Description
This Creamy Lemon Thyme Chicken recipe features tender, juicy chicken breasts cooked in a zesty lemon and fresh thyme cream sauce. The chicken is first seared to golden perfection in an ovenproof skillet, then finished in the oven to ensure a juicy center. The sauce is made by reducing chicken broth with lemon juice, zest, onions, garlic, and thyme, then enriched with heavy cream and butter for a luscious, tangy finish. Perfect for a simple yet elegant weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (around 1.5 lbs total)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
Sauce
- 1 and 1/2 cups (360ml) chicken broth (reduced sodium recommended)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) lemon juice (about 2 medium lemons)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
- 1/3 cup finely chopped onion (1/3 of a medium onion)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1.5 teaspoons dried thyme)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
Optional Garnish
- Lemon slices
- Fresh thyme sprigs
Instructions
- Prepare chicken breasts: If the chicken breasts are uneven in thickness, gently pound them down to ensure even cooking. Lightly sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides of each chicken breast.
- Sear the chicken: Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for 7-8 minutes total, flipping halfway through. Aim for a nice golden brown outside but do not cook the chicken fully through. Once seared, remove the chicken from the skillet, place on a plate, and cover tightly with foil to keep warm.
- Preheat oven: Set your oven to 375°F (190°C) to prepare for finishing the chicken.
- Make the sauce: Remove the skillet from heat and add chicken broth, lemon juice, lemon zest, chopped onion, minced garlic, and thyme leaves. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and stir, scraping up browned bits from the bottom. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it reduce uncovered for about 10 minutes, until the liquid volume decreases to approximately 1/2 cup (120ml). Stir in the heavy cream and cubed butter. Simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce is creamy and slightly thickened.
- Finish cooking in oven: Return the chicken breasts to the skillet with the sauce. Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C), ensuring fully cooked, juicy chicken.
- Serve: Plate the chicken breasts and spoon the creamy lemon thyme sauce generously over the top. Garnish with optional lemon slices and fresh thyme if desired. Store leftovers in the refrigerator and reheat before serving.
Notes
- Using one oven-safe skillet simplifies cooking and cleanup since you can go from stovetop searing to oven baking in the same pan.
- Fresh thyme offers the best flavor, but dried thyme works well as a substitute; just use slightly less.
- Make sure chicken breasts are roughly the same thickness for even cooking and to prevent drying out thinner pieces.
- Reduced sodium chicken broth is recommended to control salt levels and balance the flavors with the lemon juice.
- Allow the heavy cream and butter to come to room temperature before adding to prevent curdling in the sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce (approx. 6 oz)
- Calories: 370
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
