Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp salted butter, softened
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp capers, drained
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest, finely grated
- 6 thin lemon slices, cut in half
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese for serving
Prep and Cook the Chicken
Pat the breasts dry with a paper towel. Slice them in half horizontally with a sharp chef’s knife to get six thin chicken breasts.
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, starting in the center and moving outward.
The goal is to get them to an even thickness so they cook uniformly.
Place the breasts on plates and season both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil starts shimmering, place the breasts in the skillet; you may need to work in batches.
Turn the heat down to medium and cook for ~6 minutes per side, or until golden brown. If the oil starts spitting, turn the heat to medium-low.
Put the cooked chicken on clean plates and set aside.
Make the Creamy Lemon Sauce
Sauté the garlic in the leftover fat from the chicken over medium-high heat for ~1 minute.
Pour in the stock to deglaze the pan and scrape the bottom to loosen any browned bits.
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 ~3-4 minutes, whisking occasionally.
While the sauce is simmering, make the beurre manié by mixing the softened butter and flour together until you have a smooth paste.
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 coats the back of a spoon.
The beurre manié gives the sauce a nice shine and helps it cling to the chicken.
Whisk in the lemon zest and any juices that collected on the plates from the chicken. Add the breasts back to the sauce and cook over medium-low heat for ~4 minutes to heat through.
Serve
Place the breasts on individual plates and spoon the creamy sauce over each one.
Sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese, fresh parsley, and lemon slices.
Creamy Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
- 3 Tbsp salted butter, softened
- 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 Tbsp capers, drained
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest, finely grated
- 6 thin lemon slices, cut in half
- 1 1/2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Slice chicken breasts horizontally and pound thin between plastic wrap.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper.
- Sear chicken in olive oil over medium-high heat, 6 minutes per side until golden.
- Remove chicken from pan.
- Sauté garlic in pan drippings for 1 minute.
- Deglaze pan with chicken stock, scraping browned bits.
- Add cream, Parmesan, lemon juice, and capers. Simmer 3-4 minutes.
- Mix butter and flour into a paste.
- Whisk butter paste into sauce until thickened.
- Add lemon zest and return chicken to pan.
- Cook chicken in sauce 4 minutes to reheat.
- Plate chicken and spoon sauce over top.
- Garnish with Parmesan, parsley, and lemon slices.