Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe

Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe- This lemon pepper chicken with butter sauce is a quick and easy dish that takes only 20 minutes to prepare! The ideal supper on a hectic weeknight. You most likely already have all of the stuff on hand to cook it tonight! When I went to get my lemon pepper for this dish, I read the contents of four different kinds, and they were pretty different. Some lemon pepper products include salt, while others use citric acid instead of lemon peel, and still others add yellow food coloring! I recommend looking for a more natural ingredient list; citric acid isn’t a good alternative for actual lemon peel in my opinion. This dish has a light breading that turns a rich golden brown when sautéed in olive oil. The butter sauce is optional, but it gives a wonderful finishing touch.

What Is the Best Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe?

I went through several brands of lemon pepper seasoning when I first started testing this recipe and never found one that I liked. It just doesn’t have that fresh lemon zing to it.

So I skipped the lemon pepper spice and went straight for the fresh lemon. It turned out to be much better and more flavorful! It’s the easy trick to the finest lemon pepper chicken.

This dish requires only a few basic ingredients and around 20 minutes of your time! Everyone will like the creamy buttery finish with a peppery bite.

It’s the ideal recipe to cook when you need dinner quickly. Pair it with roasted red potatoes (serve with a drizzle of olive oil) and fresh steamed broccoli for a few nutritious and easy sides.

What Exactly Is Lemon Pepper?

Lemon pepper is a spice combination created with granulated lemon zest and cracked peppercorns, in case you’ve never tried it before. It has a great, zesty flavor! Because store-bought varieties frequently have additional salt, I would definitely taste the sauce before adding more salt. Most supermarket shops sell it in the herbs/spices section.

Ingredients For Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe:

1. Chicken breasts: You may use two large breasts, butterfly them, and cut them in half, or you can use four medium breasts (about 6 oz each) and pound them to approximately 1/2-inch thickness.
2. Flour: Because I only had approximately 1 Tbsp. of the flour sticks, instead of using an additional dish to dredge, I just seasoned the flour mixture over.
3. Seasonings from Italy: 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1/2 teaspoon basil can be substituted.
4. Black pepper, coarsely ground: Fresh ground pepper also helps.
5. You may adjust the salt to taste, but I like around 3/4 tsp.
6. Garlic powder: This is used to keep the dish as simple as possible. There is no need to cut.
7. Sugar: A small amount of sugar promotes browning. You can omit it if you don’t want to include it.
8. I use unsalted butter, although salted would be good.
9. Olive oil is used in addition to butter to prevent it from burning.
10. Lemon: You’ll only need approximately half a lemon, but don’t forget to zest it before halving and juicing it.
11. You may substitute parsley for another herb such as basil, thyme, or rosemary here (though with those last 2 use less).

How To Make Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe?

• Begin by slicing the chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create four thinner cutlets (this ensures the chicken cooks faster and stays tender).
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
• Then, in a pan, heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter until hot. Sear the chicken for 4-5 minutes per side (it won’t be completely cooked through, which is good).
• Place the chicken on a platter. Add the remaining butter to the pan, followed by the garlic and flour, and simmer for about a minute.
• Incorporate the chicken stock, cream, and lemon pepper until the sauce is smooth.

Tips And Tricks:

1. As always, substitute ingredients at your own risk. I use heavy cream since it is less likely to curdle and produces a thicker, richer sauce. Something with a reduced fat content could not provide the greatest outcomes.
2. Because the chicken breasts are sliced in half to produce thinner pieces, try to use fairly big chicken breasts. If your chicken breasts are on the smaller side, feel free to keep them intact, but you may need to cook them for a bit longer.
3. Using an instant read meat thermometer eliminates any uncertainty about whether the chicken is adequately cooked (it’s safe at 165F).
4. If you prefer a different cut of meat, you may substitute chicken thighs for the chicken breasts (adjust cooking time as needed).
5. To swiftly and efficiently flip chicken, I use my kitchen tongs (or whatever meat you happen to be searing).

Where Should I Get My Chicken?

This method calls for thin chicken pieces that cook fast, such as boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into thinner pieces), chicken tenders, thin-cut chicken breast, or chicken thighs. This approach does not work with bone-in chicken.

Do I Require Fresh Lemon?

Nope! While I did garnish this meal with some fresh lemon slices (leftover from another dish), fresh lemon is not required to create this lemon pepper chicken! The powerful lemon pepper spice provides the majority of the lemon taste. The tiny amount of lemon juice used in the pan sauce can be stored in a bottle.

What Exactly Is Lemon Pepper Seasoning?

This recipe’s lemon pepper seasoning is a combination of lemon zest, pepper, citric acid, and salt. Most major spice companies in the United States, as well as many large generic store brands, produce their own lemon pepper seasoning, thus it should be simple to find in almost any grocery shop in the United States. If you can’t locate lemon pepper at your local shop, there are lots of DIY lemon pepper spice recipes online.

Check to see whether your lemon pepper spice contains salt. If it does not, you may need to increase the salt in the recipe.

Can I Use Chicken Thighs?

• Yes, boneless skinless chicken thighs will also work here.
• Simply use smaller ones, no halves required.
• Cook for a few minutes more if necessary to reach 165 degrees in the middle.

How To Serve Lemon Pepper Chicken?

My Lemon Pepper Chicken was served with Lemon Parsley Pasta, but it would also be delicious with Sautéed Vegetables, Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad, Roasted Broccoli, Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus, Spinach Rice with Feta, or Spanish Chickpeas and Rice.

Notes:

1. You’ll need enough lemons to create 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp. lemon zest. 2 medium-sized lemons are typically plenty.
2. Because I enjoy big bursts of black pepper, I produce cracked pepper by roughly cracking entire peppercorns with my mortar and pestle. Simply use a coarse pepper grinder. If you only have fine ground pepper (as opposed to pre-ground pepper), add around 3/4 tsp.
3. Instead of using powder, you may add chopped garlic into the lemon zest smear. I like powder since it has a smoother flavor finish that is more reminiscent of store-bought spice.
4. This dish is also delicious with fish. In my opinion, it’s a touch too delicate for lamb and beef.

MORE DELICIOIUS RECIPES HERE:

Garlic Butter Baked Salmon

Garlic Butter Shrimp Scampi

Smoked Chicken Breast

Baked Garlic Parmesan Zucchini Chips

OVEN BAKED CHICKEN PARMESAN

Lemon Garlic Shrimp Pasta

Did you make this recipe ? be sure to follow me on Pinterest, rate the recipe and tag #saltedcaramelgirl on Instagram!