Honey Lemon Chicken

 

I was looking for a recipe to use Chicken breasts the other day and I found this one I am sharing in a U.K. cookbook of mine entitled Quick & Easy by Nicky Corbishley of the blog Kitchen Sanctuary. I actually have both of her cookbooks, and they are filled with lovely, doable, delicious recipes.  Very family friendly also.

Do check out her page as I think you will like it.

I thought I had taken two chicken breasts out of my freezer, but what I actually took out was a chicken breast and some chicken thighs. I had packed the chicken thighs, three in a package and it looked like a chicken breast when it was frozen.  

Note to self: Don't be so lazy about labeling things when putting into the freezer.

 

I had been eyeballing the lemon chicken recipe for a while now but was waiting for lemon season when fresh lemons were in abundance to make it. That is now.  Because I only had one chicken breast however, I cut the recipe in half, to make only two servings instead of four.

The thighs I used to execute another recipe, Air Fryer Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs which I shared with you the other day.

I was really pleased with the way both recipes came out.

 

True to its promise, this lemon chicken recipe came together quickly and was ready in less than half an hour.  I did make sure I had all of the ingredients for it ready to go before I started.  I find if you do that, things usually do happen a lot quicker.

The chicken came out tender and juicy. The sauce was light and zesty.  It had a lovely lemon flavor and just enough sticky sweetness to make this really enjoyable.  I think adding the sliced lemon to the sauce really helped to enhance that natural lemon flavor!

Honey and lemon are a match made in heaven.

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HONEY LEMON CHICKEN

Really just a few simple ingredients. Do bear in mind, this is a small batch recipe, feeding only two people deliciously!

• 1 large chicken breast, about 7 ounces/200g, sliced in half horizontally
• 1 1/2 TBS plain all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 1 TBS butter
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 1/3 cup (80ml) chicken stock
• 3 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 2 TBS honey
• 1 small lemon, cut thinly into half moons
• parsley to sprinkle

 

My chicken breast was quite large, definitely large enough for two people to enjoy.  Check out my instructions below to see how I sliced it into two portions.

By sweet paprika I mean the stuff you would sprinkle over deviled eggs, etc. It is meant to color the sauce not to bring any smokiness or heat as something like smoked paprika would do.

I use light olive oil as it, while still having the health benefits as an evo, it doesn't add a strong flavor.

Transparency here, I used bottled organic minced garlic. It is not easy to get local organic garlic this time of year in my area and I will not use Chinese garlic.

For chicken stock I used diluted Better than Boullion.  I think it's great!

My lemons were on the small size which is why I chose to use a full one in the sauce. It gave the sauce a beautiful tang. 

I used a locally produced honey that I picked up at a farmer's market last fall.

No fresh parsley here either. I used freeze-dried parsley flakes.

HOW TO MAKE HONEY LEMON CHICKEN

This is a really simple chicken dish to execute.  It goes together quickly and easily, especially if you have all of the elements of it ready to go before you start!

Whisk the flour, salt, pepper and paprika together in a bowl until thoroughly combined.

Cut your chicken in half horizontally and then dredge it very thoroughly in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess. 

This is very easy to do. Place the chicken breast on a cutting board and hold it down carefully with the palm of your hand, fingers elevated, while you take a sharp knife and slowly slide it through the middle horizontally.  A sharp knife is integral to this step.

 

Heat the oil and the butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat until the butter starts to foam. Add the chicken pieces.

Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, turning once, until both sides are golden brown.

 

Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, honey and sliced lemon. Bring to the boil.

Reduce to a quick simmer and simmer for about 5 to 6 minutes longer, until the sauce is slightly reduced.

Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

 

This lemon chicken was exceptionally delicious.  It had a beautiful lemon tang and a lovely sweetness from the honey.  I really enjoyed it very much and served it with some rice.

Don't skip the lemon slices in the sauce. They really add to that lovely lemon tang! 

  

I really love the versatility of cooking with chicken breasts. They go with just about every flavor, texture, spice, etc.  Here are a few other really delicious ways to use them! 

PAN ROASTED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH THYME - The skin in this recipe helps to keep the meat moist and does impart flavor. Plus, it gets nice and crisp. I admit I do love crisp chicken skin, even if it's not that healthy to eat. This chicken always ends up tender and very juicy.  It is filled with incredible flavors also. There is something about thyme which goes very well with chicken. 

GRILLED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CHIMICHURRI SAUCE - If you have never tried chimichurri sauce you are in for a real treat. This is a rich and herby garlic sauce. The chicken marinates in some of it prior to grilling to perfection, and then is served with more of that delicious sauce spooned over top. Delicious!

Yield: Serves 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Honey Lemon Chicken

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 20 Min

Succulent, tender and juicy chicken breast pieces in a fresh and zesty honey and lemon sauce. This cooks very quickly and pairs beautifully with rice or noodles.

Ingredients

• 1 large chicken breast, about 7 ounces/200g, sliced in half horizontally
• 1 1/2 TBS plain all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp sweet paprika
• 1/2 TBS light olive oil
• 1 TBS butter
• 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
• 1/3 cup (80ml) chicken stock
• 3 TBS fresh lemon juice
• 2 TBS honey
• 1 small lemon, cut thinly into half moons
• parsley to sprinkle

Instructions

1. Whisk the flour, salt, pepper and paprika together in a bowl until thoroughly combined.
2. Cut your chicken in half horizontally and then dredge it very thoroughly in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess.
3. Heat the oil and the butter in a medium skillet over medium high heat until the butter starts to foam. Add the chicken pieces.
4. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, turning once, until both sides are golden brown.
5. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, honey and sliced lemon. Bring to the boil.
6. Reduce to a quick simmer and simmer for about 5 to 6 minutes longer, until the sauce is slightly reduced.
7. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Did you make this recipe?

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