure to serve this with a side of Greens and Beans and try my Chicken and Orzo next!
Lemon Pepper Chicken
I am soooo happy that you’ve found this incredible Lemon Pepper Chicken recipe! The flavor profile in this dish is so well balanced, you won’t be able to stop eating it! (Luckily, there is plenty of this addicting sauce to go around.)
The sauce is tart, yet creamy. It’s savory, while also being subtly sweet, and it’s perfectly seasoned.
This dish pairs perfectly with pasta, potatoes, vegetables, or just a simple side salad! See below for links to my pairing suggestions, and don’t miss my PRO tips as well!
How to Make It
See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to create 2 thinner slices. Season each side with lemon pepper seasoning and dredge it in flour. Sear in olive oil and set aside.
Add white wine to the same skillet. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the pan and let the liquid bubble gently and reduce by half. Add the garlic and butter.
Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the sauce mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle bubble. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and gradually sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously. Stir in the lemon juice and add the chicken back. Spoon the sauce on top. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add lemon slices during the last minute. Garnish with parsley and sprinkle with freshly cracked pepper. Serve!
Pro Tips
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning: Redmond Real Salt lemon pepper seasoning is my favorite brand for seasoning this chicken, it also contains sea salt and has a lot of great flavor. (Use promo code ‘COZY‘ for 15% off!) Some brands (like McCormick) can be potent so be aware of that and consider using less on the chicken.
- Wine: Sauvignon Blanc is the best wine to use in this recipe, followed by Chardonnay, and then Pinot Grigio. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.
- Cheese: Shred the cheese from a block, it will melt and taste much better than packaged shredded cheese. I use Belgioioso Parmesan.
- Capers and/or spinach can be added to the sauce at the end of cooking if desired.
What to Serve With Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Potatoes: Roasted, Mashed, Greek, Wedges, Scalloped, Grilled, Skillet.
- Roasted Vegetables: Broccoli, Asparagus, Green Beans, Carrots.
- Pasta: Buttered Noodles, Garlic Parmesan Pasta, Creamy Herb Pasta, Mushroom Ravioli.
- Garlic Bread with Cheese.
- See all of my Side Dish Recipes here.
Storage
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers do freeze well!
- If reheating from frozen: Thaw leftover chicken overnight in the fridge (or defrost it in the microwave) and then bake it in a small, lightly greased, covered casserole dish at 350° for 20-25 minutes.
Tools For This Recipe
(Amazon affiliate links)- Check out all of my kitchen essentials here.
- 12-inch cast iron skillet– Same size/type as what I used for this recipe.
- Large Measuring Cup with a Spout -This is what I use to combine the sauce ingredients at the beginning. The spout makes it easy to add it to the roux in small splashes.
- Kitchen Tongs– makes it easy to handle the chicken when searing.
- My Favorite Chef Knife
- Meat Tenderizer
- Measuring Spoons– I have these magnetic ones which stay nice and organized in my utensil drawer.
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Lemon Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon EACH: mustard powder, parsley, oregano
- 1/8 teaspoon coarse black pepper
Chicken
- 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons Lemon Pepper Seasoning, see notes
- ¼ cup flour
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
Other
- ½ cup dry white wine, see notes
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
- Freshly cracked pepper, for serving
Instructions
Prep Work
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a large measuring cup with a spout and set aside. Measure out remaining ingredients before beginning.
Make the Chicken
- Slice the chicken in half lengthwise to create 2-3 thinner slices. Cover with saran wrap and use the textured side of a meat mallet to pound it to ½ inch thick.
- Season each side with lemon pepper seasoning. Sprinkle with flour and rub it over the surface of each side. (The flour gives it a little texture and prevents it from sticking to the skillet. It also thickens the sauce a little more at the end.)
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in batches for 4-5 minutes per side, until a golden crust has developed. Set aside.
Make the Sauce
- Turn the heat off. Add the wine and then set the heat to medium. Use a silicone spatula to clean the bottom and sides of the skillet, the “fond” will add more flavor to the sauce. Bring to a gentle bubble and reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
- Add the butter and the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add the flour and stir continuously for 2 minutes, until the raw flour smell is cooked off.
- Add the chicken broth mixture in small splashes, stirring continuously. (This is the mixture that we combined in step 1 of prep work.)
- Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce to a gentle bubble. Let it simmer and reduce for 5 minutes. During this time the flavors will meld, and the sauce will thicken and concentrate.
- Reduce heat to low. Slowly sprinkle in the Parmesan cheese, stirring continuously, until melted and combined. Slowly stir in the lemon juice.
- Add the chicken back and spoon the sauce on top. Let it simmer and reduce for 4 minutes, uncovered. Add the fresh lemon wedges to the skillet and simmer for 1 more minute. Remove from heat. Sprinkle with parsley and freshly cracked pepper, then serve!
Notes
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning: Redmond Real Salt lemon pepper seasoning is my favorite brand for seasoning this chicken, it also contains sea salt and has a lot of great flavor. (Use promo code 'COZY' for 15% off!) Some brands (like McCormick) can be potent so be aware of that and consider using less on the chicken.
- Wine: Sauvignon Blanc is the best wine to use in this recipe, followed by Chardonnay, and then Pinot Grigio. Chicken broth can be used if you don’t cook with wine.
- Cheese: Shred the cheese from a block, it will melt and taste much better than packaged shredded cheese. I use Belgioioso Parmesan.
- Capers and/or spinach can be added to the sauce at the end of cooking if desired.
- Pairing Suggestions: See blog post for links to my my recommended side dishes.
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers do freeze well!
- If reheating from frozen: Thaw leftover chicken overnight in the fridge (or defrost it in the microwave) and then bake it in a small, lightly greased, covered casserole dish at 350° for 20-25 minutes.
Nutritional information is an estimate and is per serving. There are 4 servings in this recipe.
My family loved the Lemon pepper chicken!!! I like homemade sauces because it brings out the flavors to a gourmet level. I also like to have control over the ingredients. My daughter and I do not tolerate gluten well so I used gluten free oat flour. The sauce was creamy and very tasty. I was on a tight schedule so I prepared the ingredients in advance, went to my appointment and cooked the meal upon my return. It was quick and easy. This is a meal I would not hesitate to make when we have friends over.
I’m so happy it was such a success Francine, especially with the gluten free oat flour! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!❤️
Hi! this looks amazing! What would you suggest to make this dairy free?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Lily! I’m not dairy free so I haven’t tested this recipe with dairy-free products.❤️ I know they have many dairy-free alternatives on the market now though 🙂
Sounds good but I can’t see where the brown sugar from ingredients list goes in.
Hi Deena, it’s in the first step, ” For the sauce: In a large measuring cup with a spout, combine the chicken broth, bouillon cube, honey, heavy cream, and seasonings. Set aside.” 🩷
Delicious! My family loved it.
I’m sooo happy to hear that Anna! We just love this one! Thank you so much for the review!
The sauce is incredible! Anything lemon-pepper is a win for me. Love this recipe.
Thanks for the great comments Alexandra! You actually just reminded me of this one, it’s been awhile and I’m due to make it!
This was really tasty! It had a super fresh and citrusy taste, which is my favorite! I made it with potatoes and will try it with pasta next, the sauce is tooooo good to not use all of!
Hi Katlyn! I’m so happy that you loved the flavors in this recipe- it’s one of my favorites. I have a slight obsessed with lemon and chicken combinations these days! 🙂 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it!! -Stephanie
My 15 year old daughter and I made this together last night and followed the recipe exactly. It was very easy to cook and tasted amazing! I will be making this all the time now. Thank you!
I’m soooo happy that you and your daughter loved this Mary! This is definitely one of my top favorite chicken dishes! I love that you two made this together as well, that is just fabulous! Thank you so much for the review! -Stephanie 🙂
Awesome. Made today it with pasta.
Hey Joe! I’m sooo happy to hear that you loved the recipe!! WOO! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! -Stephanie
Made this for my family for Mother’s Day today and it was a hit! I will definitely add it to my repertoire. Thank you for sharing it!
You’re very welcome! I’m so happy it was a Mother’s Day success, nice work Lin. Thanks so much for the great review!💖
Made it for my husband tonight and we were both blown outta the park! This is so delicious!
I’m so happy to hear that Elyse! Thanks so much for the great comments and review!💖