Description
A delicious and easy-to-make pan seared chicken breast recipe featuring a tangy lemon mustard sauce. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, this dish combines juicy chicken breasts with a savory and zesty sauce, enhanced by garlic and Italian seasoning.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 3 chicken breasts (skinless, boneless)
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth (or chicken stock or water + chicken base)
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Thickener
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch (or potato starch, all purpose flour, or cornstarch if not on Whole30)
- 1 tablespoon water
Cooking Oil
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Pat the chicken breasts dry with a paper towel. Using a sharp knife, score each breast in a crosshatch pattern by making two vertical cuts and five horizontal cuts across the surface, being careful not to cut all the way through. Season both sides generously with salt and black pepper.
- Sear the Chicken and Garlic: Heat 2 tablespoons of avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts along with the whole garlic cloves and cook for about 5 minutes on each side until the chicken is golden brown.
- Add Sauce Ingredients: Pour in 1 cup of chicken broth, then stir in 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard, and 1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Continue cooking for a few more minutes until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).
- Thicken the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of arrowroot starch and 1 tablespoon of water to create a slurry. Push the chicken to one side of the pan and slowly pour in the slurry while stirring continuously over medium heat. Cook for an additional minute until the sauce thickens.
- Serve: For best flavor, serve the chicken breasts immediately topped with the lemon-Dijon pan sauce. Leftovers can be cooled to room temperature and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Scoring the chicken helps it cook more evenly and allows the sauce to penetrate better.
- Use fresh lemon juice for the best bright flavor in the sauce.
- You can substitute arrowroot starch with cornstarch, flour, or potato starch if not following Whole30.
- Monitor the internal temperature with a meat thermometer to avoid overcooking the chicken.
- Leftover chicken should be stored in an airtight container and consumed within 3-4 days.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Pan Searing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken breast with sauce
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 1.5g
- Sodium: 450mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 85mg
Keywords: pan seared chicken, lemon mustard sauce, chicken breasts recipe, quick chicken dinner, healthy chicken recipe
