Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken
Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken is an easy one pan meal made with chicken thighs coated in a creamy garlic and lemon sauce. A perfect weeknight dinner!
A One Pan Chicken Dinner
I just love lemon and garlic chicken flavors. Seriously, I have so many recipes on this site inspired by that flavor combo because it just works SO well!) I decided I need to take those flavors and make a creamy version. Plus, it’s a slightly more affordable dinner option since I used chicken thighs in place of typical chicken breasts. But, I think my favorite part is how easy this dinner is and the fact that the dish is made in just one skillet, making clean up a breeze!
The sauce is so delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change anything. My wife and I enjoyed it very much!
– Chris
Frequently Asked Questions
These flavorful chicken thighs are great with any of your favorite sides. I think it would be wonderful with simple rice, orzo pasta or even some egg noodles. You’ll see in my images, I showed it served with green beans. Also, any side of steamed veggies, Zucchini or Fried Squash would be nice too. Make it full and super filling with your favorite Mashed Potatoes and Southern Sweet Potato Casserole.
While I prefer the fresh lemons so you can use lemon juice and lemon zest for this dish for the best flavor, I suppose you could use an alternative. I always recommend steering clear of the strong acidic tasting bottled lemon juice as it just won’t do this recipe (or any recipe for that matter) any justice, but white wine vinegar can be used instead. You won’t get that bright lemon flavor of course, but it can be used in a pinch.
Yes, but depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to work in batches.
Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To freeze, place the cooled chicken and sauce in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating gently on the stove or in the microwave. Keep in mind that the cream sauce may slightly separate after freezing, but a quick stir while reheating should help restore the texture.
Ingredients Needed: (See Recipe Card Below For The Full Recipe)
- boneless skinless chicken thighs– you could use bone in chicken thighs, but you’ll need to adjust the cooking time. If using frozen thighs, make sure you thaw them first. You can use boneless skinless chicken breasts if you prefer. Again, you may have to adjust cooking times. Just ensure to cook until the internal temperature is 165F degrees.
- chicken broth– low sodium chicken broth can be used to help control the sodium amount used in your dish. This is a good idea to do if you are sensitive to salt. If you’re just using it because that’s what you have, but generally cook with traditional chicken broth, you may want to add ½ teaspoon of salt, or to taste. Vegetable broth will work in a pinch and still provide plenty of flavor too.
- Dijon mustard– I would not swap this out for regular yellow mustard, the flavor would not match what we are going for with this chicken recipe. Stone ground mustard brings a similar tang with more texture if you need a substitute.
- salt – this can be omitted if you need to control your sodium intake.
- garlic – try to go with fresh garlic. It’s going to give you the most flavor but if all you have is jarred garlic then go for it. I would just maybe add a smidge more to really pack that punch of garlic flavor.
- lemon zest
- lemon juice– as always, I recommend using fresh lemon juice over the bottled stuff as it just doesn’t give the same pop of flavor.
- heavy cream – got to be heavy cream, not milk. It just won’t have that thickness and creaminess without heavy cream.
How To Make Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken
In a large gallon sized bag or bowl, combine chicken thighs, chicken broth, olive oil, dijon mustard, salt, garlic, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Seal the bag and gently shake to coat the chicken. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes. Do not discard the marinade. Set aside for later.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken thighs. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165F degrees. Remove from the pan and let rest while you prepare the sauce. Pour the reserved marinade into the pan. Cook for 5-10 minutes over medium heat or until reduced by half.
NOTE: Boiling the marinade for a few minutes will kill any harmful bacteria making it safe to consume as a sauce. If you are concerned at all about this step, I would recommend not making this recipe. Or you can make a second batch of marinade and use that as your sauce.
Turn the heat to medium-low before stirring in heavy cream. Add back in the chicken, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and fresh lemon slices before serving.
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Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 4-5)
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth (low or no sodium can be used)
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest (the zest from one lemon)
- 2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice (the juice from one lemon)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large gallon sized bag or bowl, combine 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, 1 ½ cups chicken broth, 3 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard, ¼ teaspoon salt, 3 cloves garlic, minced, 1 Tablespoon lemon zest and 2-3 Tablespoons lemon juice.
- Seal the bag and gently shake to coat the chicken. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. Do not discard the marinade. Set aside for later. (See notes section below.)
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the chicken thighs.
- Cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165F degrees.
- Remove from the pan and let rest while you prepare the sauce.
- Pour the reserved marinade into the pan. Bring it to a boil for a few minutes. Then reduce the temperature to medium heat for about 5-10 minutes or until reduced by half. Please see notes below about this step.
- Turn the heat to medium-low before whisking in ½ cup heavy cream.
- Add back in the chicken, cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until heated through.
- Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon chopped parsley (optional) and fresh lemon slices before serving.
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
- NOTE: Boiling the marinade for a few minutes will kill any harmful bacteria making it safe to consume as a sauce. If you are concerned at all about this step, I would recommend not making this recipe. Or you can make a second batch of marinade and use that as your sauce.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
The sauce is so delicious! I followed the recipe exactly and wouldn’t change anything. My wife and I enjoyed it very much!
Thanks so very much Chris! I really appreciate hearing that and thank you for taking the time to come back and comment!