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Lemon Chicken

Lemon chicken is an easy dinner made with a few common ingredients, but it's really big on freshness and taste.
Course Dinner
Cuisine American
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Calories 452.8kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless chicken breasts patted dry
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper divided
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 4 tablespoon butter divided
  • 1 small onion diced fine
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 4 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
  • ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 2 sprigs fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

Instant Pot Method

  • Season the chicken breast with salt and half the pepper (¼ tsp).
  • Switch on your instant pot to sauté (normal) and add the oil and half the butter. Slide in the chicken breasts (4 pieces fit in quite nicely in a 6-quart) and fry until well-browned. Flip and repeat on the other side.
  • Remove the fried chicken onto a platter. Now, make the lemon sauce. Add the remaining butter, diced onions and garlic and saute for 30 seconds. As you are sautéing, scrape off the browned bits of chicken sticking to the pot, with the help of a few tablespoons of broth if needed (deglazing).
  • Pour in the rest of the broth. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, remaining black pepper and dried thyme and oregano. Stir well and deglaze the pot again. Cancel sauté.
  • Add the chicken breasts to the liquid and secure the lid. Make sure the steam release handle is on 'sealing' and press the pressure cooking button. Set it on high for 5 minutes.
  • When the timer beeps, wait 10 minutes before opening the pot. Switch back to sauté and add the flour dissolved in a little broth or water. Stir for a minute or so until the sauce thickens. Sprinkle some chopped parsley on top and serve with brown rice and steamed vegetables on the side.

Stovetop Method

  • Wipe the chicken breast dry and season with salt and half the black pepper.
  • Heat the oil and half the butter in a well-seasoned skillet or non-stick pan and slide in the chicken breasts. Fry them on medium to high heat until they are golden-brown. Flip and repeat. Take them out on a platter.
  • Now, make the lemon sauce. Add the remaining butter, diced onions and garlic and saute for 30 seconds. As you are sautéing, scrape the bottom to release any browned bits of chicken sticking to the pot. Add a few tablespoons of broth if needed.
  • Pour in the remaining broth and lower the heat. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, remaining black pepper and dried thyme and oregano. Stir and add the fried chicken breasts. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until the sauce appears shiny and the chicken is cooked through.
  • Add the flour dissolved in a few tablespoons of water or broth and cook for a minute or two, stirring all the time. Sprinkle some fresh chopped parsley and serve hot with your favourite sides.

Notes

  1. Dry the chicken very well before frying it in the skillet or the instant pot. This makes frying easier and faster as well lends the chicken a nice, crisp exterior.
  2. Don't forget to deglaze the pot at the points mentioned in the recipe. Deglazing achieves two things at the same time. It injects a lot of flavour right into the sauce and also prevents the pot from flashing the dreaded burn notice.
  3.  If you are willing to go that extra step, you could pound the raw chicken breasts until they are thin and flat. They look better, cook faster and are easier to cut into. Just place each piece between two sheets of plastic cling wrap and pound them with short, firm strokes starting from the middle.
  4. The nutritional information is for the chicken only, not the sides.

Nutrition

Calories: 452.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 55.7g | Fat: 21.9g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10.5g | Cholesterol: 169.5mg | Sodium: 1020.2mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 1.5g