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If you're looking for a simple, yet flavorful chicken dinner that comes together with pantry staples and minimal effort, this easy Lemon Pepper Chicken recipe is the answer! Pan-seared until golden and then gently simmered in a buttery, citrus-infused sauce, this recipe delivers chicken that is tender, juicy, and anything but boring.
Reasons to Love Lemon Pepper Chicken
Similar to my beloved Honey Lemon Chicken, this easy chicken recipe is bursting with bright citrus flavor. But instead of being slightly sweet, lemon pepper chicken has a zesty finish from the addition of black pepper. It will be a simple recipe you turn to again and again for many reasons!
- Simple Ingredients, Yet Bold Flavor. With a pack of chicken and pantry staples, this easy dinner recipe delivers chicken that is buttery, zesty, and irresistibly delicious.
- Weeknight MVP. With one pan and about 20 minutes, lemon pepper chicken makes a perfect weeknight dinner recipe, yet feels fancy enough for guests.
- Picky-Eater Approved. While Lemon Pepper Chicken is certainly more sophisticated than, say, chicken tenders, it is made with flavors that seem to please everyone. No strange ingredients, not overly spicy, just tender, buttery chicken.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Lemon Pepper Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken Breasts: Slicing the chicken into cutlets helps them cook quickly and evenly. Feel free to purchase chicken cutlets to save time, but boneless skinless chicken breasts are typically cheaper and easier to find.
- Lemon Pepper Seasoning: The star of the show! This seasoning blend with dried lemon zest adds that classic citrusy bite with just the right kick of black pepper.
- Flour: All-purpose flour helps to create a light crust that soaks up the sauce beautifully.
- Lemon Juice & Chicken Stock: To create a tangy, rich pan sauce. Use low-sodium store-bought or homemade chicken stock to control the sodium.
- Olive Oil + Butter: Extra virgin olive oil will help achieve a golden sear on the chicken, while butter adds richness to the pan sauce.
- For Serving: Add fresh parsley and or slices of fresh lemon for visual appeal and a bit of flavor. I typically omit both to keep dinner super simple (and affordable).
How to Make Lemon Pepper Chicken
While you will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card, the following step-by-step directions are designed to help you achieve perfect results.
- Prepare Chicken Cutlets. If starting with chicken breasts, carefully slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise, then pound them into even cutlets for quick, uniform cooking.
- Dredge Chicken. Combine flour, lemon pepper seasoning, and kosher salt in a shallow dish. Then lightly coat the chicken in the seasoned mixture, being sure to shake off excess.
- Pan-Sear Chicken. In a large skillet, sear the chicken in heated olive oil until golden on both sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
- Build Sauce. Add butter, lemon juice, and chicken stock to the skillet and whisk to combine, while scraping up the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer Chicken. Add the chicken back to the pan, cover, and let simmer on low heat until cooked through. Top with parsley and lemon slices if desired before serving.
Pro-Tips for Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Don't Skip the Dredge. The light flour coating helps the chicken brown beautifully and adds body to the pan sauce.
- Fresh Lemon is Key. Bottled juice won't cut it here. Use fresh lemon juice for the best bright flavor.
- Make It Creamy. For a creamy twist, stir in 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream or a splash of half-and-half before simmering the chicken.
- Add More Flavor. Feel free to add up to 2 cloves of minced garlic to the sauce along with the butter.
- Double the Sauce. Want extra sauce to serve over pasta or rice? Double the butter, broth, lemon juice, and seasonings.
What to Serve With Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Rice, Pasta, or Orzo: Serve with cooked noodles of choice (lemon garlic pasta works well here) or Instant Pot brown rice or Instant Pot jasmine rice to soak up the sauce. Alternatively, serve alongside orzo rice, sheet pan gnocchi with veggies, or rice pilaf for an elegant meal.
- Veggies: Serve with a Greek salad, Italian salad, or Caesar salad. Or pair the chicken with roasted Italian vegetables, baked broccoli, or green beans almondine. You really can't go wrong with any vegetable side dish or salad.
- Mashed Potatoes: Classic buttery mashed potatoes, Instant Pot mashed potatoes, or crockpot mashed potatoes turn this light entrée into pure comfort food. Be sure to spoon that sauce over the potatoes as well.
- Crusty Bread: Try Italian bread or Dutch Oven bread to mop up every drop of that zesty sauce!
Did you make this recipe?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please leave a comment with a 5-star review at the bottom of the post. Thank you!
Lemon Pepper Chicken
With simple ingredients and minimal prep, this easy lemon pepper chicken recipe delivers juicy, tender, chicken in a buttery citrus sauce in just about 20 minutes.
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning, for seasoning chicken
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, for seasoning chicken
- 2 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or 4 chicken cutlets
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning, for sauce
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, for sauce
- ½ small lemon, juiced
- parsley and lemon slices, for serving
Instructions
- In a shallow dish combine ½ cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Set aside.
- Use a sharp knife to carefully slice each 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 until even in size, for a total of 4 chicken cutlets.
- Working one at a time, dredge the chicken cutlets in the flour mixture, shaking off excess, and place them on a plate.
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the chicken to the skillet in a single layer. Sear the chicken on both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet and place it on a plate.
- Add 1 tablespoon unsalted butter to the skillet let melt. Once melted, add in 1 cup low-sodium chicken stock, 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and the juice of ½ small lemon. Whisk to dissolve all the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet and let the sauce come to a bubble.
- Once the sauce is bubbling, reduce the heat to low, add the chicken back to the pan, cover the skillet, and let simmer for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve with fresh chopped parsley and lemon slices.
Equipment
Notes
Lemon Juice: Fresh lemon juice, NOT jarred or bottled lemon juice, is a must for this recipe.
Add Garlic: Add up to 2 cloves of minced garlic to the sauce along with the butter. Let toast for 30 seconds, then add in the chicken stock and lemon juice.
Make It Creamy. Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream to the sauce before simmering the chicken.
Double The Sauce. If serving over pasta or rice, you may want to double the sauce (double the butter, lemon juice, chicken stock, and increase lemon pepper seasoning to 2 teaspoons.)
Storage: Store leftover lemon pepper chicken and sauce in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in a heat-safe dish covered with a damp paper towel in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
Nutrition
Calories: 138kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 905mgPotassium: 137mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.5gVitamin A: 111IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 25mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Delicious and tender chicken. While boneless chicken thighs are often my go-to and tend to be more forgiving if overcooked, I like to buy boneless breasts on sale. They are just as tender when handled exactly as in this recipe, lower in fat, quicker cooking and result in far less splatter, smoke and mess. The only change I made was decreasing the salt and lemon pepper, which has an appreciable amount of sodium, by half for my husband’s low sodium diet. Still 100% delicious - did not missed the sodium at all, still a good, lemony flavor. Many compliments on seasoning from him.
Thanks for sharing, Laurie! I love hearing you and your husband enjoyed and appreciate you sharing.
Kristen’s new Lemon Pepper Chicken Recipe is an easy 5star winner. 🏆 I made it exactly as Kristen directs and simmered the chicken exactly 10 minutes. The chicken is moist and absolutely delicious. Add rice and a salad and you will have no leftovers!
So happy to hear you enjoyed, David! Thank you very much for taking the time to leave a review as well.