Spinach Lemon Butter Chicken (Print)

Tender chicken cutlets pan-seared and finished in a silky lemon-butter sauce, served over gently wilted spinach.

# Components:

→ Chicken

01 - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5.3 oz each), pounded to 1/2-inch thickness
02 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
03 - 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
04 - 1/2 cup all-purpose flour or gluten-free flour blend for dredging

→ Spinach

05 - 14 oz fresh baby spinach
06 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
07 - 1 clove garlic, minced
08 - Pinch of salt

→ Lemon Butter Sauce

09 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
12 - Juice and zest of 1 large lemon
13 - 2/3 cup low-sodium chicken broth
14 - 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional
15 - 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained, optional
16 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
17 - 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley for garnish
18 - Lemon slices for serving, optional

# Directions:

01 - Pat the chicken cutlets dry with paper towels. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Lightly dredge each piece in flour, shaking off excess.
02 - Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden and just cooked through. Remove to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
03 - Lower heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the pan. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in chicken broth, lemon juice, and zest, scraping up browned bits. Stir in Dijon mustard and capers if using. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced.
04 - Return chicken to the skillet, turning to coat in the sauce. Simmer gently for 2 minutes until heated through.
05 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate large skillet over medium heat. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add spinach and a pinch of salt; sauté 1 to 2 minutes just until wilted. Remove from heat.
06 - Arrange wilted spinach on serving plates. Top with chicken cutlets and spoon lemon butter sauce over. Garnish with parsley and lemon slices.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks and tastes like restaurant food but comes together in one pan in under forty minutes.
  • The lemon butter sauce is so good you will want to sop up every last drop with bread.
  • Chicken stays tender and juicy because you pound it thin and don't overcook it.
  • Spinach wilts right into a silky green bed that soaks up all that lemony richness.
02 -
  • Don't skip pounding the chicken thin, thick breasts will dry out before the center cooks and nobody wants that.
  • Use a hot pan for the sear but lower the heat for the sauce or the garlic will burn and turn bitter.
  • Let the chicken rest on the plate while you make the sauce, it stays juicy and the skillet keeps all those flavorful drippings.
  • Fresh lemon juice is the soul of this dish, bottled juice will make it taste flat and sad.
03 -
  • Pound the chicken between two sheets of plastic wrap so you don't make a mess and get even thickness.
  • Taste the sauce before adding extra salt, the capers and broth can be salty enough on their own.
  • Use a meat thermometer if you're nervous, chicken is done at 165 degrees Fahrenheit and stays juicy if you pull it right at that mark.
  • Make the sauce extra lemony by adding another half a lemon's worth of juice, some people love that sharp brightness.
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