Mrs. A’s Skillet Lemon Chicken

Name: Mrs. A's Skillet Lemon Chicken
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins (or breasts cut into thin strips); 1 large egg; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/4 teaspoon pepper; 3/4 cup Italian-flavored bread crumbs,; 1/4 cup unsalted butter ((half a stick)); 2 cups low sodium chicken stock or broth; 1 Tablespoon cornstarch; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley; 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice ((about two lemons)); Rice or pasta and parmesan cheese for serving (if you are using pasta, you may want to double the sauce recipe)

5 from 2 votes

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These homemade chicken tenders are simmered in a creamy lemon herb sauce for a hearty main course that the whole family will fall in love with. Mrs. A’s Skillet Lemon Chicken is fit for any special occasion, yet easy enough for a busy weeknight!

The completed lemon chicken inside of a skillet with three thin lemon slices

Table of Contents

Gluten-Free Chicken Tenders with a Creamy Lemon Sauce
What You’ll Need
How to Make Mrs. A’s Skillet Lemon Chicken
Tips for Success
Make it a Meal
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
Do These Freeze Well?
Get the Recipe

Gluten-Free Chicken Tenders with a Creamy Lemon Sauce

This easy recipe starts with every kid’s favorite – chicken tenders. I like to throw them together from scratch with gluten-free breadcrumbs, but frozen chicken tenders will do the trick just fine. Either way, they’re going to get a serious upgrade when they simmer in that sumptuous lemon herb sauce!

Growing up, this chicken was my family’s favorite special occasion meal. My mom got the recipe from her coworker’s friend whose Italian mother – Mrs. A – created it. Originally, the chicken tenders were baked in the lemon sauce. But when I revived the dish for my own family, I made a couple of changes to Mrs. A’s initial recipe. One of them moved things over to the stove.

The only other significant change I made was to the sauce’s thickening method, which required a flour-based roux. In order to keep the chicken gluten-free, I switched it to a cornstarch slurry. These changes not only made the dish more diet-friendly, but they also made it even easier to prepare! Plus, my updated version tastes just as divine as the original.

A dark teal plate containing lemon chicken, cooked broccoli, rice and a lemon twist

What You’ll Need

Each ingredient that goes into the chicken tenders and the skillet lemon sauce is listed below. Let’s dive right in!

For the Chicken Tenders

Chicken Tenderloins: Boneless and skinless.
Egg: To help the breading adhere to the meat.
Salt & Pepper: Added to taste.
Italian-Flavored Breadcrumbs: I use gluten-free breadcrumbs, but feel free to reach for whatever you have on hand.

For the Lemon Herb Sauce

Butter: Unsalted.
Low Sodium Chicken Stock: Or broth.
Cornstarch: This will form a slurry that’ll be used to thicken the sauce.
Dried Parsley
Dried Oregano
Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed from about two lemons.
Salt & Pepper

What Cut of Chicken Should I Use?

Boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins are the way to go when it comes to homemade chicken fingers. Remove the narrow white tendon in the middle of the meat by carefully wiggling the edge of a knife against it and pulling it off. If you’d like to lighten things up a bit, you could use boneless, skinless chicken breasts instead, but they don’t absorb the flavor or help to thicken the sauce quite as well.

Ingredients for Mrs. A’s Skillet Lemon Chicken.

How to Make Mrs. A’s Skillet Lemon Chicken

Go ahead and use your go-to chicken tenders for this recipe – whether they’re baked, fried or frozen. When in doubt, stick with the fail-proof tenders below! You also have the option to make gluten free air fryer chicken tenders.

Make the Chicken Tenders

Prep for Baking: Preheat the oven to 450°F. Place a cooling rack onto a cookie sheet and grease it with oil or cooking spray.

Combine Egg, Salt & Pepper: Crack the egg into a bowl, add a pinch of salt and pepper, then lightly beat the egg with a fork.

Coat Chicken in Breading: Add the chicken to the beaten egg, tossing to fully coat each tenderloin. Place the breadcrumbs into a bowl and, one at a time, roll the egg-covered tenderloins into the breadcrumbs to coat them completely. Place the breadcrumb-coated tenders onto the prepared rack. Once all of the chicken is coated and arranged on the rack, spray it with oil or cooking spray.

Bake: Bake the chicken tenders for 10-12 minutes, depending on their size, then flip them over. Once flipped, bake them for another 10-12 minutes.

Remove From Oven: Take your baked tenders out of the oven and set them aside.

Make the Sauce

Melt Butter: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.

Make Slurry: While the butter is melting, whisk the cornstarch into the chicken broth until it’s fully dissolved, then add the slurry to the skillet.

A cornstarch and chicken broth slurry being poured into a skillet full of melted butter

Add Herbs & Spices: Add the parsley, oregano, salt and pepper.

Cover & Simmer: Cover the saucepan and bring the liquid to a simmer.

Add Lemon Juice & Chicken: Uncover the saucepan and add the lemon juice, then lay the chicken fingers in the sauce.

The lemon herb sauce in a pan before the baked tenders have been added — Make the sauce.

A pair of tongs placing a chicken tender into a skillet full of lemon sauce — Make the sauce.

Simmer: Simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through and the sauce has thickened.

Enjoy! Serve your skillet lemon chicken over brown rice or another desired base. Top it with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese if you’d like.

The tenders submerged in the thickened sauce after the two have been simmered together — Simmer.

Three pieces of lemon chicken on a plate with wild rice and broccoli — Simmer.

Tips for Success

The helpful tips and tricks below will have you cooking up lemon chicken like a pro! Give them a read before you take a stab at the recipe.

Fresh Lemon Juice is Key: The lemon juice is a hugely important component of this dish. You definitely want to squeeze it from the fruit yourself – bottled lemon juice lacks that authentically fresh flavor.
Flip the Chicken: When you’re cooking the chicken tenders, it’s important to flip them over at the halfway point. This way, both sides will get equally crispy and neither will overcook.
Use Cold Broth: Keep the chicken broth chilled until you’re ready to make your cornstarch slurry. If the broth is warm, the mixture could clump up. The cornstarch should be fully dissolved in the broth before it’s exposed to any heat.

A close-up shot of skillet lemon chicken on a dinner plate along with rice and veggies

Make it a Meal

Throughout my childhood, my family enjoyed our skillet lemon chicken over angel hair or linguini pasta. These days, I usually serve it over brown rice. If you do want to partner it with pasta, I recommend doubling the sauce recipe so that you have plenty to coat the noodles. And don’t forget to add a sprinkle of parmesan cheese!

When it comes to side dishes, you honestly can’t go wrong. Whether you serve your chicken with Parmesan Roasted Broccoli, Baked Italian Herb Fries, Gluten-Free Dinner Rolls, or anything in between, dinner is sure to be a slam dunk.

A plate of lemon chicken, rice and broccoli with a skillet full of more chicken in the background

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

Once your skillet chicken has cooled completely, wrap each tender in aluminum foil and refrigerate them in an airtight container. Enjoy them within 2 days for maximum freshness. Reheat the chicken in a 400°F oven until it’s warmed through (this should take about 10-15 minutes). Alternatively, you can warm up the tenders in the microwave.

Do These Freeze Well?

They do! Instead of placing your wrapped and stored chicken tenders in the fridge, keep them in the freezer. Just be sure you’ve put them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Enjoy frozen tenders within 4 months and thaw them out in the fridge before you reheat them.

5 from 2 votes

Mrs. A’s Skillet Lemon Chicken

These homemade chicken tenders are simmered in a creamy lemon herb sauce for a hearty main course that the whole family will fall in love with. Mrs. A's Skillet Lemon Chicken is fit for any special occasion, yet easy enough for a busy weeknight!

Prep: 15

Cook: 30

Total: 45

Equipment

Oven
Stove