Lemon Supper Chicken Dish (Print Version)
Tender chicken breasts bathed in a bright lemon and herb sauce, perfect for any supper.
# What You Need:
→ Poultry
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
→ Marinade & Sauce
02 - 2 large lemons, zested and juiced (about 1/4 cup juice)
03 - 3 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 1 tablespoon honey
06 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
07 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped
08 - 1 teaspoon salt
09 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
→ For Cooking
10 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
11 - 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
→ Garnish
12 - Fresh parsley, chopped
13 - Lemon slices (optional)
# How to Prepare:
01 - Whisk together lemon juice, lemon zest, 3 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, thyme, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl.
02 - Place chicken breasts in a shallow dish or resealable bag. Pour half the marinade over chicken, turning to coat. Reserve remaining marinade. Let marinate at least 15 minutes at room temperature or up to 2 hours refrigerated.
03 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and discard marinade used on chicken. Cook chicken 5 to 6 minutes per side until golden and internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer to plate and cover loosely with foil.
04 - Add reserved marinade and chicken broth to skillet. Bring to a simmer, scraping browned bits. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until sauce reduces slightly.
05 - Return chicken to skillet, spoon sauce over top, and simmer 2 minutes until warmed through.
06 - Plate chicken and garnish with chopped parsley and optional lemon slices. Serve immediately.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The chicken stays impossibly tender because the lemon juice and honey work together to keep the meat juicy even when you're not paying close attention.
- You can have dinner ready before most people finish opening a bottle of wine, and it still feels like a proper meal.
- The sauce is silky and bright without any cream, which means you can eat it guilt-free and still feel like you're treating yourself.
02 -
- Don't skip the reserved marinade step—cooking with fresh marinade that hasn't touched raw chicken is what keeps this safe and lets you build a real sauce instead of just pan-frying.
- The moment you see the oil shimmer and almost smoke is when you add the chicken; too cool and it steams instead of sears, too hot and the outside burns before the inside cooks through.
- Lemon juice continues cooking the chicken even after you've removed it from heat, so pull it a hair early and let carryover heat finish the job—overcooked chicken is the one mistake that can't be fixed.
03 -
- Pat your chicken completely dry before it hits the pan—even one drop of moisture will turn your sear into a steam situation, and dry chicken is the difference between restaurant-quality crust and something mediocre.
- The reserved marinade is your insurance policy; because it never touched raw chicken, it's safe to taste and adjust with extra salt or lemon juice if the sauce needs it before plating.