Make creamy lemon chicken for an elegant dish that’s easy enough for every day.
Chicken breasts are gently simmered in a creamy sauce made with white wine, lemon, cream, and tarragon that goes from the stovetop to the tabletop in a single pot.
You’ll Love Creamy Lemon Chicken Because…
- Simple ingredients and steps help make any home cook feel like a fancy chef.
- This lemon chicken is a delicious low-carb entrée, perfect served over rice, pasta, or mashed potatoes.
- Customize this recipe easily using different herbs, spices, and veggies.
- Creamy lemon chicken is a quick special occasion dish that can be made at home instead of making reservations.
What’s in Creamy Lemon Chicken?
Chicken: Choose same-sized boneless/skinless breasts for this recipe. Boneless/skinless thighs are also a great choice. This recipe also works using pork, lamb, or shrimp.
Sauce: Use a quality white wine (like a Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay), heavy cream, real butter, and fresh tarragon for the best results. The wine can be omitted altogether, add the same amount in extra chicken broth.
Variations: Dredge the chicken breasts in flour before browning them in Step 1. If the flavor of tarragon isn’t your thing, use lemon pepper, a dash of garlic powder, or a homemade blend of Italian seasonings or chopped fresh rosemary, thyme, or oregano. Add fresh spring peas, sautéed mushrooms, spinach, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, or thinly sliced zucchini.
How to Make Creamy Lemon Chicken
- Brown chicken. Add broth, mustard, butter, tarragon, lemon, and pepper. Simmer.
- Transfer chicken to a serving dish (full recipe below).
- Whisk in cream and wine and bring sauce to a boil.
- Add lemon slices and seasonings.
- Pour sauce over chicken and serve as desired.
Ways to Serve Creamy Lemon Chicken
- Creamy lemon chicken is delish on its own but can be served over lemon rice, mashed potatoes, or egg noodles.
- Serve on top of a bed of sautéed broccolini for an elegant low-carb dish or next to a colorful side of oven-roasted carrots for a visually stunning entrée.
- Serve with a tangy kale Caesar salad and slices of homemade bread to soak up all that creamy lemon sauce.
- Sprinkle some parmesan cheese or crumbled feta on the top as a garnish along with fresh tarragon leaves.
Leftover Creamy Lemon Chicken?
Keep leftover creamy lemon chicken with the sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat chicken and sauce in the microwave or on the stovetop with a little milk added to loosen the sauce. Leftovers can be enjoyed hot or cold, added to a soup, chopped onto a salad, or added to a pita pocket with lettuce for a delicious workday lunch.
Freeze leftovers in a zippered bag for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and add to lemon chicken orzo.
More Luscious Lemon Recipes
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Creamy Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 1 ¼ cup chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon chopped, or your favorite herbs (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- zest of 1 lemon *
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 lemon *thinly sliced (small lemon)
- ½ teaspoon salt optional
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup white wine or chicken broth
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken and brown both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
- Pour chicken broth over chicken. Add mustard, butter, tarragon, lemon zest, and pepper (no need to stir). Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken to a serving dish and cover to keep warm.
- Add cream and wine to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce sauce by about one third. Reduce heat to bring to a simmer and add lemon slices. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour over chicken and serve with rice or pasta.
Notes
- Keep leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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Two of my favorite flavors, lemon and tarragon! Thanks for sharing, I am looking forward to trying this out!
Oh, you’ll love this chicken Shauna! Thank you!