Honey Lemon Pan-Fried Chicken
If you think chicken breasts are bland, I am certain this honey lemon pan-fried chicken recipe will convince you otherwise. Everyone will want seconds!
- Prep time
- 15 min
- Cook time
- 15 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- a pair of chicken breasts, cut each into two halves
- salt and pepper, generous amount
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (from about 3 cloves of garlic)
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup honey
- juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup), reserve the zest
- 1 lemon, thinly sliced
- salt and pepper, to taste
- corn starch slurry (1/2 tablespoon corn starch + 2 tablespoon water)
- lemon zest reserves
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- 1
Pan-fried chicken breasts. Sprinkle each side of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. LIGHTLY dust the chicken with all-purpose flour. Trust me, the “lightly” part is super important if you want a crispy crust.
- 2
Heat butter and olive oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, add chicken breasts to the hot pan. Cook each side until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer cooked chicken breasts to a plate.
- 3
Honey lemon sauce. Using the same frying pan (super important!), and again on medium-high heat, add minced garlic and cook until golden brown for about 30 seconds.
- 4
Add chicken stock and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Remember to scrape the stuck chicken bits from the bottom of the pan with a spatula. This is the trick to make the sauce extremely flavorful.
- 5
Add honey, lemon juice, and lemon slices. Continue cooking until the sauce simmers, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- 6
Thicken the sauce by adding cornstarch slurry, and keep cooking for another 3 minutes until the sauce is thick.
- 7
Return the golden pan-fried chicken breasts into the frying pan to coat with the sauce. It really shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds, or you may risk overcooking the chicken.
- 8
Garnish with thinly sliced scallions and reserved grated lemon zest. Serve immediately with steamed white rice, boiled pasta, mashed potatoes, or crusty breads.