This one pan chicken breast and asparagus in lemon cream sauce is a tempting one-skillet main dish, and delicious with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower. Red pepper flakes bring a tiny bit of heat to the sauce, so use as much or as little as you wish.
Preparation Details
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced shallots
- 1 pound asparagus, cut into 3-inch pieces, discarding any tough ends
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- fresh basil sprigs for garnish (optional)
- lemon slices for garnish (optional)
Steps
- Combine lemon zest and juice, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, and chicken broth in a small bowl and set aside.
- Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to create 4 cutlets. Pat dry with paper towels and lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil shimmers, carefully add chicken pieces and brown for 3 to 5 minutes per side. Chicken will not be fully cooked. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
- To the same skillet, add shallots and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth mixture and bring to a boil.
- Return chicken to the skillet with any accumulated juices. Add asparagus pieces around chicken and sprinkle on minced basil. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to simmer until asparagus is tender, and chicken is no longer pink at the center and juices run clear, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Remove cover and increase heat to medium. Melt butter, one tablespoon at a time, stirring continuously, allowing sauce to thicken a little. Remove from heat and stir in cream. To serve, place in a serving dish and garnish with additional fresh basil and lemon slices.
