One-Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken
Lemon pepper chicken cutlets seared golden in one skillet and finished in a bright lemon butter pan sauce. An easy 30-minute weeknight chicken dinner.
This post may contain affiliate links. See our disclosure policy.
Lemon pepper chicken is what I make when the fridge is close to empty and dinner still has to happen in 30 minutes. Chicken cutlets get a thin, seasoned flour coat, sear until the outside goes crackly and golden, then finish in a butter sauce loaded with lemon zest and cracked pepper. Everything happens in one skillet, and the sauce is built from the browned bits the chicken leaves behind.
Slicing the breasts in half lengthwise into thin cutlets is the move that makes this fast and reliable. A whole chicken breast is thick at one end and thin at the other, so by the time the fat end hits 165°F the thin end has gone stringy. Even cutlets cook through in about 4 minutes a side, and they get twice as much golden surface per bite.
Add the lemon juice off the heat, at the very end. Lemon juice loses its bright, sharp edge when it simmers and starts tasting flat and slightly bitter. Stirring it in after the pan comes off the burner keeps that fresh punch, which is the entire reason you’re making lemon pepper chicken in the first place.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe
- One skillet, 30 minutes. The chicken sears and the pan sauce comes together in the same pan, so cleanup is one thing.
- Bright, not heavy. Lemon zest and juice cut straight through the butter so it tastes fresh instead of rich.
- Golden crust on thin cutlets. A light flour dredge gives every piece a crisp, seasoned edge without any real breading work.
- Pantry-simple. Chicken, a lemon, butter, and a jar of lemon pepper seasoning covers almost the entire list.
Lemon Pepper Chicken Ingredients
Zest the lemon before you cut it in half. The zest carries the floral lemon oils that the juice doesn’t have, and there’s no way to get it off a squeezed, collapsed lemon half. Using both is what makes the sauce taste like actual lemon instead of just sour.
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs)
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning, divided
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
Recipe Variations
- Use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead. They stay juicier and take about 5 to 6 minutes per side, still to 165°F.
- Stir 1/4 cup of heavy cream into the sauce after the broth reduces for a creamier lemon pepper sauce that clings more.
- Add a big handful of capers or thin lemon slices to the pan sauce for a version that leans toward chicken piccata.
How to Make Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Cut the cutlets: Lay each chicken breast flat and slice it in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets, each about 1/2 inch thick. Pat them dry with paper towels, because a dry surface browns and a wet one steams.
- Season and dredge: Whisk the flour, 2 teaspoons of the lemon pepper seasoning, the garlic powder, and the salt together on a wide plate. Press each cutlet into the mixture on both sides, then shake off the excess so only a thin coat stays.
- Sear the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the cutlets in a single layer and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, until deep golden and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F. Move them to a plate. Work in two batches if all four don’t fit without touching.
- Start the pan sauce: Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the same skillet. Once it melts, stir in the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Deglaze: Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to lift every browned bit. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce reduces by about a third and thickens slightly.
- Finish with lemon: Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in the lemon zest, all of the lemon juice, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning. Taste and add a pinch more salt if it needs it.
- Return the chicken and serve: Slide the cutlets and any juices from the plate back into the pan and turn them once or twice to coat in the lemon pepper sauce. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve right away with the extra sauce spooned over.
Recipe FAQs
What Temperature Should Chicken Be Cooked To?
165°F at the thickest part. Thin cutlets get there fast, usually right around the 4 to 5 minute mark on the second side, so start checking early rather than late.
Can I Use Bottled Lemon Juice?
You can, but this is one recipe where you’ll taste the difference. Bottled juice is duller and slightly metallic, and you’d still need a fresh lemon for the zest anyway.
Is Lemon Pepper Seasoning Salty?
It depends a lot on the brand. Some are mostly salt. Taste yours before you add the 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the dredge, and cut it back if the blend is already salty.
Can I Make Lemon Pepper Chicken in the Oven?
Yes. Season whole breasts and roast at 425°F for 20 to 25 minutes to 165°F, then make the butter sauce separately in a small pan. The crust won’t be as golden as the skillet version.
Why Did My Sauce Taste Bitter?
The lemon juice most likely simmered too long, or the garlic browned. Add the juice off the heat and keep the garlic to a quick 30 seconds in melted butter.
Cooking Tips
- Let the skillet get properly hot before the chicken goes in. A lukewarm pan gives you gray, sad cutlets instead of a golden crust.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Four cutlets touching each other release steam and steam kills browning, so use two batches if your skillet is on the smaller side.
- Grate the zest with a microplane and stop at the yellow. The white pith underneath is where the bitterness lives.
Storage and Freezing
To store: Keep the chicken and sauce together in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To freeze: The cooked chicken freezes fine for up to 2 months, but the butter sauce separates once thawed. Freeze the cutlets on their own and make a fresh sauce when you serve them.
To reheat: Warm in a covered skillet over low heat with a splash of broth until heated through. Slice leftovers cold over salads too, which skips the reheating problem entirely.
How to Serve Lemon Pepper Chicken
Lemon Pepper Chicken is light enough to pair with just about anything green. Roasted asparagus, garlicky green beans, or a big salad with a mustard vinaigrette all hold up to the lemon without competing with it. Roasted broccoli is my usual pick because it soaks up the extra pan sauce. Leftover cutlets sliced cold over a salad the next day make a lunch that feels planned instead of scraped together.
Loved This Recipe?
Lemon pepper chicken is fast, bright, and made in one skillet, which is about all I ask of a Tuesday dinner.
Leave a star rating in the comments below, it helps other people find this recipe. Made it? Tag @allwellfed on Instagram, I love seeing this one in other people’s kitchens.
One-Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken
Equipment
- Instant-Read Thermometer 165°F in the thickest part, checked in two spots. Color is not a reliable read.
Ingredients
- 2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts about 1 1/2 lbs
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp lemon pepper seasoning divided
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tbsp butter
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 lemon zested and juiced
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Cut the cutlets: Lay each chicken breast flat and slice it in half horizontally to make 4 thin cutlets, each about 1/2 inch thick. Pat them dry with paper towels, because a dry surface browns and a wet one steams.
- Season and dredge: Whisk the flour, 2 teaspoons of the lemon pepper seasoning, the garlic powder, and the salt together on a wide plate. Press each cutlet into the mixture on both sides, then shake off the excess so only a thin coat stays.
- Sear the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the cutlets in a single layer and cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, until deep golden and an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 165°F. Move them to a plate. Work in two batches if all four don’t fit without touching.
- Start the pan sauce: Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the same skillet. Once it melts, stir in the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Deglaze: Pour in the chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to lift every browned bit. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce reduces by about a third and thickens slightly.
- Finish with lemon: Take the skillet off the heat. Stir in the lemon zest, all of the lemon juice, and the remaining 1 teaspoon of lemon pepper seasoning. Taste and add a pinch more salt if it needs it.
- Return the chicken and serve: Slide the cutlets and any juices from the plate back into the pan and turn them once or twice to coat in the lemon pepper sauce. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve right away with the extra sauce spooned over.
Notes
If you made this, leave a star rating down in the comments. It takes about ten seconds, and it’s how other cooks decide whether a recipe is worth trying.
