This easy skillet chicken dinner recipe comes courtesy of food blogger Aleyda Batarse, also known online as The Dish on Healthy. It’s lemony, garlicky and pairs well with rice, potatoes or other sides of your choice. The best part is that this dish freezes well for up to 3 months, making it the perfect make-ahead meal.

Batarse writes, “One-pan meals make busy weeknights feel manageable and somewhat enjoyable. In a household with three small kiddos, dinnertime is more often than not quite hectic and needs to be fast and furious.”

“Feeding my family nutritious meals that keep at least two of the three munchkins happy (while one of them agrees to compromise) is a win. Lemon and garlic is a winning flavour combination, and one that most kids enjoy (in moderate amounts). If serving this to young toddlers, I recommend omitting the red pepper flakes or halving the amount.”

A close-up of a black pan with cooked chicken thighs in a brown sauce, topped with pine nuts and lemon slices.

Skillet Lemon Garlic Chicken

Aleyda Batarse

Not only is this an easy meal that pairs great with potatoes, rice or other sides of your choice, but it freezes well for up to 3 months.

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Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth
Juice of 1 lemon about 2 Tbsp
1½ tbsp minced garlic
½ tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil
2 2 finely diced shallots or 1 small white onion
1 tbsp salted butter or ghee
¼ cup heavy 35% dairy cream or oat milk creamer
Handful of lemon thyme about ¼ cup, for garnish
¼ cup toasted pine nuts for garnish
1 lemon sliced, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Season both sides of the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper.
In a small bowl, whisk the chicken broth, lemon juice, garlic, and red pepper flakes (adjust the amount for your desired level of spice).
In a large oven-safe skillet, warm the olive oil on medium-high heat. Add the chicken and allow it to brown and sear nicely on both sides, 3 minutes per side, cooking in batches if necessary. Transfer the chicken to a plate— it will finish cooking inside the oven.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots to the skillet along with the chicken broth mixture. Using a whisk, scrape the bottom of the pan so all the brown bits are loosened and the pan is deglazed. Bring the heat back to medium-high and let the sauce come to a full simmer. Allow the sauce to simmer for 10 minutes, until thickened and reduced to about ⅓ cup.
Remove the sauce from the heat, add the butter, and whisk until it melts completely. Add the cream and whisk until smooth. Place the skillet back on the heat for just under 30 seconds (do not allow the sauce to boil or burn). Remove from the heat, add the chicken back to the pan and baste the sauce over the chicken.
Cook the chicken in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until the chicken is completely cooked through; you can slice into a piece right down the center to check that it’s fully cooked.
Garnish with thyme, pine nuts, and lemon slices.

Notes

Make ahead:

Keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Freezes for up to 2 to 3 months, and thaw the morning of the day it's being served.

Keyword Chicken, family-friendly, lemon, lemon chicken, skillet chicken, Skillet dinner