Description
Lemon basil chicken brings together juicy chicken breasts with bright citrus and fresh herbs that make weeknight dinners feel special without demanding hours in the kitchen. Your family gets a restaurant-quality meal that tastes like you spent all day cooking when really it comes together in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 pounds or 680 grams)
Liquids and Creamy Base:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup heavy cream (240 milliliters)
- 1 cup chicken broth (240 milliliters)
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (60 milliliters, freshly squeezed)
Aromatics and Herbs:
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 lemon (zested for garnish)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pat your 4 chicken breasts dry with paper towels, then sprinkle salt and pepper evenly across both sides.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in your skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then lay in the chicken and sear for 6 to 7 minutes per side until golden and cooked through.
- Transfer your chicken to a plate and set it aside while you work on the sauce.
- In that same skillet, add your 4 minced garlic cloves and let them toast for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth and 1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice, scraping up all the browned bits stuck to the bottom of your pan for extra flavor.
- Let this mixture simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, then stir in 1 cup of heavy cream and your 1 cup of chopped fresh basil.
- Continue simmering your sauce for 3 to 5 minutes until it thickens slightly and coats the back of your spoon.
- Nestle your chicken back into the skillet and spoon the sauce over each piece, then simmer everything together for 2 to 3 minutes at medium heat.
- Transfer your chicken to serving plates, pour the sauce around and over the meat, then top with additional basil leaves and the zest from your lemon before bringing it to the table.
Notes
- Dry your chicken breasts thoroughly before seasoning, since moisture prevents that golden-brown crust from forming properly.
- Don’t skip deglazing the pan after searing—scraping up those browned bits dissolves them into your sauce and gives it deeper flavor.
- Add the basil at the very end since heat breaks down its fresh taste, so reserve some for garnish to keep that bright, herby quality intact.
- If your sauce seems too thin after simmering, let it bubble for another minute or two rather than adding thickener, as the cream will continue to reduce naturally on its own.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 18-23 minutes
- Category: Sautéed Chicken
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 1 g
- Sodium: 220 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg