Garlic Lemon Chicken Breasts on the Stovetop

Easy garlic lemon chicken, classic flavours, and a perfectly cooked, moist chicken breast in a delicious sauce, all cooked on the stovetop.

No messing with finely chopping ingredients, just cut them in half, sear in a hot pan, add some stock and then wait for dinner.

You Can't Beat Lemon Chicken

I love this simple chicken thigh recipe for a host of reasons. Sure, it is easy, of course, it is delicious, and it is cheap too!

But it is also one of those magical dishes that straddle the seasons so well.

In the height of summer, the lightness of the lemon makes it feel gloriously summery. But in the depths of winter, it adds some much-needed brightness and fake sunshine to the dinner table.

The flavours in this chicken with garlic and lemon recipe are European in influence rather than Chinese like my crispy lemon chicken recipe.

They taste amazing and feature in dishes as diverse as my creamy garlic lemon chicken pasta, and preserved lemon chicken tray bake to my take on chicken piccata.

And don't worry about all of the garlic, when cooked slowly like this, it goes almost sweet and mellows a lot. It is a technique that I use in my roasted garlic pasta recipe to great effect.

If chicken breast is your thing, then check out my maple syrup glazed chicken breast, marmalade chicken breast, chicken breast in cider, pesto mozzarella chicken breast and gochujang chicken breast recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions.

Do the lemons have to be unwaxed?

No, but I do prefer them that way; the wax used to coat lemons is a food-safe product. It also has no flavour, but it just does not sit well with me.

Don't worry if you cannot find unwaxed lemons! Run them under hot water and gently scrub them with a nail brush; this will remove most of it.

Can I use skin-on chicken breasts?

Yes, although the skin will shrink a little. Also, as it is cooked with the lid on in a "wet environment", it will not crisp up.

If you want to keep the skin crisp, you will need to transfer to an oven without a lid to finish cooking.

You will also need to add 50% more stock to account for the evaporation that the lid prevents.

How do I tell when the chicken is cooked?

I'm not a gadget kinda guy, but I swear by using a meat thermometer for cooking all meats.

It is especially useful for chicken! This is because the minimum safe temperature is right at the point where chicken is at its best.

There is no need to rest this chicken, so place the probe in the thickest part of the breast and look for 73°C or 165°F.

Be aware of using digital thermometers over an induction hob. They can give screwy results; just slide the pan off the heat before taking the temperature.

Serving Suggestions

The seasons will very much define how I serve this garlic lemon chicken breast.

As the weather breaks in late spring, I'll serve it as it is here. New potatoes and broad beans, a combination that I also use with my Spanish pork chops recipe.

But it also works really well with garlic butter asparagus or garlic green beans.

In summer, I'm much more likely to go with a slaw or salad, and a classic celeriac remoulade would be perfect.

In winter, I am more inclined to go with grains, something like a buttered couscous or even better, a toasted millet.

Equipment Used

I only name-check brands of equipment if I think that they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• 28cm or 11" frying pan or skillet.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• Stirring and serving spoons.
• Fork for mashing.
• Kitchen tongs.
• A quick read meat thermometer. Not essential, but I swear by mine!
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups measuring spoons.