Lemon Rosemary Chicken
You’ll love this Lemon Rosemary Chicken featuring juicy chicken breasts coated in a zesty lemon butter sauce with pops of garlic and rosemary – all made in about 30 minutes on the stovetop!
A FLAVORFUL FAMILY DINNER RECIPE
Lemon and rosemary are classic flavors that go together like peanut butter and jelly. Chicken can be pretty bland if you don’t season it really well and I am always looking for new and different ways to make it. I try to eat more chicken than red meat these days and the only way I can keep eating chicken is if it has A LOT of flavor! This Lemon Rosemary Chicken is an easy dinner option when I need a quick dinner on the table and don’t want a ton of steps to make it or a bunch of dirty dishes to clean. This chicken is all made in one skillet – yay for that!
Made this for my wife and I and we both agreed we will definitely have again! So simple and so delicious.
– John
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
I like this Lemon Chicken with Green Beans, but it’s great with any other veggies, like steamed mixed vegetables, Crock Pot Mashed Potatoes, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, some Baked Potatoes or maybe a serving of Garlic Butter Rice. Really any starch and veggie would go great with this, or even your favorite side salad.
You can just get regular chicken breasts and take a knife and carefully slice them in half to create two smaller breasts. I live in a smaller town and my grocery stores always carry thinly sliced chicken breasts these days but it’s easily to do yourself. Now, you don’t have to necessarily use thinly sliced breasts if you don’t want. This just helps to cook it all a bit faster.
I enjoyed this with thin sliced chicken breasts (also known as chicken cutlets in some areas). But you can use chicken thighs for juicier dark meat.
Yes, but adjust the cooking time to ensure the chicken cooks through to 165°F. I have not tested that out myself so I can’t give you exact timing.
Yes, prepare the dish up to the point of simmering the chicken, then reheat and finish the sauce just before serving.
Thin-cut chicken breasts cook quickly, so keep an eye on the internal temperature to avoid overcooking.
Lemon Rosemary Chicken should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Reheat: Warm in a skillet over low heat, spooning the sauce over the chicken until heated through, or microwave until reheated.
To Freeze: Freeze cooked chicken and sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- thinly sliced chicken breasts– If you don’t have thinly sliced chicken or pre-sliced cutlets, slice regular chicken breasts horizontally into two even pieces to create thinner portions.
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
- unsalted butter– if needed, you can use salted butter and omit the extra salt added separately.
- garlic cloves– I almost always prefer fresh garlic because I think you get more of a garlic flavor but you can use the jarred stuff if you must but trust me when I tell you the fresh stuff makes a difference.
- fresh rosemary– You can use 1 teaspoon of dried rosemary if needed, but again, you’re going to get more of a flavor explosion with fresh.
- lemon zest– this really adds an extra pop of flavor to your meal. Try not to skip out on this if possible.
- lemon juice– grab a real lemon and use the fresh squeezed lemon juice. You don’t want to use the super acidic tasting stuff from the bottle that tastes nothing like real lemons. It will not do this recipe justice and really doesn’t bring a good flavor to any dish.
- chicken broth– you can grab some from the store, or make your own Homemade Chicken Broth.
HOW TO MAKE LEMON ROSEMARY CHICKEN
Pat the the thinly cut chicken breasts dry with paper towels, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the rosemary and lemon zest.
Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Return the chicken to the skillet. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken, cover, and let simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
For a thicker sauce, simmer uncovered for 2-3 minutes before serving. Spoon the sauce over the top and garnish with lemon slices and rosemary sprigs, if desired.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
- Creamy Lemon Chicken Skillet
- Sheet Pan Garlic Butter Chicken Meal
- Lemon Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken Thighs
- Easy Asian Lemon Chicken
- Instant Pot Artichoke Chicken
- Cilantro Lime Chicken
- Arroz Con Pollo
- Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Chicken
- Baked Chicken Skewers
- Salsa Verde Chicken
- Honey Mustard Chicken
- 30 Chicken Breast Recipes
Lemon Rosemary Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 thinly sliced chicken breasts
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter (can use salted)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced minced
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- zest of 1 lemon (only the yellow, no white or it will be bitter) (optional, if you don't want too strong lemon flavor)
- juice of 1 lemon (about 3 Tablespoons)
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- lemon slices and fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Pat the the thinly cut chicken breasts dry with paper towels, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter to the skillet. Once melted, add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Stir in the rosemary and lemon zest.
- Pour in the chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Return the chicken to the skillet. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken, cover, and let simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- For a thicker sauce, simmer uncovered for 2-3 minutes before serving
- Spoon the sauce over the top and garnish with lemon slices and rosemary sprigs, if desired.
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.
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 same really makes this dish sing! We love that lemon flavor with chicken and the rosemary really set off the flavor!
This so good.I will make this again but double the sauce amount.
Made this for my wife and I and we both agreed we will definitely have again! So simple and so delicious