Easy, quick 30-Minute Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken is a miracle meal! Loaded with creamy, zesty garlicky flavor, you’ll never look at bland chicken breast the same way! The lemon garlic cream sauce swaddles the perfectly cooked chicken for a delightful saucy adventure.
I’d like to introduce you to my latest obsession.
This incredibly simple recipe takes 30 minutes tops from start to finish and requires only 9 basic ingredients. The end result is tender chicken that is rich in flavor, has marvelous texture, and you’d never guess it was so dang simple!
To put the icing on the cake, this dish is low-carb (keto friendly), paleo, whole30, clean and fresh tasting!
I’ve been making this creamy lemon garlic chicken for meal prep so that I can just reheat it for lunches or dinners during the week. I recommend doubling or tripling the batch depending on how many people you’re cooking for or how much leftovers you want.
Serve it with rice, sautéed or roasted vegetables, or any of your favorite side dishes. I go with brown rice and sautéed veg!
What are these 9 simple ingredients, you ask? Let’s chat.
Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken Ingredients:
Avocado Oil: A touch of avocado oil is all we need to sauté the onion and brown the chicken before adding the coconut milk for the sauce. I use avocado oil over olive oil because it has a high smoke point, ideal for cooking at high temperatures.
Chicken Breasts: Boneless skinless chicken breasts are the lean protein source here. You can either purchase thinner chicken breast fillets or tenders, or if you buy standard chicken breasts, be sure to slice them in half (length-wise) to create a thinner cutlet with even thickness. You can absolutely use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer.
Using bone-in chicken thighs works too, just note that the cook time will be longer for bone-in pieces.
Onion & Garlic: Both onion and garlic provide that warm and inviting flavor that makes a dish so palatable. A generous amount of garlic makes this creamy lemon chicken a garlic lover’s dream! I use red onion but you can use any type of onion you like. I also garnish the dish with green onion, which I find gives the dish a very fresh flavor.
Lemon Zest & Juice: Lemon zest is what gives this dish that smooth lemon flavor and lemon juice gives it a tang. Don’t be afraid of adding lots of zest! This is where much of the flavor comes from.
Full-Fat Canned Coconut Milk: The “creamy” portion of this recipe. In order to keep the recipe dairy-free, I use full-fat canned coconut milk, which is very rich and lends an amazing creamy sauce to the dish.
You can’t taste the coconut milk, as the lemon zest + juice, onion and garlic mask the coconut flavor. If you prefer heavy cream, feel free to replace the coconut milk with 1 ⅔ cups of heavy cream.
Dried Parsley, Sea Salt, Black Pepper: Parsley adds a nice herby flavor which is always a bonus in savory recipes like this, and sea salt brings out all of the flavors. Any time you think a dish tastes bland, simply add sea salt until the flavors begin to shine.
Recipe Customizations:
- If you eat dairy, swap out the can of coconut milk for 1 2/3 cup of half & half or heavy cream. If you use half & half, mix 2-3 teaspoons of tapioca flour, or gluten-free all-purpose flour (or use a cornstarch slurry) in with the sauce in order to thicken it.
- Grate fresh parmesan cheese over the finished product if you do cheese.
- Time saving tip: Swap the fresh onion and garlic for 1 to 2 teaspoons of each: onion powder and garlic powder (to your personal taste). This helps save time as you won’t need to sauté the onion and garlic.
- Add fresh herbs like fresh parsley, fresh thyme, or fresh basil for more flavor.
- Toss some green beans in with the chicken to get a vegetable ready in a jiffy too.
- Add 1/4 cup of white wine to the sauce if you cook with wine.
- For a kick of spice, add 1/4 teaspoon to 1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Now that we’ve covered the basic ingredients, let’s make it!
How to Make Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken
Add the avocado oil to a large skillet and heat to medium-high. Add the chopped onion and sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to sweat, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Note: if you’re using standard boneless chicken breasts (instead of pre-sliced thinner fillets or tenders), be sure to slice the breasts in half (length-wise) to create a thinner cutlet. This ensures the chicken cooks quickly, evenly, and doesn’t dry out.
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with sea salt and place them in the hot skillet. Allow them to brown for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until golden brown.
Add the remaining ingredients to the skillet and stir everything around. Bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat slightly. Continue cooking at a full, controlled boil until the sauce reduces by ⅓ to ½ its original volume and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve with your choice of sides and enjoy! I like including some lemon slices for those who like a bigger kick of lemon flavor.Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
What to Serve With Chicken:
My top side dish recommendations:
- Lemon Garlic Rosemary Rice
- Stir Fry Vegetables
- My Go-To Balsamic Roasted Vegetables
- Apple Cider Glazed Roasted Carrots
- Crispy Vegan Cheesy Roasted Broccoli
Basic brown rice or angel hair pasta and a side salad are excellent options too!
The next time you’re looking for a great go-to main dish for busy weeknights, this dreamy chicken with lemon sauce is here to serve!
Love this dish? Be sure to check out my other healthy chicken recipes.
More Healthy Chicken Dishes:
- Chicken Marsala (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
- Easy Greek Chicken
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- 30-Minute Mexican Chicken and Zucchini Skillet
Enjoy!
Creamy Lemon Garlic Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp avocado oil
- ½ small red onion chopped
- 1 ½ lb chicken breasts or tenders *
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
- 1 (15-oz) can full fat coconut milk **
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tsp dried parsley
- 2 tsp lemon zest
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice to taste
- 3 stalks green onion chopped
Instructions
- Add the avocado oil to a large skillet and heat to medium-high. Add the chopped onion and sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion begins to sweat, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle both sides of the chicken breasts with sea salt and place them in the hot skillet. Allow them to brown for 2 to 3 minutes per side.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the skillet and stir everything around. Bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat slightly. Continue cooking at a full, controlled boil until the sauce reduces by ⅓ to ½ its original volume and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Serve with your choice of sides and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions:
Yes! For a lower fat recipe, use 1 cup of full-fat canned coconut milk and 1 cup of chicken broth. Also add 2 to 3 teaspoons of tapioca flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour to thicken the creamy sauce.
Yes, but I do recommend cutting them into thinner filets for the best results. Chicken breasts are typically very thick on one part of the breast, which prevents the chicken from cooking evenly. For the fastest, most tender result, use chicken filets that have been cut that way by the butcher, or cut your regular breasts into thinner filets.
Yes! Feel free to swap out the breasts for boneless chicken thighs. When using thighs, cook to an internal temperature of 180 degrees Fahrenheit for the best texture.
I published this recipe on August 30, 2021. On January 27, 2026, I updated the photos, added an FAQ section, added ingredient information, as well as more tips for the best results.
Super-duper! I will be making this one again and again. It was awesome mixed with my roasted broccoli. Thank you so much for sharing!
Wahoo! I’m happy to hear it, Rick! Thanks so much for the sweet note! xo
So delicious! This is one of my most favorite recipes, and will be a main staple for me and my family;) only thing I added was a little more salt and pepper:) FABULOUS!!
Great success! I’m so thrilled to hear it! Thanks so much for sharing your experience. xo
I made this, and I absolutely loved it! The spices are a little bland for me so I added a little garlic salt and pepper. Delicious! Thank you!
I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed it! Glad some garlic salt and pepper stepped it up for ya 🙂
This was absolutely delicious! The only things different I did was add a tapioca starch slurry to help thicken the sauce. I served it over cauliflower rice and topped with some basil from my garden. I will definitely add this to my rotation!
Ooh, I love the idea of thickening the sauce! Sounds like a winning meal! Thank you for sharing xo