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Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken is an incredible restaurant-quality meal you can make in under 30 minutes. Tender, juicy chicken is smothered in a creamy lemon parmesan sauce- it’s a meal the family will go crazy for!
Our family loves a good creamy chicken dinner! Parmesan Garlic Mushroom Chicken, Creamy Tuscan Chicken, or Creamy Chicken Marsala are just a few of the favorites on the blog!
30-Minute Lemon Parmesan Chicken
Creamy, dreamy and everything your family is looking forward to while sitting around the table together. This chicken is AMAZING and will have your family begging for more. Everyone was going for seconds and I even caught my youngest licking the sauce from her plate. It’s a great combination that leaves you wanting more. Light and tasty with minimal prep. The best kind of dinner!
You will want to double this recipe just so you have some for leftovers the next day. It is that good! It tastes even better warmed up and is great for a quick and easy lunch for the kids. So if you’re wondering what dinner to make this week for the family, let this creamy lemon parmesan chicken be a top contender. You won’t regret it! It’s a 30-minute meal packed with so much incredible flavor. Keep reading for everything you’ll need to make it!
Don’t Worry!
This recipe is Picky Eater Approved!
Ingredient List
Lemon parmesan chicken uses a bunch of simple ingredients which makes it perfect for a weeknight dinner. Here’s what you’ll need: (and as usual, exact measurements are in the recipe card below!)
- Chicken Breasts: Boneless and skinless, these are the main protein in the dish.
- Olive Oil: To sear the chicken in.
- Minced Garlic: So your sauce has the perfect savory flavor!
- Heavy Cream and Chicken Broth: The foundation of the sauce! One makes it creamy, the other adds a punch of flavor.
- Juice From One Lemon: Fresh is best here.
- Garlic Powder: Because you can never go wrong with more garlic flavor!
- Italian Seasoning: My favorite aromatic blend of herbs!
- Grated Parmesan: Melts right into the sauce so it’s extra dreamy.
- Cornstarch and Water: For the slurry so the lemon parmesan sauce thickens up nicely.
How to Make Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken
Anyone can do it! And it’s ready in less than 30 minutes from start to finish. A win-win!
- Sear the Chicken: In a large skillet add olive oil then cook the chicken on medium-high heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown on each side and cook until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken and then set aside on a plate.
- Sauté Garlic, Add Sauce Ingredients: Returning to the same skillet, add the minced garlic then saute for 30 seconds. Pour in the heavy cream, chicken broth, juice from one lemon, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and then parmesan cheese.
- Add Cornstarch Slurry: Add the cornstarch and water to a small bowl then mix to combine. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat until it thickens.
- Combine and Serve: Add the chicken back to the pan and serve over pasta if desired.
Getting the Perfect Sear
If you want to make sure you’re not overcooking your chicken, a meat or instant-read thermometer is your best friend. 165 degrees Fahrenheit is the safe internal temperature for both the white meat and dark meat. This also means juicy chicken that hasn’t been overcooked!
Tips and Tricks
- What Kind of Parmesan Cheese?
This is always a great question! For this recipe I love to use finely grated (powder-type) parmesan cheese for the creamy sauce. Freshly grated is best because it doesn’t have the caking agents added, but the stuff in the shaker bottle will work too if that’s what you have on hand! It’s easy to blend with the whisk and it makes a thick, rich and creamy sauce that tastes perfect every time. You are welcome to use shredded parmesan cheese if you prefer. Shredded parmesan cheese will be cheesier and not as thick but still have the delicious flavor. - Serve Over: Rice or your favorite pasta! They’re so great for soaking up that tasty sauce. (I love linguine, angel hair, and tagliatelle!)
- Side Dishes: I always like to balance out the creamy richness of this dish with some greens. Try a side salad, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, or Brussels sprouts! You can also go for rolls or breadsticks– they’re perfect for dipping in that luscious sauce.
Storing Leftover Lemon Parmesan Chicken
If you have leftovers of your lemon parmesan chicken, lucky you! It’s perfect for warming up and enjoying another day. Once it’s cooled, transfer to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Reheat over the stove on medium heat when you’re ready to enjoy it again!
More Savory Lemon Recipes You’ll Love
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Creamy Lemon Parmesan Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- juice from one lemon, about 1/4 cup
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ cup parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a large skillet add olive oil and cook the chicken on medium-high heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown on each side and cook until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
- Returning to the same skillet, add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds. Pour in the heavy cream, chicken broth, juice from one lemon, garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese.
- Add the cornstarch and water to a small bowl and mix to combine. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat until it thickens.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and serve over pasta if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What is the alternative for garlic powder? Since I don’t have the stock at home right now
You can use any kind of garlic if that helps
Delicious!! Quick and easy and restaurant quality.
This chicken is delish! I roasted asparagus & put some sauce on unbelievably good!
This was wonderful! I am always looking for new recipes but they need to pass the”hubs” test (and he is not the most enthusiastic person about food). I got a big thumbs up from him, which is high praise. (If he doesn’t want me to make it again, he points to the shredder). The instructions were great. I doubled it so we would have plenty of left-overs. The only thing I did different was to make sure the breasts were really dry and then dredged them in a thin coating of flour. I wanted to make sure they browned nicely. My only complaint is the splatter mess from pan frying. Thanks so much!
This is SO delicious. I just added sauteed asparagus directly in the dish and mixed in fettuccine. Wow! I printed this to add to my binder of favorite recipes. Thank you for this!
This is super easy and delicious. My picky. 18 year old loved it and so did my husband. Definitely will make this again. Thanks for all the great recipees.
Delicious! My boys went back for seconds. This was quick and easy to make.
That is great to hear! That is always a mom win when there are seconds :)! Thanks for sharing and following along with me!
Is there a non dairy alternative that might work in this recipe in place of the heavy cream?
The heavy cream is the best recommendation to receive the best results of flavor and thickness. A yogurt or flour mixture will also help but will alter the taste and texture for this recipe.
Made this recipe last night and the whole family loved it. It was super easy and I am looking forward to the leftovers for lunch today! One question that I have – when do you add the 3 cloves of minced garlic? I added it with the cream etc on the second step, but wasn’t sure if that was what you had intended. Thanks!
You will add the 3 cloves of garlic with the olive oil while you are baking the chicken. Hope that helps! I am so glad that you loved it and are excited for left overs! YAY! That is the best! Thanks for sharing and following along with me!
What about the minced garlic?
The minced garlic will be added with the olive oil when cooking the chicken.
This recipe is the BOM, loved it… Cooked for 4, one hates cheese(my 25 yr old son) he loved it too…. definitely a keeper this one.
Thank you for the recipe x
great dish, thank you, love the creamy parmesan, and lemon adds a nice balance to the heavy cream too, thank you
I dont have heavy cream. Will 2 percent milk work???
It will work; however, it won’t be as thick and the tastes may be different. I would add cornstarch or flour to try and help thicken up the creamy sauce. Hope that helps!
This was so delicious and quick. Tgank you! I think you may have left off when to add the fresh garlic from the steps:)
When do you put in the minced garlic? I see the garlic powder addition but not sure when to add the fresh. Thanks.
You will add the minced garlic in with the olive oil and cooking the chicken. Hope that helps!
Alyssa, in the ingredients list it shows 3 garlic cloves minced. And then further down the list it shows garlic powder. In the instructions it does not say when to add the minced garlic cloves?
Thank you for letting me know. Yes, you will add the three garlic cloves while cooking the chicken. The garlic powder is for the instructions in step 2. Thank you so much! Enjoy!