This lemon pepper chicken is quick and easy to make weeknight dinner. Chicken breasts are coated in bright, savory, tart, peppery flavor and seared until golden brown. You can drizzle lemon butter sauce on top to oomph up the flavor.
Jump to:
If you love one-pan dinners, this recipe is perfect. You can bring dinner to the table in just 20 minutes, making it perfect for busy days.
The marinade is simple, fresh lemon zest mixed with freshly ground pepper and salt. For extra flavors, you can add garlic powder or freshly minced garlic and onion powder. You can also try seasoning salt along with lemon zest for marinade.
Ingredients
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1: Cut chicken breasts into half horizontally to make 2 fillets of each breast.
Step 2: Zest lemons. You’ll need about 2 tablespoons of lemon zest. Add fresh lemon zest, fresh ground pepper, salt, minced garlic, and onion powder (optional).
Step 3: Mix all-purpose flour, salt, and pepper into a wide bowl. You can also add garlic powder and onion powder to the flour mix.
Step 4: Coat marinated chicken fillets in flour mix on both sides. Shake off excess flour.
Step 5: Heat olive oil (or butter) in a skillet. Place breaded chicken in the skillet and cook on medium flame, don’t overcrowd. While cooking, lightly press chicken breasts with the back of a flat spatula a couple of times to cook and brown evenly.
Step 6: Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown on both sides. Flip and sear cook on the other side.
Step 7: Transfer chicken from the skillet onto a plate. Wrap the plate in aluminum foil to keep the chicken warm. The brown bits left in the skillet are gold, it’s packed with flavors. Make a sauce from it by stirring butter into it and stirring until the butter melts. Remove the pan from the skillet, and add lemon juice and a pinch of salt and pepper if needed.
Step 8: Sprinkle chopped parsley over chicken breasts. Pour lemon pepper chicken sauce over crispy breaded chicken breasts just before serving. Serve it with steamed rice or mix it up with pasta. For added flavor, serve with fire-roasted lemon.
Drizzle basil oil on top for an extra layer of flavor and freshness to the chicken.
My family loves it with grilled potatoes in foil packs.
Tips
- You can cut chicken breasts horizontally into two fillets or pound a chicken breast to make it thin.
- Use fresh grated lemon zest. Do not grate the white part below the yellow skin. It’s too bitter and will change the taste of chicken.
- Use fresh ground pepper. Freshly ground pepper always has much more flavor and a peppery taste.
- To pack more flavors, add minced garlic and onion powder. I like to add it to the chicken fillets. But you could add flour to bread chicken.
Recipe FAQs
You can use boneless chicken thighs, chicken wings, and chicken drumsticks.
Yes, you can. Place flour-coated chicken evenly on a baking tray with a wire rack. Bake in preheated oven at 400F for 20-35 minutes for boneless chicken breasts and 40-45 minutes for bone-in chicken wings and drumsticks.
Don’t forget to Subscribe to CurryTrail Recipes below to get our newest recipes delivered straight to your inbox.
If you love this recipe, keep in touch, and don’t miss out on any of Currytrail’s recipes. Follow me on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
📋Easy Skillet Lemon Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts cut horizontally
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest freshly grated
- 2 to 3 teaspoons pepper freshly ground (use more if you like peppery heat)
- Salt to taste
- 4 cloves garlic minced (can use garlic powder instead)
- 1 ½ teaspoons onion powder optional – I skipped
- ¾ cup plain flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 1 tablespoon parsley fresh and finely chopped
- Few lemon slices for garnish
Instructions
- Cut chicken breasts horizontally to make 2 fillets.
- Zest lemons. You need about 2 tablespoon lemon zest.
- To chicken fillets add fresh lemon zest, fresh ground pepper, salt, minced garlic and onion powder (optional).
- Rub chicken well to allow it to take in all the marinade and coat the marinade evenly.
- Take plain flour in a wide bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Dip chicken fillets in flour to get even coating on both sides. Shake off excess flour.
- Heat olive oil (or buttein a skillet. Place breaded chicken in the skillet and cook on medium flame. Press the skillets with back of a flat spatula a couple of times to cook and brown evenly.
- Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown on both sides.
- Transfer chicken from the skillet onto a plate. Wrap the entire plate in aluminum foil to keep chicken warm.
- Into the same skillet add butter and stir until butter melts. Turn off heat. Add lemon juice a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle chopped parsley over chicken breasts. Pour lemon pepper chicken sauce over crispy breaded chicken breasts just before serving.
- Serve it over bed of rice or mix it up with pasta.
Video
Notes
- You can cut chicken breasts horizontally into two fillets or pound a chicken breast to make it thin.
- Use fresh grated lemon zest. Do not grate the white part below the yellow skin. It’s too bitter and will change the taste of chicken.
- Use fresh ground pepper. Freshly ground pepper always has much more flavor and a peppery taste to it.
- If you like to pack in extra flavors, add minced garlic and onion powder. I like to add it to the chicken fillets. But you could add to flour for breading chicken.
Nutrition
Created by Jyothi Rajesh
Thank you for stopping by.
I’m Jyothi Rajesh (Jo for short) and I’m the founder of the food blog, Curry Trail where I share my culinary Adventures. I live in Bangalore, India. I’m a mom of two beautiful kids. My passion is creating and sharing delicious and easy recipes for the home cook. I have been blogging since 2014 and many of my recipes have appeared in both online and print publications over the years. Learn more about Jyothi Rajesh.
Comments & Reviews
Monica says
Awesome recipe
Jyothi Rajesh says
So glad you loved the recipe Monica, thank you
Natalie says
I absolutely love the flavors in this chicken recipe. I bet my family will be so delighted when I make them this. I saved the recipe to my to try list for next week. Can’t wait to give it a try!
jyothirajesh says
Thank you Natalie
SHANIKA says
This Chicken recipe looks so amazing! I definitely want to make this, especially for upcoming Holiday season! That Lemon Pepper Marinade looks super easy but super flavorful!
jyothirajesh says
Thank you Shanika
Aline says
OMG! This chicken recipe looks INCREDIBLE!!! I’m saving it to make it this week – I can’t wait!! Thank you!
jyothirajesh says
Glad you liked it Aline
GUNJAN C Dudani says
I am sharing this recipe with my brother. He will love it since he is an excellent cook himself.
Veronika says
I love simple yet tasty chicken recipes! They are so good for a busy week or a lazy weekend) Saving this one for later)
jyothirajesh says
Thank you
Paula Montenegro says
You had me at having flavorful chicken breasts. They look so delicious! And truly easy to make. A perfect recipe to add to my weeknight plan!
jyothirajesh says
Thank you
Leslie says
Yay for no more boring chicken! You can tell this chicken recipe is packed with flavor just by looking at the pictures! YUM!!!
jyothirajesh says
Thanks Leslie
Jessica Kirk says
I’ll be adding this quick, light chicken recipe to the weekly menu.
jyothirajesh says
Thank you
Kelly Anthony says
I grew up eating bland over cooked chicken breast so I know exactly what you are talking about. Your lemon pepper chicken looks perfectly cooked and seasoned.
jyothirajesh says
Thank you Kelly
Jess says
Well I definitely know what I want to make for dinner tonight! This looks and sounds so amazing!
jyothirajesh says
Thank you
Chef Dennis says
I love chicken breasts so much. I always use this part of chicken when cooking, Your lemon pepper chicken recipe looks really delicious. I must try making this in the coming days!
jyothirajesh says
Hope you like it as much as we do. Thank you Dennis