Skillet Lemon Chicken - Girl Carnivore

Tired of the same old chicken routine but strapped for time? This zesty lemon skillet chicken is here to save your weeknights!

A skillet with cooked chicken breasts, asparagus, and lemon slices garnished with fresh herbs. A sliced lemon and a dish with greens are visible beside the skillet on a light-colored surface.

As one-pan wizards, we’ve conjured up a crazy easy method that gives you lusciously tender chicken and crisp-tender asparagus ready in 30 minutes. But the real star is the lick-the-skillet lemon butter sauce they simmer in!

Loaded with bright, zippy lemon and fragrant garlic, this sauce is pure liquid gold. You’ll want to soak up every last drop with some crusty bread!

Why you’ll love Lemon Chicken Skillet?

This Skillet Lemon Chicken with Asparagus will become your favorite way to amp up basic chicken recipes! It gets dinner on the table in under 30 minutes with no fuss – making it a go-to weeknight meal with minimal cleanup – can we get an AMEN?

Quick, easy, and a chicken dish that isn’t boring? Hi, you have our attention. This main dish involves making juicy chicken (Yes, you can make *juicy* chicken a skillet – we promise) in melted butter sauce alongside lemon slices and asparagus for a bright, fresh meal. Perfect for summer and busy weeknights when you don’t feel like cooking. Plus it’s easy to mix and match the veggies with whatever is in season. Baby broccoli, sprouts, or even spuds make great alternatives.

Skillet meals are the ultimate solution for an easy weeknight dinner, whether you’re making skillet chicken parmesan or a sausage skillet with veggies. Just like our other skillet dinners, this skillet chicken dinner is made in a large cast-iron skillet. We love using a cast iron skillet as it retains heat well and is oven-proof. No matter what skillet you’re using, make sure it’s oven safe.

Raw chicken breasts on a plate with ingredients including butter, flour, parsley, salt, asparagus, and lemons arranged around on a marble surface.

Lemon Chicken Skillet Ingredients

Chicken breast – We used boneless skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but boneless skinless chicken thighs would work, too.
All-purpose flour – Creates a light coating on the chicken to help it brown nicely.
Lemon zest – Adds a burst of bright, citrusy flavor.
Salt and pepper
Butter – Cooks the chicken and asparagus, adding a rich buttery taste.
Garlic – for added umph.
Fresh lemon juice – Sliced lemons add tangy flavor and brighten the dish visually.
Asparagus – A fresh and healthy green vegetable that cooks quickly alongside the chicken.
Fresh parsley – A pop of color and freshness for garnish at the end.

How to Make This Lemon Butter Chicken Recipe

Prep the chicken

Add the flour, lemon zest, salt, and pepper to a shallow dish and whisk to combine.
Coat the chicken breasts in the flour mixture.

A large bowl containing flour and lemon zest sits on a marble surface, surrounded by asparagus, lemon halves, parsley, and small cubes of butter.

A piece of chicken is being breaded with flour on a brown plate, surrounded by lemon halves, cubes of butter, parsley, asparagus spears, and kitchen tongs on a white surface.

Cook the chicken and Veggies

Place a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter in the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds longer.
Add the chicken breasts to the hot skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes per side or until cooked through and golden brown (if your chicken breasts are very thick, increase the cooking time or cut them in half before coating them in flour). Remove from skillet and set aside.
Add the asparagus to the skillet and cook until tender but still crisp. Remove and set aside. Add the lemon slices to the same skillet and cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side.

A cast iron skillet with melting butter cubes, surrounded by asparagus, two lemon halves, a whole lemon, and green herbs.

Raw, flour-coated chicken pieces in a frying pan with melted butter. A small bowl of asparagus, two lemon halves, a whole lemon, and parsley are beside the pan on a marble surface.

Serve

Remove the skillet from the heat and add the chicken and asparagus back to the skillet.
Garnish with fresh parsley.

A skillet with chicken breasts topped with herbs, surrounded by asparagus and seared lemon slices. Beside the skillet are a plate with parsley, a cloth napkin, and halved lemons.

girl carnivore expert recipe tips

Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the flour mixture for a touch of heat.
Swap the asparagus for chopped fennel and cheery tomatoes. Add a sprinkle of crumbled feta cheese before serving. Simple, quick Mediterranean meal!
Pat your chicken dry with paper towels before cooking to dry up excess moisture. This will help the skin become super crispy.
Add a little lemon juice on top for an extra zesty flair. See our notes in the recipe card about deglazing the pan for added flavor.
Use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chicken. It should read 165ºF when done.
Play around with other fresh herbs like thyme and rosemary for a different flavor profile.

What to Serve With This Lemon Chicken Recipe

Since this recipe is pretty low-carb, feel free to jazz it up with some air fryer sweet potato fries, air fryer garlic parmesan fries, or air fryer corn on the cob. You can also keep things simple with some brown rice or a side salad.

A cast iron skillet containing seasoned chicken breasts, asparagus, lemon slices, and garnished with fresh herbs, with a set of metal tongs holding one piece of chicken.

Leftovers & Reheating

Leftover skillet lemon chicken can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Heat a cast iron pan on medium heat and add your chicken and asparagus with a little butter. Reheat for a few minutes until warm.

In a pinch? Microwave for 1-2 minutes. Just know the chicken won’t have the same texture.

Seared chicken breast with charred lemon slices and asparagus spears in a cast iron skillet, garnished with chopped parsley.

More Quick Chicken Recipes

Add this skillet lemon chicken to your regular rotation of easy dinners! It’s zingy, juicy, and super easy to make.

Have you tried this recipe? Do us a favor and rate the recipe card with the ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ and drop a comment to help out the next reader.

Our one-skillet lemon chicken recipe yields tender chicken and asparagus in a zesty, buttery lemon garlic sauce for a healthy, vibrant dinner ready fast.

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