Lemon Spinach Parmesan Chicken Recipe
Sometimes the best recipes come from ‘what do I have in my fridge right now?’ moments. Chicken, spinach, lemon, parmesan – nothing fancy, but when combined, they make something fresh and new. The creamy sauce is not hard. It’s just chicken broth, cream, and cheese. Nothing you can’t handle. And everything happens in one pan. You’re welcome.
It’s a great lemon recipe in late winter when you’re craving something fresh but nothing is in season.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
Use fresh and real ingredients here. Freshly squeezed lemon juice. Fresh spinach. Real cream. Freshly grated real Parmesan cheese. And make sure your chicken breasts are flattened to cook evenly. A meat mallet or rolling pin will do the job.
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This serves 4 people. You can double or triple the recipe by adjusting the recipe card below. But your pan needs to be big, and you might need to cook the chicken in batches.
Equipment
- Meat mallet
- Large sauté pan
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Tongs
- Zester or grater
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper (for seasoning the chicken)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 cups fresh spinach leaves
- additional Parmesan cheese for garnish
- thinly sliced lemon for garnish
How to Make Lemon Spinach Parmesan Chicken
Step One: Prep The Chicken
Grab your meat mallet (or a rolling pin) and pound those chicken breasts until they’re all the same thickness. I know it seems like an extra step, but it makes cooking easier. Nobody wants thick parts that are still raw while the thin parts turn into chicken jerky. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Step Two: Cook The Chicken
Heat up your olive oil in a big sauté pan over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, add your chicken and let it get golden brown – about 3-4 minutes per side. You’ll know it’s done when it hits 165°F. Take the chicken out and set it aside for now.
Step Three: Make The Sauce
In that same pan (see? told you it was easy), toss in your minced garlic and let it get fragrant for about a minute. Then pour in the chicken broth, lemon juice, and zest. Scrape up all those yummy brown bits from the bottom – that’s extra flavor. Let it bubble up, then turn the heat down and stir in the heavy cream. Let it simmer for 5 minutes until it thickens up a bit, then add your parmesan and stir until it’s all melty.
Step Four: Add The Spinach And Bring It Together
Dump in the spinach and watch it wilt down in about a minute (it’s crazy how much it shrinks, right?). Put your chicken back in the pan, spoon that creamy sauce all over it, and sprinkle more parmesan on top because WHY NOT. Cover it up and let everything cook for 2 more minutes.
Step Five: Serve
Throw some lemon slices on top if you’re feeling fancy, maybe a little extra cheese, and you’re DONE. Seriously, that’s it. Dinner is served, and you look like a genius.
Serving & Storing
Serve this with buttered pasta or rice, soft Italian bread, and a salad.
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a pan over low heat, stirring occasionally. If the sauce thickens too much, add a small splash of chicken broth, cream, or even a little water to make it smoother. Avoid reheating on high heat, as this can cause the sauce to break. This doesn’t freeze well because of the cream sauce.
More Creamy Chicken Recipes
Chicken for dinner doesn’t have to be boring.
- Another easy, one-pan option is this chicken and spinach pasta skillet recipe. Quick and flavorful.
- Creamy chicken piccata is one of my personal favorite dinners.
- This cast-iron skillet smothered chicken is cozy comfort food for a cold day.
- With a little heat, smoky chicken pasta is my take on a restaurant favorite.
Printable Recipe
Lemon Parmesan Spinach Chicken
Equipment
- Meat mallet
- Large sauté pan
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Tongs
- Zester or grater
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper (for seasoning the chicken)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon zest of 1 lemon
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 4 cups fresh spinach leaves
- additional Parmesan cheese for garnish
- thinly sliced lemon for garnish
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Instructions
- Prep chicken. Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness using a meat mallet. Then, season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Then, add the chicken breasts and cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and fully cooked. Next, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Make the sauce. In the same pan, sauté the minced garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Then, add the chicken broth, lemon juice, and zest, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil. Next, reduce the heat to low and stir in the heavy cream. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce slightly thickens. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and combined.
- Add spinach and combine. Add the fresh spinach to the sauce and cook for about 1 minute until it wilts. Return the cooked chicken to the pan, spooning the sauce over the top. Sprinkle additional Parmesan cheese over the chicken and spinach. Cover the pan and cook for another 2 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt and the spinach to become tender.
- Serve. Garnish with thinly sliced lemon and extra Parmesan cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.
Nutrition
Love,
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I replaced the heavy cream with plain Greek yogurt. Thanks a ton.
Hey Cody, that sounds like a great twist on the recipe! Greek yogurt is such a nice, light swap for heavy cream. I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thanks for giving it a try! Hope you get a chance to make it again soon!
We really liked it. Need an adjustment on the sauce for thickening. Next time I’ll add more cheese or add some cornstarch to make a nicer sauce. It was very runny but it was delicious! I’d make it again for sure.
Hey Ann, thank you so much for your feedback! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I really appreciate you sharing your experience, and I’m so happy to hear you’d make it again!
The flavor was really good, but it turned out soupy. Not sure what happened. I’m almost certain I used the correct amount of broth, lemon and cream. I’ll have to make it again and see if it turns out any differently.
Hey Michele, thanks for trying the recipe! The extra liquid might be from the spinach, especially if it wasn’t well-drained. Next time, you could simmer the sauce a bit longer to thicken it or add a little cornstarch or flour if needed. Let me know how it turns out!:)
SO delicious!!
Thank you!! I’m so glad you loved it!
Would this work with Feta cheese?
Hey Bob,
Yes, feta could work in this dish, although it would give it a different, tangier taste compared to the creamy and mild Parmesan. Feta won’t melt in the same way, so you might end up with a crumblier texture in the sauce. To balance it out, you could add a touch more cream or chicken broth if it gets too thick. Let me know if you give it a try!