This speedy recipe for buttered lemon chicken parmesan swaps the tomato sauce for a buttery lemon sauce that works perfectly with the cheese!
I do love messing around with classic recipes. Take chicken parmesan for example…it involves chicken that is pan-fried with a tomato sauce, parmesan cheese and usually a generous amount of mozzarella cheese as well.
We do like a good chicken parm in this house, but the Southern husband also adores anything that involves lemon, so it got me to thinking.
What if I swapped out the tomato sauce for a buttery lemon sauce?
What if I ditched the mozzarella cheese entirely and just stuck with the Parmesan part?
TECHNICALLY this is still chicken parm, because I hung on to both the chicken and parm parts. It’s actually closer to chicken piccata, which is also made with lemon but doesn’t have the bread crumb coating or the parmesan.
Whatever it is, we love it! So grab a lemon and some cheese and let’s make it!
How do I get lemon zest?
Lemon zest is an important part of this dish, because it provides the bright little zing that makes this chicken so tasty. Zest comes from the lemon peel, and you want it in nice little feathery grated form so it fits right into the chicken breading.
And for that, I love the wonder that is my microplane zester. You simply run the lemon up and down the zester, and voila! A heap of perfectly grated lemon zest.
The microplane zester is also perfect for the grated parmesan you are going to need. Win-win!
Here’s how you make buttered lemon chicken parmesan!
Take that lemon zest and mix it up with some panko breadcrumbs, some grated Parmesan, some fresh parsley and a little sea salt and pepper and put it in a pie plate.
Put some beaten egg in another pie plate, and line them up together next to your stovetop.
Next! Melt some butter in a large skillet (I love Kerrygold butter for this recipe) and then dunk boneless chicken breasts in the egg and then the lemony bread crumbs.
Cook it up until it is nice and deep golden brown on both sides, and then set your chicken aside while you finish the sauce.
Add a little more butter and the juice from that lemon that you zested and stir it up.
Now divide the chicken among plates and drizzle that heavenly buttery lemony sauce on top, and then cover the whole thing with a generous handful of grated Parmesan cheese.
When we are feeling virtuous we have spinach on the side, but if you want to be extra decadent, cook up some cacio e pepe (otherwise known as pasta with black pepper and Parmesan cheese) and I promise you will be in Parmesan Cheese Heaven.
And if all this has also given you a yearning for traditional chicken parm, here’s a version that includes the mozzarella and here’s one that sticks to just the Parmesan.
I think my chicken parm work is done here!
Love, Kate xo
Want to round out your meal? This recipe pairs well with...
Buttered Lemon Chicken Parmesan
Prep Time: 15 minutes- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time:
Yield:
Category:
Method:
Cuisine:
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
This speedy recipe for buttered lemon chicken parmesan swaps the tomato sauce for a buttery lemon sauce that works perfectly with the cheese!
Ingredients
- Zest and juice from one lemon
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley, plus extra for garnish
- Pinch each of salt and pepper
- 1 egg, beaten to blend
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 4 chicken breast halves, pounded to ½ inch thickness
Instructions
- Combine the lemon zest, breadcrumbs, ½ cup Parmesan, parsley, salt and pepper in a shallow dish or pie plate. Put the beaten egg in a separate dish.
- Put 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large deep skillet over medium high heat.
- Dunk the chicken first in the egg and then in the breadcrumb mixture, pressing so the breadcrumbs stick.
- Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining butter and the lemon juice to the skillet and stir until butter is melted.
- Place one piece of chicken on each plate, drizzle with pan drippings and garnish with the remaining Parmesan and some parsley. Serve at once.
Notes
Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying!
I’m with the Southern Husband…love the savory lemon things. And most of the sweet lemon things, too. I just happen to have a large-ish lemon hanging out in my fridge right now, waiting to be something delicious. Think I have found it! I make a cheesy orzo with lots of parm. That will be the perfect side dish for this. Thanks, Kate!
Well, cheesy orzo to go with this is perfection! I’m doing my shrimp marinara soup with orzo tonight…maybe that orzo will need to stay out for lunch tomorrow! xo
Although I haven’t tried it I agree anything with Parmesan and lemon would do it for me. Do you think I could do this with a steak also? My husband is not a chicken fan. I think I will try it with both meats. Thank you.
★★★★★
Hi Lori! You are a mind reader, because I have had a steak with lemon sauce recipe that I’ve been working on for ages…so yes! I think that would be just fine. I would pick a tender cut of steak, like a strip or even a tenderloin, that you can pan fry. This would also work with a fish filet like cod or snapper as well. Happy cooking!