5 Ingredient Lemon Chicken with Asparagus
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Rating
4.8 out of 5 stars
(118)
Ingredients
3-4 servings
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning
- 1–2 cups chopped asparagus
- 2 lemons, sliced
- 2 tablespoons honey + 2 tablespoons butter (optional, see FAQ notes)
- parsley for topping (optional)
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Preparation
Step 1
Cover the chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound until each piece is about a 3/4 of an inch thick. (NOTE: If your chicken breasts are really thick, you can just cut them in half horizontally to make thinner pieces rather than pounding. Works like a charm.)
Step 2
Place the flour and salt and pepper in a shallow dish and gently toss each chicken breast in the dish to coat.
Step 3
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat; add the chicken and sauté for 3-5 minutes on each side, until golden brown, sprinkling each side with the lemon pepper directly in the pan.
Step 4
When the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, transfer to a plate.
Step 5
Add the chopped asparagus to the pan. Sauté for a few minutes until bright green and tender crisp. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 6
Lay the lemon slices flat on the bottom of the pan and cook for a few minutes on each side without stirring so that they caramelize and pick up the browned bits left in the pan from the chicken and butter. (NOTE: adding a tiny pat of butter in with the lemons also helps prevent sticking and promotes browning.)
Step 7
Remove the lemons from the pan and set aside.
Step 8
Layer all the ingredients back into the skillet – asparagus, chicken, and lemon slices on top.
Step 9
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Chef's notes
Lemons are naturally bitter, especially when caramelized. If preferred, use them as a garnish or boil them briefly before adding to the pan.
The honey butter sauce is made by melting butter and honey in the hot pan after caramelizing the lemons.
