Lemon Butter Chicken Tenders are made in a skillet and covered with lemon butter garlic sauce. These lemon garlic chicken tenders are one of our absolute favorite chicken breast strip recipes. We serve it on brown rice for a healthy, delicious dinner!
Scroll down for the Lemon Butter Chicken Tenders Recipe (printable version) and instructions.
When it comes to weeknights, I always want something quick and easy. But a quick and easy recipe doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have to also be delicious. This week I am concentrating on things you can do with chicken strips.
I love baking, pan frying, and grilling up chicken strips as it’s an easy fix and a great way to quickly cook up the boneless, skinless chicken in your home without waiting a long time.
You can pretty much take any chicken recipe and turn it into a strip recipe, just adding a little rice, arugula, or noodles depending on the flavor.
If you are looking for something super flavorful, you should also check out my crack chicken tacos!
In this case, this is a lemon garlic butter sauce, a perfect lightweight sauce that can be mixed with almost anything- noodles, rice, anything!
Another way to create these is to make Parmesan-crusted chicken tenders and then add the sauce.
No matter what you do, I hope this Lemon Butter Chicken Tenders recipe makes it to your table this evening!
Lemon Butter Chicken Tenders Recipe
- 3 chicken breasts boneless, skinless preferred – cut into strips
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 Tablespoon paprika
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Lemon Garlic Chicken Tenders Step-By-Step
Instructions to make easy garlic lemon butter chicken strips.
Using a sharp kitchen knife, slice the chicken breasts into strips. Season to taste with paprika, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
Melt half of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the chicken to the hot melted butter and sear on both sides for about 5-7 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
Remove the chicken to a plate and add the remaining butter to the skillet.
Add the garlic, then 30 seconds later add the chicken broth, Parmesan, lemon juice, and thyme. Give it a good stir and let it start to bubble before adding in the heavy cream, stirring or whisking often.
Cook until the sauce becomes creamy, about 5 minutes, and then add the chicken fingers back to the skillet and spoon on a bit more sauce.
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- 3 chicken breasts boneless, skinless preferred – cut into strips
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 Tablespoon paprika
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
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Using a sharp kitchen knife, slice the chicken breasts into strips. Season to taste with paprika, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
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Melt half of the butter in a skillet over medium high heat.
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Add the chicken to the hot melted butter and sear on both sides for about 5-7 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.
-
Remove the chicken to a plate and add the remaining butter to the skillet.
-
Add the garlic, then 30 seconds later add the chicken broth, Parmesan, lemon juice and thyme. Give it a good stir and let it start to bubble before adding in the heavy cream, stirring or whisking often.
-
Cook until the sauce becomes creamy, about 5 minutes, and then add the chicken fingers back to the skillet and spoon on a bit more sauce.
More Chicken Strips Dinner Recipe Ideas
Need more family-friendly recipes this week? Try one of these below or visit a huge variety of chicken recipes here in the chicken recipes archive!
FAQs
Q: Why do you add lemon to chicken?
A: Lemon juice helps to tenderize the meat. Don’t go overboard with it though. If you marinade chicken with a citrusy liquid it can have the reverse effect and make the meat tough and rubbery. This is why we like our chicken just cooked in the skillet with lemon. It comes out tender and juicy.
Q: Why would you cook chicken in milk?
A: Believe it or not, milk also helps tenderize the chicken! So when you add milk to your chicken sauces you get more tender meat plus a creamy sauce that’s fabulous for serving over noodles or rice.
Q: What goes well with lemon chicken?
A: There are quite a few things we love with any type of lemony chicken.
- Cooked rice (white or brown)
- Potatoes (herbed and roasted or mashed)
- Noodles (any type)
- Steamed veggies (broccoli and carrots are fab)
- Roasted Brussels sprouts
- Roasted or steamed asparagus