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Spooning homemade garlic butter sauce over a juicy chicken breast on a plate with white rice.

Garlic Butter Chicken

Juicy pan-seared chicken breasts smothered in a silky garlic butter pan sauce with fresh lemon and parsley. Just 8 ingredients, one skillet and 25 minutes stand between you and a weeknight dinner that tastes like it came from a restaurant.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients  

  • 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds) 
  • 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 1 Tablespoon minced garlic 
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter 
  • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour 
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley 

Instructions 

  • Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
  • Add the olive oil to a large skillet set over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts and cook, undisturbed, until they release naturally from the pan, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken once and continue cooking until they are cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 165°F. (The remaining cook time will vary on the thickness of the breasts, but roughly an additional 3 to 5 minutes.) 
  • Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate and leave all dripping in the skillet.
  • Reduce the heat to medium-low then add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden brown and fragrant, about 2 minutes. 
  • Add the chicken stock and cook, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the skillet, for an additional 2 minutes until reduced slightly. 
  • Whisk in the butter then once it has melted, whisk in the flour and cook until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes.
  • Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper. 
  • Spoon the garlic butter sauce over the chicken and serve. 

Notes

  • If your chicken breasts are uneven in thickness, pound them to an even thickness before cooking for more consistent results.
  • Don't touch the chicken while it sears. It will release naturally from the pan when it's ready. Move it too early and it will stick, tear and you'll lose that gorgeous golden crust.
  • Watch the garlic carefully. It goes from golden to burned very quickly and burned garlic will make the entire sauce bitter.
  • Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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