This one-pan Paleo lemon chicken is gluten-free, dairy-free (optional), Whole30-friendly, and a favorite for busy weeknights. The dish is built on a simple breading and finishes with a quick pan sauce made from lemon and chicken stock. It’s fast, family-friendly, and easy to adapt based on what you have on hand.
After browning the breaded chicken until golden, you deglaze the pan with chicken stock and fresh lemon juice to create a bright, tangy sauce. Make extra sauce to spoon over noodles, roasted cauliflower, rice, or your preferred side.
This lemon sauce is a kid favorite in my house — they always fight over the last bits in the pan. I like serving the chicken with roasted asparagus or broccoli. For picky eaters, reserve a plain breaded chicken piece before adding the sauce so they can dip it in ketchup or honey mustard.
Guests are often surprised at how quickly this meal comes together and how flavorful it is for so little effort. It’s one of those repeat recipes I make whenever the whole family will eat it.
I’ve adapted and repeated this recipe many times; it holds up well for weeknights and casual dinner guests. If someone in your household doesn’t eat chicken, this recipe still works great with other proteins or vegetables as you’ll see in the variations below.
Variations and serving ideas
- Keep the tenders simple: season the flour with Italian seasoning, paprika, and garlic powder for extra flavor.
- Make a creamy lemon sauce: use half the lemon juice and stir in heavy cream at the end until the sauce thickens—use it as a side sauce or thin slightly for a pasta sauce.
- Add sliced onions to the pan before breading the chicken for quick pan-fried onions—these are addictive as a side.
- Use the same breading and cooking method for fish to create a crisp topping for fish tacos.
- Turn it into a taco salad: slice the breaded chicken over greens with grape tomatoes and a simple mayonnaise-based dressing.
- Make a white gravy: after cooking the tenders, add cream or half-and-half to the pan and simmer until thick; roasted garlic adds depth and makes it reminiscent of chicken-fried steak gravy.
- Apply the technique to hamburger or pounded steak for a homemade chicken-fried steak with bold seasonings like red pepper, garlic, and lots of black pepper.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does. Please leave a comment and tell me how you served it or any tweaks you made.
Roasted vegetables pair perfectly with this dish—my simple roasted vegetable method works with almost any recipe and is my go-to side.
One Pan Paleo Lemon Chicken Recipe
- Author: Rebecca Baron
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Paleo
Description
This lemon chicken features a light breading and a bright, pan-made lemon sauce. It’s versatile, quick to prepare, and delicious spooned over your favorite sides.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ pounds chicken tenders
- ⅓ cup flour of choice (cassava, paleo blend, tigernut, gluten-free, or regular flour)
- Real salt and ground pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons grass-fed butter, divided (omit or substitute oil for dairy-free)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Fresh lemon juice (juice of 1½ large or 2 small lemons)
- 1 fresh lemon, sliced (for garnish)
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the flour with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
- Toss the chicken tenders in the flour until they’re evenly coated.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
- Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan.
- Add half of the coated chicken tenders, spacing them so they don’t touch. Cook until the undersides are golden brown.
- Flip the tenders and brown the other side, then remove the cooked chicken and set aside.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to the pan.
- Cook the remaining chicken tenders in the same way. When all pieces are browned, return the first batch to the pan.
- Pour in the chicken stock and lemon juice and bring the mixture to a simmer. Let it simmer 2–3 minutes, or until the sauce reduces by about half and slightly thickens.
- Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.
- Garnish with lemon slices and chopped fresh parsley, then serve.
You may also like…
Healthy Chicken Recipes-
Healthy Chicken Tetrazzini with Mushrooms and Herbs
-
Best Gluten-Free Dinner Recipes
-
Creamy Sun-Dried Tomato Chicken Thighs
-
Simple Paleo Chicken Curry
-
Indian Chicken Korma with Coconut Milk
-
Maple Roasted Chicken with Sweet Potatoes
-
Healthy Chicken Tikka Masala
