Chicken Breasts With Lemon

Updated Nov. 27, 2023

Chicken Breasts With Lemon
Johnny Miller for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cybelle Tondu.
Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(13,661)
Comments
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In this recipe, which Pierre Franey brought to The Times in 1992 in one of his 60-Minute Gourmet columns, two teaspoons of lemon zest are added to a simple sauce of lemon juice, thyme, garlic and shallots. It is, at once, lively and elegant. To round it out, it needs a sturdy accompaniment. Mr. Franey suggested mashed potatoes with garlic and basil, with just a little olive oil swirled in.

Featured in: 60-Minute Gourmet

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • ½cup flour for dredging
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 4skinless boneless chicken breasts, about 6 ounces each
  • 2tablespoons olive oil
  • 4sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 2tablespoons finely chopped shallots
  • 2teaspoons finely chopped garlic
  • 2teaspoons grated lemon zest
  • 3tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½cup chicken broth, fresh or canned
  • 2tablespoons butter
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

396 calories; 18 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 41 grams protein; 586 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Season flour with salt and pepper, and dredge the chicken all over. Remove the excess flour.

  2. Step 2

    Heat the oil in a heavy skillet large enough to hold the chicken pieces in one layer. Add chicken and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.

  3. Step 3

    Flip the chicken and cook for 5 minutes more, or until cooked through. Carefully remove the oil from the skillet, leaving the chicken. Discard the oil.

  4. Step 4

    Add the thyme, shallots and garlic, and cook for about a minute. Do not burn the garlic. Add the lemon rind, the lemon juice and the broth.

  5. Step 5

    Scrape the skillet to dissolve the brown particles that cling to the bottom. Add the butter, and cook for 3 minutes longer. Serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
13,661 user ratings
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Comments

This looks really good, but I'm confused about something. After you brown the chicken on both sides, you discard the oil, add the broth, etc., how long do you continue to cook the chicken? It would have to be at least half an hour. I want to cook this. Any advice?

I like to brown the chicken and then remove from the pan. Pour off any excess oil and then cook the shallot and garlic and thyme leaves briefly and then add the liquid (wine, chicken broth) along with the lemon zest and juice. After it simmers for a few minutes to thicken a little add the butter to the sauce and return chicken to pan to finish cooking (five minutes)

Chris - I cooked as indicated, 5 mins one side (Step 2), flipped and cooked another 5 mins (Step 3), cooked another minute with thyme, shallots and garlic (Step 4) and finally an additional 3 mins (Step 5). Came out perfect!

Absolutely delicious! Made according to recipe. One of our favorite chicken dishes. Served with garlic mashed potatoes and it was a huge hit!

I’ve made this countless times and each time I add more quantities of what is in the sauce to have more left over. My very picky children take that sauce and spoon it on buttered pasta to eat with the chicken. It’s the only thing I make that all 5 family members lap up. Couldn’t recommend more.

Simple but great. My chicken breasts were all different sizes so I pounded them to 3/4” thick and they were perfectly done after 5 minutes each side. I removed them from the pan to cook the thyme, etc. and added them back when the sauce was ready, just before serving. I needed more butter to thicken the sauce. Next time would make double the sauce. Subbed red onion for shallots because I was out of them, and it was fine, but will use shallots next time.

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