Lemon Broccoli Chicken

Anytime I can whip up a quick dinner that doesn’t leave my sink overflowing with dishes, it’s a win! That’s why one-skillet recipes—like this lemon broccoli chicken—are my go-to meals most nights of the week. This one-pan meal requires no special ingredients or equipment, and can be on the table in 35 minutes.

One of the tricks to quick chicken dinners is slicing boneless skinless chicken breasts for faster cooking. In this recipe, you’ll lightly coat the sliced chicken with egg and flour, then pan-fry it in butter until it’s golden brown and lightly crispy. After, you’ll deglaze the pan with chicken broth and lemon juice to create a pan sauce. Vibrant broccoli florets steam-cook in the bright lemon butter sauce as it reduces (another time-saving trick).

Ingredients for Lemon Broccoli Chicken

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts: Use a sharp knife to slice each breast crosswise into 1-inch-thick strips. If the breasts are thick, you can split them and then cut them.
• All-purpose flour: Dredging the chicken in flour forms a crust that will create a lightly crisp exterior.
• Spices: Garlic powder and paprika season the flour coating, and salt and pepper flavor the chicken.
• Egg: Before being coated in flour, the chicken is dipped into a mixture of beaten egg and lemon juice. The wet coating helps the flour stick to the chicken.
• Lemon juice and zest: Bottled lemon juice works in a pinch, but fresh lemons deliver the brightest flavor. You’ll need one to two large lemons to yield enough lemon juice and zest for this recipe. Zest the lemon first, then slice it and juice it. Note the lemon juice is divided, with 1 tablespoon in the egg coating and 2 tablespoons in the sauce.
• Butter: We’re using butter to pan-fry the chicken and to thicken and add richness to the lemony sauce. You’ll need 1/4 cup of salted or unsalted butter, equivalent to 4 tablespoons.
• Chicken broth: Chicken broth forms the base of the sauce, deglazes the pan and steams the broccoli. Stick with low-sodium broth—especially if you’re using salted butter—to control the saltiness of the finished sauce.
• Broccoli: Fresh is best here. Frozen broccoli is excellent for casseroles, but could water down the sauce and have a mushy texture in this recipe. You’ll need two medium broccoli crowns to produce 4 cups of florets, and you’ll want to cut the florets into bite-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
• For serving: Serve the lemon chicken and broccoli with lemon wedges to punch up the tart flavor. We recommend adding cooked rice or another starch to soak up the flavorful sauce.

Directions

Step 1: Prepare the chicken

Season the sliced chicken breasts with salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, mix the flour, garlic powder and paprika. In another shallow bowl, whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Dip the chicken in the egg mixture, then in the flour mixture. Shake off any excess.

Editor’s Tip: Cover all sides of the chicken with the flour mixture for an even texture. Use two pairs of tongs—one for the egg and one for the flour—to prevent clumping.

Step 2: Cook the chicken

In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 12 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep it warm.

Editor’s Tip: To keep the chicken warm, transfer it to an oven-safe dish and set it in a 170°F oven or cover it with aluminum foil.

Step 3: Make the lemon sauce

Add the chicken broth, lemon zest and remaining 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the skillet. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Editor’s Tip: Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits. These flavor-packed pan drippings, called fond, form when you brown the chicken, and are used to enrich the sauce.

Step 4: Cook the broccoli

Add the broccoli to the skillet and stir to coat it in the sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes or until the broccoli is tender.

Editor’s Tip: Covering the pan traps steam to cook the broccoli florets evenly. If you prefer firm-crisp broccoli, check it for doneness around the five-minute mark.

Step 5: Serve the lemon broccoli chicken

Serve the broccoli and lemon sauce with the chicken. Pair it with lemon wedges and, if desired, hot cooked rice.

Editor’s Tip: You can either plate the chicken and spoon the broccoli and lemon sauce over it or return the chicken to the skillet for just long enough to toss it with the broccoli and sauce.

Taste of Home

Lemon Broccoli Chicken Variations

• Add heat: A pinch of crushed red pepper flakes in the sauce adds a bit of spicy warmth.
• Try another veggie: Lots of vegetables can be smothered in a lemon butter sauce. You can easily make this recipe with an assortment, or substitute the broccoli for zucchini, cauliflower, asparagus, green beans or spinach. Be mindful of the cooking times, since some vegetables cook faster than broccoli.
• Turn up the aroma: After cooking the chicken, saute sliced yellow onion and minced garlic in the pan drippings. Then, add the broth and lemon juice. Garnish the finished dish with fresh herbs, such as chopped parsley or dill.
• Make a thicker sauce: This pan sauce is on the thin side, but you can use all-purpose flour or cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour into the pan drippings and cook for 2 to 3 minutes before adding the sauce ingredients in Step 3. If going the cornstarch route, mix 1 tablespoon with 1 tablespoon of cool water and stir it into the sauce before adding the broccoli.

How to Store Lemon and Broccoli Chicken

Lemon chicken and broccoli have the best taste and texture when served fresh, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three to four days.

How do you reheat lemon and broccoli chicken?

Reheat it in the microwave or a covered skillet over medium-low heat. Add a splash of lemon juice or chicken broth before reheating; the added liquid will help keep the chicken tender and loosen the sauce.

Lemon Broccoli Chicken Tips

Taste of Home

How do you make this lemon chicken and broccoli gluten-free?

You can easily make this a gluten-free recipe with one ingredient swap. When dredging the chicken, simply replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free flour blend or rice flour.

Can you use a different vegetable?

You can most definitely prepare this recipe with vegetables other than broccoli. Sliced zucchini, green beans and asparagus will all pair well with the lemony sauce, but you’ll need to adjust the cooking time since these veggies steam-cook faster than broccoli. You could also swap cauliflower florets, which have a similar texture and cooking time as broccoli.

What can you serve with lemon broccoli chicken?

We recommend pairing this chicken recipe with hot cooked white or brown rice—it’s even better if you scoop the chicken and sauce over the rice so it soaks up all the flavorful liquid! If you’re not hungry for rice, try another starchy side, such as buttered noodles, fluffy quinoa or creamy mashed potatoes.