Chicken Garlic Herbs (Printable version)
Sautéed chicken breasts infused with garlic, herbs, and lemon for a juicy, flavorful main.
# Ingredient List:
→ Poultry
01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 5.3 oz each)
→ Aromatics
02 - 6 cloves garlic, finely minced
03 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
→ Liquids
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 1/4 cup chicken broth
07 - 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
→ Herbs & Seasonings
08 - 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
09 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley or 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
10 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
11 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
# How to Make It:
01 - Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season both sides with salt and black pepper.
02 - Warm olive oil and unsalted butter together in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
03 - Cook chicken breasts in the skillet for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until golden and fully cooked. Transfer to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
04 - Add chopped onion to the same skillet and sauté for 2 minutes until softened.
05 - Stir in minced garlic and thyme, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
06 - Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice, scraping up browned bits from the pan. Lower heat to medium and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
07 - Return chicken breasts to the skillet, spoon sauce over them, and cook for an additional 2 minutes to warm through.
08 - Sprinkle chopped parsley over chicken before serving.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The chicken stays so juicy you'll wonder how you ever overcooked it before.
- Your kitchen smells like a European restaurant for the next three hours, which never gets old.
- It's ready in 30 minutes but tastes like you spent the whole afternoon cooking.
02 -
- Don't skip patting the chicken dry; moisture is the enemy of a good crust and I learned this by making wet, pale chicken the hard way.
- The sauce will look thin right before you serve it, and that's perfect—it keeps the dish light instead of heavy, so trust the timing instead of cooking it down further.
03 -
- Marinating the chicken for even 30 minutes in olive oil, minced garlic, and thyme before you start will give you more flavor, but this dish is good enough that marinating isn't required—it just raises it higher.
- Always use fresh lemon juice; bottled lemon juice tastes metallic and will make you wonder why the sauce tastes off.