Are you tired and tight on time? Don’t want to order takeout but want to eat something healthy but also tasty? You found it right here! This one pan healthy chicken breast with light lemon garlic cream sauce is the perfect recipe for those busy weeknight days when you just want to throw everything into one pan and have it ready within 30 minutes. Let’s dive into this recipe!
Why make this?
The hardest part of this recipe is pounding the chicken breast. After you get the chicken breast pounded it’s simply getting the skillet heated up and cooking everything in one pan without popping this into the oven.
Even if you are tired from a long day of work and also managing your kids this can be whipped up easily on a skillet.
How to keep the chicken breast from being too dry?
In Asian cooking chicken breast is the least desirable cut of chicken. Due to the low-fat content that the chicken dries out easily. Dry meat is a big no-no in many Asian households. Dark meat such as drumsticks and thighs are preferred due to its ability to absorb flavour and it remains juicy even if overdone.
The key is to use butter when cooking chicken breast. This is the easiest way to keep it moist and juicy while cooking on the stovetop.
The other thing to help keep the chicken breast moist and tasty is to brine the chicken breast before cooking. The saltwater helps loosen the chicken and allows the salt water to tenderize and add moisture so when it’s being cooked it remains juicy.
Is this recipe good for meal prep?
This is one of the recipes I use to meal prep my chicken breast for 2-3 days’ worth of lunches. It’s great for cutting up into cubes and tossing into a wrap or portioning it out in a lunch container for the kids. It’s also great for shredding up and making a chicken salad.
In my household, I will cook 3 batches of this so I can have it in the fridge ready to pack for my husband if he needs to go into the office or if we’re working from home just cut it up and throw it on top of a fresh and crisp salad. I save so much time and headaches having to worry about what to make and eat.
Can I use this recipe to serve a toddler?
Absolutely, this recipe is great for toddlers to mix in with their carbs and vegetables. If salt is a concern, you can always sear one of the chicken breasts without salt and pepper. The cream sauce will add some exciting flavours to their young palates.
Ingredients and variations
Chicken breast: Chicken breast is lean and easy to buy at your local supermarket. If white meat isn’t your cup of tea, chicken thighs work well in this recipe.
Half and half cream: I always have half and half cream at home so I use this for this recipe. Alternatively, if you want a thick and creamy sauce use heavy cream and the time to reduce will vary. So just remember to keep an eye on the sauce and look for it to reduce to 1/3 cup of the cream sauce.
Butter: A must for this recipe as it keeps it moist.
Chicken broth: Use store-bought or even better if you can make your own chicken broth. If you don’t have either option use water and add ½ teaspoon of chicken bouillon.
How to serve
The chicken can be served with rice, pasta or over salad. I like to serve this with a side of green beans or broccoli. Keeping this dish simple for a busy weeknight meal.
Storage Tips
To Store
Keep this in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
To Reheat
On a skillet add a little bit of water or chicken broth and heat up on medium to medium-high. Cover with a lid until the chicken is warmed through. Roughly 10 minutes.
If time is tight you can reheat this in the microwave for 2 minutes. If the chicken isn’t warm enough flip over and nuke for another 30 seconds.
To Freeze
Keep the chicken breast in a freezer bag which can be kept for up to 3 months frozen. Unthaw in the fridge overnight and follow the reheat steps above to warm up.
Leftover ideas
Use the left overs for a chicken wrap or chop it up and toss it over a healthy salad.
Sometimes I will have some frozen chicken breast and I will take some out to make some emergency chicken noodle soup if I am starting to feel under the weather.
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?
Let me know what you thought!
Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe.
Follow me at CookwithChung on Pinterest for all my latest recipes!
- Chicken in Chinese Rice Wine
- Salmon Congee
- Ube Cupcakes Recipe
- Oatmeal Congee
- Gà Kho Gừng (Vietnamese Ginger Chicken)
Disclaimer: If you purchase anything through a link on this site, I may receive a small commission from the purchase at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I would personally use. Thank you so much for the support!
One Pan Healthy Chicken Breast with a Light Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken breast roughly 4 chicken breast
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup half and half cream
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- 2 tbsp salted butter
- 2 tbsp cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Pound the chicken breast to approximately 1/2 inch thick with a meat pounder. Use saran wrap to cover to keep chicken juice from splashing.
- Salt and pepper generously on both sides of the chicken breast.
- Mix the half and half, chicken broth and lemon juice in a small mixing bowl. Set aside.
- Heat up olive oil on a non-stick skillet on medium-high heat. Add the chicken breast to the skillet and sear on one side for 5 minutes. Flip the chicken breast and add the garlic and butter to the skillet. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes. Add the sauce to the pan and let it cook for 8 minutes until the sauce is about 1/3 cup remaining. Your stove varies so you want to make sure it is thoroughly cooked to an internal temperature of 165 ºF.
- Remove from heat and top with cilantro and serve immediately.