This Honey Lemon Chicken Skillet is a lifesaver on busy weeknights! With just a handful of ingredients and in less than 20 minutes, this one-pan chicken cutlet recipe delivers tender chicken in a delicious honey lemon sauce.
When it comes to quick and flavorful meals, I love turning to rich and robust ingredients, like honey and lemon.
Sweet honey and bright lemon combine to add flavor to everything from chicken cutlets, in this recipe for Honey Lemon Chicken to pork chops, ham, and salmon.
Reasons to Love Honey Lemon Chicken
- Quick-Cooking Dinner. Thanks to the thin cutlets and flavorful, simple pan sauce, this chicken skillet is ready in less than 20 minutes. I would argue that it is easier than driving through any drive-thru and certainly easier than running into a store to grab a frozen meal that you have to come home and cook.
- Minimal Ingredients. Because honey and lemon are so intensely flavored, this Honey Lemon Chicken Skillet only requires a handful of ingredients.
- Wholesome & Allergy Friendly. This recipe is low in fat, low in sodium, gluten-free, dairy-free, and packed with lean protein.
- Delicious. Tender chicken and a sweet and savory sauce make this chicken cutlet recipe memorable.
Notes on Ingredients & Equipment
- Chicken Cutlets: I recommend using thin chicken breast cutlets for this chicken skillet recipe. Because the chicken is thinly sliced it will cook quickly, remain tender, and have an ample sauce-to-chicken ratio, which translates to more flavor. Feel free to purchase chicken breasts and slice them into chicken cutlets.
- Honey Lemon Pan Sauce: This sauce is made with fresh lemons (do not substitute jarred lemon juice), chicken stock, honey, and Dijon.
- Saute Pan: I recommend using a nonstick skillet for easier cleanup and less risk of burning the sauce. The honey can burn quickly in a stainless steel skillet.
∗ How to Make Chicken Cutlets∗
Chicken breasts are much more affordable than purchasing chicken cutlets. You can prepare chicken cutlets using chicken breasts by using a sharp fillet knife to slice the chicken breast horizontally into two even pieces. Place the sliced chicken breast between two slices of plastic wrap and then pound with a meat mallet.
How to Make Honey Lemon Chicken
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Sear Chicken Cutlets. Sear seasoned chicken cutlets over medium-high heat until golden on each side. Once golden, remove the chicken to a clean plate. This will add a nice texture and crust to the chicken cutlets.
- Simmer Honey Lemon Sauce. Add the chicken stock, honey, lemon juice, and Dijon to the skillet and whisk until the sauce comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, add the chicken back to the skillet, top with slices of lemon, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through. This will just take a few minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Honey Lemon Chicken with Green Beans Almondine and a simple Spinach Avocado Salad for a flavorful, yet simple meal. Alternatively, this chicken skillet pairs well with Instant Pot Glazed Carrots or Roasted Fingerling Potatoes.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Allow the chicken to cool, then transfer the chicken to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Allow the chicken to cool fully and then transfer the chicken to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 6 weeks.
- Reheat: Reheat the chicken in a dry skillet over low heat to warm through. This will prevent the chicken from drying out.
More Simple Chicken Recipes
- Easy Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs
- Skillet Chicken with Green Beans
- Chicken Florentine
- Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry
- Instant Pot Chicken Breasts
- Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet
- Baked Pesto Chicken
- Honey Lime Chicken Fajitas
- Instant Pot Lemon Chicken
If you try this simple recipe for Honey Lemon Chicken, I would love for you to leave a review below.
Honey Lemon Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cutlets see notes for using chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 large lemon sliced
- ¼ cup chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper evenly on both sides.
- Place the seasoned chicken in the heated oil in a single layer (work in batches if needed.) Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown, for about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place it on a plate.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lemon juice, chicken stock, and Dijon together. Pour into skillet and whisk until boiling.
- Once the sauce is bubbling, reduce the heat to a low simmer and add the chicken back to the pan. Lay the lemon slices over the chicken, cover the skillet, and let simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
ainslie Hudgens
absolutely delicious! As a busy college student and employee its hard to find affordable healthy meals to make, this checked both those boxes while also being super flavorful!
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing that! I think it is awesome you are working, going to college, and making yourself meals! Way to go!
Ruby J
This dish was amazing!!!! I'm sure it would have been just as perfect as is but of course I added my own spin on it! I used Kinders - the blend seasoning, Greek all purpose seasoning and Kinders - buttery lemon garlic seasoning on the chicken, I used half dijon mustard and half spicy creole mustard and lastly I browned some minced garlic in butter before adding the sauce to the pan! Since I hade 3 large chicken breast I butterflied them and pounded them with a mallet to make them even more thin and tender. I'm so glad I found this recipe!
Debbie
Made this tonight and loved it. I used whole grain Dijon since my husband doesn’t like much mustard and it won his seal of approval too. I love how quickly it came together and it will definitely go into rotation..thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing Debbie! I love hearing you and your husband enjoyed the chicken.
Jess
We really enjoyed this, and it’s so easy. Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing Jess!
Mary
This was absolutely delicious!! I added a thickening agent to the sauce to really coat the chicken so with every bite you got a good flavor of the mustard and lemon. Great recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
Thanks for sharing Mary!
Patti
This was a big hit. We will definety be making this again. I was looking for a recipe that didn't have butter and frying in oil. One tablespoon of olive oil was fine for searing. Thanks again great recipe.
Kelly
Wow! Thank you for this recipe. It looks very similar to my favorite chicken piccata recipe so the steps were easy to remember. I left out the Dijon and added 2 tbsps of butter to the sauce after the chicken simmered in it. I also threw some baby spinach into the pan for the last 30 seconds of simmering! Thank you, great recipe!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed Kelly! Thanks for sharing!
TF82
I made this tonight and my husband LOVED it! We bought some very thin chicken cutlets and I had to wiggle the cooking time considerably, so after browning I didn't let them poach in the sauce very long. Next time I will use regular boneless skinless chicken breasts because I think the 10 min. poaching in the sauce would be good.
But my husband loved it. I cook all the time, but he won't stop telling me how much he loved this. So many thanks!
Kristen Chidsey
I am so glad you enjoyed so much!
Jesse T
This has become a household favorite as is for two adults and two teens. We serve over rice or couscous with the sauce.
Kristen Chidsey
I love hearing this is a staple Jesse! Thanks for taking the time to share.