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Juicy, tasty, and easy chicken breast recipe with a homemade lemon pepper sauce with garlic and fresh herbs
Easy chicken recipes made with fresh ingredients are some of my favorites. These are recipes that I always go to on busy weeknights and whenever I’m looking for something flavorful to meal prep.
Chicken breast with lemon pepper sauce is a dish that I can throw together in 30 minutes or less! It’s juicy, tasty, and made with fresh garlic and herbs.
Whenever I’m short on time (or motivation) I always opt for a classic chicken breast recipe that highlights fresh and vibrant ingredients like garlic, rosemary, thyme, and even butter!
In fact, I use garlic so much that I keep my garlic in a garlic cellar, which really makes a difference. This chicken breast with lemon pepper is similar to my Air Fryer Cuban Mojo Chicken. Both are citrusy, garlicky, and a family favorite!
- Thinly Sliced Chicken Breast
- Fresh Garlic – this makes a HUGE difference
- Fresh Thyme
- Fresh Rosemary
- Fresh Lemon Juice
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
- Salted European Style Butter
Imagine a chicken breast recipe cooked like a steak! That’s exactly what this recipe is. To start, season the chicken breast liberally with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Having a good pepper mill is essential because it will help you create a delicious crust similar to when we make pan seared steak. In fact, the salt and pepper crust is one of my parts of my Steak Fajitas Recipe!
Once you’ve seasoned the chicken, pan sear it over medium high heat. After 3-5 minutes, flip the chicken and add a few cubes of salted butter. Since this recipe is simple, I highly encourage you to use a high quality European style butter since it’s rich in flavor!
Then add fresh garlic cloves along with fresh thyme and rosemary. If you’re a garlic lover like me, don’t be afraid to add a few extra cloves. The butter, herbs, and high heat will help caramelize the garlic and it’ll become sweet almost as if we roasted the garlic in the oven.
Baste the chicken with the butter making sure that the chicken does not burn. Squeeze the juice of a fresh lemon and don’t be afraid to also use the zest of the lemon as well. After 5-7 minutes, remove the chicken, herbs, and garlic and set off to the side.
Next, add more butter if needed, sliced onions, kosher salt and sugar. Saute the onions over high heat. While caramelizing typically takes a long time, we’re speeding things along with the sugar. In about 10 minutes, the onions should caramelize.
You can also under cook the onions if you want them to have a little bit of a bite. In the end, remove the onions and dress them over top of the chicken breasts with lemon peppers.
The end result is a juicy and flavorful chicken that you can easily pair with Spanish Yellow Rice, White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, Arroz con Fideos, Salsa Verde, or even a Pineapple Salsa.
If you love flavorful, simple, and fuss free recipes, make sure to try Air Fryer Peruvian Chicken, Carne Asada, Pollo A La Plancha, and my Chicken Fajitas Recipe!
More Yumminess This Way
Chicken Breast With Lemon Pepper
Easy, simple, and classic chicken breast recipe with fresh lemon juice, garlic and herbs. The perfect chicken recipe to pair with your favorite sides dishes and veggies!
- Total Time40 minutes
- Yield3 Servings 1x
- DietDairy-Free, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 Free-range Chicken Breasts
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
- 1 teaspoon Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Salted European Style Butter
- 4 Garlic Cloves
- 3 Fresh Thyme Sprigs
- 2 Rosemary Sprigs *optional
- 1 Large Onion Sliced
- 2 tablespoons Dry White Wine
- 1 Fresh Lemon
- Zest of One Lemon
- 1 1/2 teaspoon Sugar
Instructions
Chicken
- Season thinly sliced chicken breast with kosher salt and black pepper and set aside
- Slice large white onion and set aside
- Heat up a non sick ceramic skillet (you can use cast iron as well) over medium high heat. Add olive oil then add chicken breasts. Make sure not to overcrowd the pot. Sear chicken for 3 -5 minutes until a crust begins to form and chicken becomes golden brown. Afterwards, flip chicken and add 1 tbsp of European style butter along with fresh garlic, and fresh thyme. You can also add fresh rosemary as well. Once the butter has melted, squeeze half of the fresh lemon. Sear chicken for another 5 minutes. Once chicken is cooked through, remove chicken and fresh herbs and place to the side. Note that cook times may vary depending on thickness of the sliced chicken breast
Sauce
- Add butter to the heated skillet along with sliced onions, kosher salt, and sugar. Stir until well combined. Then add dry white wine. You can substitute white wine for balsamic vinegar (black or white is fine). Saute onions for 5-10 minutes until they reach desired doneness and caramelization. Once onions are cooked, remove from heat and add to the chicken. Enjoy while hot with extra fresh lemon juice and with your favorite side dish.
Notes
Substitutions
- Feel free to substitute dry white wine for balsamic vinegar. Note that this will change the color of the caramelized onions
- Prep Time: 10 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30 Minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American