Lemon Pepper Chicken
Lemon pepper chicken – the dish that won me the girl
It was this lemon pepper chicken that won me my wife’s heart. When we first started dating, 15 years ago (god, we’re old!), this –chicken breasts tossed in a cheesy, lemony sauce – was one of the first dishes I cooked for her. It’s been a staple in my house ever since I was young lad, particularly because it’s so easy to throw together. Whenever my relatives who lived in America visited India, a big bottle of lemon pepper seasoning was one of the things that made its way to our home through them. So when I had to make a deliciously failsafe dish to impress this (very hard to impress) girl, I knew exactly what I would go for. And it worked! To date I still get requests from her to make this ever so often. And it’s totally keto friendly. It’s citrusy, creamy, ridiculously cheesy… what’s not to love? Just be careful who you make this for, though. This lemon pepper chicken is love at first bite!
No lemon pepper seasoning? No problem
Not everyone has a bottle of lemon pepper mix lying around, but that shouldn’t keep you from making it. You can make your own by mixing up some coarsely ground pepper, sea salt (or better, garlic salt), and fresh lemon zest. You want to use lemon, though, not lime, which you get in India. If you can’t get lemon zest, add the rest of the ingredient and squeeze some fresh lime juice right at the end of cooking, when you take the pan off the heat.
I pulled out my new cast iron pan for this recipe and it worked rather well. This recipe also works great with fish and paneer. You can eat it with cauliflower rice or some keto bread as a side dish.
Nutrition Info (Per serving)
- Calories: 426
- Net Carbs: 1g
- Carbs: 1g
- Fat: 24g
- Protein: 52g
- Fiber: 0g
This recipe makes 2 servings. Get this recipe on myfitnesspal.
Lemon Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 300 grams Chicken breasts
- 2 Tsp Lemon pepper seasoning I recommend this one
- 50 grams Cheese
- 50 ml Heavy Cream
- 1 Tsp Fresh chives
- 1 Tsp Fresh Parsley
- 1 Tbsp olive oil I use this one
Instructions
- Season the chicken on both sides with the lemon pepper seasoning.
- Heat some olive oil on a pan
- Fry chicken on both sides for 3-4 minutes till golden brown
- Deglaze the pan with water
- Sprinkle on the grated cheese and cream.
- Mix well
- Finish with chives and parsley
- Serve
Hello! Can you clarify whether the recipe is for 2 or 3 servings? I’m seeing both and want to get the nutrition info right!
This is 2 servings. So about 1 chicken breast per person. I’ve written 300 grams of total chicken breast which is normally about 2. It will vary if you change anything or if you use more or less chicken.
I made this for dinner, doubled the ingredients, and enjoyed the leftovers cold for lunch!
Hi, can you tell me the exact name of the cheese you used with this recepie?
It’s a very old recipe but I think I used the Britannia block cheese.
Fran, a close approximation would be Kraft’s processed cheese
Hi there, can you serve it with steamed rice? thanks
If you are not on the Keto diet, then yes. If you are eating Keto then cauliflower rice.
Hello myself Imran from Chennai. And your recipes are like WOW. Thanks you
This is such a comforting meal! I made it with chicken thighs once, and it was way better than the chicken breast version. It takes a while longer to cook, but it’s worth it. You should give it a shot!
PS: I did keto for a few months last year. It benefited me in many ways, but unfortunately, I had to give it up due to a combination of travel, family visits and a general decline in determination. I will be going back to it soon and I’m thoroughly pleased that you’ve made a website with all your recipes and macro information. Thank you!
Can this be baked in the oven? What temp do you suggest? I could still make the sauce on the stove, too!
Always prefer cooking chicken on the stove, I guess 15-20 minutes at 190 C perhaps should work for chicken breast, maybe 25-30 minutes for legs and thighs
You are amazing. Love your food and music???. Thank you so much!
Emi
I agree, I just made this for lunch. It was amazing. I deglazed the pan with a little fresh lemon rather that water. Otherwise stayed true to the recipe. I will definitely make this again. Thanks for all the great recipes. Paula
This was simply delicious! Made it exactly as written using monterey jack cheese. We are fairly new to Keto and had a complete new recipe fail last night, so my family was hesitant to try another Keto dish. After smelling the amazing aroma wafting from the kitchen, I had no trouble getting my family to dive into this meal. Thanks to you, I totally redeemed myself from last night’s dinner disaster. You, sir, are my new favorite!
This would be amazing with Monterey cheese… thanks for the tip.
I made this but added sour cream and a little cinnamon to sauce and a goat cheese cheddar and mushrooms. omg it is the best I did everything u did but just added those other things but great recipe thank you bro you rock thanks horns up
I did it with mozzarella…. Still it was supper yummmmmmm!!!!! I cooked it with both breast and thigh pieces. Thanks for the recipe. I always search this site , take a print of the recipe ( if it’s successful ) and insert in my recipe file?
I had an epic fail with this, I accidentally put too much water…I used evaporated milk to sub heavy cream but because it was on high heat it like curdled the milk or something…it got crumbly and gross. Idk what to do with the salvaged chicken now.
Take the chicken out of the sauce. Chop it up and use it in a salad 🙂
Yes did u use lemon juice and if u did how much
Thank you
No I didn’t because it’s there in the seasoning powder. If you don’t have that powder then you can use lemon juice, black pepper powder and probably some garlic or garlic powder.
I’ve made this a few times and I love it. It will now be in my monthly, if not weekly rotation. So good! Thank you!
This was delicious! I wanted to drink the sauce!!