These juicy Lemon Pepper Chicken Breasts are an easy weeknight meal you can make in 15 minutes. Chicken breasts are lightly dusted in seasoned flour and pan-fried until golden brown. The chicken is finished with a lemony garlic butter sauce that makes every bite of chicken so delicious!
This is one of my favorite meals to make at home because it's super simple, and you don't need any complicated ingredients. All you need are chicken breasts, flour, black pepper, butter, garlic, and lemon juice. It’s super easy, and everyone always loves it.
My wife doesn't even really like chicken breasts, but she really enjoys this recipe because the chicken breasts come out super juicy. The important thing is to remove the chicken breasts at the right time so they don't get overcooked. Once the temperature reaches 155-160°F, they are ready. And just so you know, even if you overcook the chicken, the lemon butter sauce will make up for any dryness.
If you prefer dark meat, this recipe can also be done with chicken thighs! Just keep in mind that if you decide to use bone-in chicken thighs, the cooking time will need to be increased by about 10-15 minutes because they are way thicker and take longer to cook.
Important steps/ingredients
Fresh lemon juice: You will want to use freshly squeezed lemon juice for this recipe. Don't even think about using the bottled stuff because the flavor won't be the same. Bottled lemon juice just doesn't have the same freshness and brightness as fresh lemons.
Freshly cracked black pepper: Because black pepper is the only spice we use, I highly recommend cracking it yourself for the best flavor. I used a mortar and pestle and cracked it right before making the recipe. Feel free to sprinkle on as much as you want. I also brought some tot the table so my wife could add more if she wanted to.
Slice the chicken breasts in half: If your chicken breasts are very thick, you should slice them in half so that they cook faster. Otherwise, it can take a really long time for them to cook through. If you don't want to cut them in half, the recipe will work as well, but I recommend reducing the heat to medium-low (after the initial sear) and adding an extra 10-15 minutes of cooking.
📋 Recipe
Lemon Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 2 teaspoons freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice from 1 lemon
Instructions
- Slice the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so you have 4 thinner pieces.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and black pepper. Coat both sides of the chicken with the seasoning.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, reduce the heat to medium. Add the oil and swirl it around to coat the skillet.
- Add the chicken breasts to the skillet and cook the first side for 4-5 minutes until the bottom is golden brown. Flip and cook the other side until the chicken is cooked through (the temperature should reach 155-160°F).
- Remove the chicken breasts from the skillet and let them rest for 5 minutes.
- To make the sauce, melt the butter in the same skillet and use your spatula to scrape off any stuck-on chicken bits. Add the garlic and let it sizzle for 1 minute. Add the lemon juice, and whisk vigorously to make the sauce creamy. Remove from the heat.
- Slice the chicken breasts and pour the sauce on top.
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