Italian lemon chicken with herbs. A tender and aromatic chicken breast dish made with just a few ingredients and ready in less than 30 minutes.
A short and simple recipe for you today: Italian lemon chicken in a delicious herb and lemon sauce. Just a few ingredients, a little time spent cooking but great results nonetheless. The Italian lemon chicken is tender, the sauce tangy and refreshing. And if you like chicken breast dishes, check the collection.
And everything will be ready in less than half an hour. You might need a bit more time if you serve this with baked potatoes wedges and vegetables as I did, but you can choose to serve it with some Italian bread and a green salad, then you will definitely not need more than 30 minutes to make this recipe. And if you like tenders, try these amazing Grilled Chicken Tenders.
What do you need?
Chicken:
- You can use boneless skinless breasts or tenders.
- I tend to use the breasts because they are always available, while the tenders are more of a luck thing, sometimes I get them, but most of the time I don't.
- If using tenders, leave them as they are, they are always rather small.
- If using breasts, cut them in 2 or 3 pieces, depending on their size. They should be more or less as large as the tenders.
Herbs:
- You will need fresh herbs.
- I used 2 very large (or several smaller) sage leaves and a large sprig of rosemary.
Lemon:
- One large lemon or 2 smaller ones.
Tips
- Definitely use fresh herbs, dried herbs will not have the same impact on this dish.
- Use a cast-iron skillet or a large non-stick pan to cook the chicken. (Amazon affiliate links)
- Fry the meat pieces on high heat until golden, about 1-2 minutes on each side.
- Turn the heat down after adding the lemon juice and water, cover the pan and cook the lemon chicken gently.
- Don't overcook, start checking before the indicated cooking time is up just to make sure that you don't overcook it. Pierce the chicken with a toothpick, the juices should run clear, the internal temperature should be 74 degrees Celsius/ 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Don't forget to remove the lid during the last 5 minutes of the cooking time to allow the sauce to reduce nicely.
- If the chicken is cooked through before the sauce had a chance to reduce, remove the meat from the skillet and continue reducing the sauce.
- Serve immediately.
More chicken breast recipes:
- Cast-Iron Chicken Breast
- Baked Barbecue Chicken
- Easy Prosciutto-Wrapped Chicken
- Baked Panko Chicken Breast
Do you like this recipe?
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs dchicken breast or chicken tenders
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 small onion
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 2 large sage leaves
- 1 large lemon
- pinch of sugar
- fine sea salt and white pepper
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breasts in half. If using chicken tenders, leave them as they are.
- Cook chicken: Heat the butter in a large non-stick pan or cast-iron skillet and fry the chicken until golden all around, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Saute: In the meantime, chop the onion very finely. Add it to the chicken and fry shortly while you chop the herbs. Add the herbs to the pan and stir briefly.
- Simmer: Juice the lemon and mix the juice with 4 tablespoons water. Pour the mixture into the pan, cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes on low heat. Remove the lid for the last 5 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken a little.
- Check if the chicken is cooked after about 10-12 minutes already, do not overcook it. It should be thoroughly cooked through but still very tender.
- Adjust the taste with salt and pepper and a pinch of sugar, if necessary.
Angie@Angie's Recipes says
Those chicken fillets look really succulent and tender, Adina. It makes a perfect meal with those roasted root veggies.
Adina says
Thank you, Angie.
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Love how simple, yet delicious this chicken is, Adina! Super flavorful and perfect for any day of the week! Perfect! Cheers, girlfriend! <3
Adina says
Thank you, Cheyanne, this is indeed a perfect week dish when you don't feel like spending too much time cooking.
Monica says
Lemon and herbs just go so nicely with chicken. Great weeknight (or weekend) dinner here!
Adina says
Lemon and chicken is indeed one of my favorite combinations, I have cooked countless chickens with one or another version of lemon sauce. 🙂
Anu-My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Wow! Adina! Love how simple, easy and delicious this lemon chicken is. Sounds perfect for a weeknight meal. You have a lovely weekend! 🙂
Adina says
Thank you, Anu. You have a lovely weekend too.! 🙂
makesushi says
I love Italian food. You made just the perfect combination of the lemon chicken and the herbs. And so easy to make.
Adina says
Thank you. I am glad you like it. ?